To study a species of fox, a team captures and tags 25 foxes from a large forest and then releases them. The following week they capture 15 foxes and find 5 are tagged. Estimate the number of foxes in the forest.
x/25 = 15/5
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To estimate the number of foxes in the forest, we can use a method called Lincoln-Petersen index. This method assumes that the proportion of tagged animals in the second sample is representative of the proportion of tagged animals in the entire population.
The Lincoln-Petersen index formula is as follows:
Population estimate = (Number of tagged animals in the first sample) * (Total number of animals in the second sample) / (Number of tagged animals in the second sample)
In this case, we have:
Number of tagged animals in the first sample = 25
Total number of animals in the second sample = 15
Number of tagged animals in the second sample = 5
Using the formula, we can estimate the number of foxes in the forest:
Population estimate = (25 * 15) / 5 = 75
Therefore, the estimated number of foxes in the forest is 75.