Premium
Mark—Recapture Accurately Estimates Census for Tuatara, a Burrowing Reptile
Author(s) -
MOORE JENNIFER A.,
GRANT TANDORA,
BROWN DEREK,
KEALL SUSAN N.,
NELSON NICOLA J.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the journal of wildlife management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1937-2817
pISSN - 0022-541X
DOI - 10.2193/2008-587
Subject(s) - endangered species , threatened species , census , mark and recapture , population size , estimation , population , biology , estimator , ecology , conservation biology , geography , statistics , demography , habitat , mathematics , engineering , sociology , systems engineering
Estimates of population size are necessary for effective management of threatened and endangered species, but accurate estimation is often difficult when species are cryptic. We evaluated effectiveness of mark–recapture techniques using the Lincoln–Peterson estimator for predicting true census size of a population of tuatara ( Sphenodon punctatus ), a burrowing reptile that is a conservation priority in New Zealand. We found that Lincoln–Peterson estimates ( NŇ = 85) were accurate for predicting the census size ( N = 87) after only a 3‐day mark–recapture survey. We recommend this method as a cost‐effective way to accurately estimate population size for isolated, inaccessible tuatara populations, because it requires limited personnel, expertise, and time, and has low environmental impact on fragile sites.