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An Empirical Bayes Approach to Analyzing Recurring Animal Surveys
Author(s) -
Johnson Douglas H.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1941361
Subject(s) - bayes' theorem , waterfowl , statistics , estimator , sampling (signal processing) , econometrics , sample size determination , computer science , population , ecology , bayesian probability , mathematics , biology , habitat , demography , filter (signal processing) , sociology , computer vision
Recurring estimates of the size of animal populations are often required by biologists of wildlife managers. Because of cost or other constraints, estimates frequently lack the accuracy desired but cannot readily be improved by additional sampling. This report proposes a statistical method employing empirical Bayes (EB) estimators as alternatives to those customarily used to estimate population size, and evaluates them by a subsampling experiment on waterfowl surveys. EB estimates, especially a simple limited—translation version, were more accurate and provided shorter confidence intervals with greater coverage probabilities than customary estimates.