Population
Population abundance
To monitor our species population abundance, we are using the Capture-Recapture technique, a sampling method used to estimate the population size of animals. It works by capturing a small group of a species, marking them then releasing them. After a certain duration, another group is captured and the number of marked animals is counted.
To calculate population abundance, the population abundance formula is used. The formula is below:
How is this calculated?
Abundance is calculated by multiplying the number of captured species with the number of recaptured species. The result is then divided by the number of species marked in recapture.
In simpler terms:
Number captured = initial number of species captured and marked within the enclosure
Number recaptured = number of species removed for measurement
Number marked in recapture = the fraction of recaptured species marked from the initial capture (e.g. tag, mark, etc.)
Our group utilises this formula, by substituting our results into it. An example of this is pictured below:
On the left we see Amier marking a stick insect with a marker. Red markered insects represent 'Number marked in recapture' in the abundance equation.
Why have we chosen this method?
The 'Capture - Recapture - Abundance' method was selected due to its perfect suitability to our Crowned Stick Insect species. This is because the method is utilised to measure the abundance of moving organisms, which is exactly what our insects are.
