to determine the size pf a parks moose population, caturalists catch 72 moose, tag them, and then set them free. months later 65 moose are caught, of which 15 have tags. Estimate the size of the moose population.
To estimate the size of the moose population in the park, we can use a method called mark and recapture. This method involves capturing and tagging a number of individuals, then recapturing some later and tracking how many of them have tags.
Here are the steps to estimate the moose population size using the mark and recapture method:
1. Capture and tag a known number of moose: In this case, the naturalists caught and tagged 72 moose.
2. Release the tagged moose back into the park.
3. Wait for a sufficient amount of time to allow the tagged and untagged moose to mix and redistribute within the population.
4. Capture a new sample of moose: In this case, 65 moose were caught in the second round.
5. Count the number of tagged moose in the second sample: Out of the 65 moose caught in the second round, 15 of them have tags.
Now let's calculate the estimated size of the moose population using this information.
The equation used for estimating population size is:
Estimated population size = (Total number of individuals in the first sample) * (Total number of individuals in the second sample) / (Number of recaptured individuals in the second sample)
In this case:
Total number of individuals in the first sample = 72 (tagged moose)
Total number of individuals in the second sample = 65 (total moose caught in the second round)
Number of recaptured individuals in the second sample = 15 (moose with tags in the second round)
Estimated population size = (72 * 65) / 15
Estimated population size = 312
Therefore, based on the mark and recapture method, the estimated size of the moose population in the park is 312.