Question

Assignment #2 Q 1-19. Consider the following scenario. You are a conservation biologist and are monitoring the population of the critically endangered sifaka lemurs (Verreaux's sifaka) in Madagascar. You are using mark-recapture methods to count the population size of this species in your area. You capture 62 animals, mark them, and release them back into the wild. Then you return for the next five years to capture animals and record the number of marked animals among the individuals that you captured each year. You create the table below. Year | # animals originally captured, marked, and released | # of animals recaptured | Average # of recaptured animals that had a mark | Estimated population size (#) ---|---|---|---|--- 0 | 62 | -- | -- | -- 1 | Not applicable | 55 x 62 / | 12 = | 1. 284.1 2 | Not applicable | 53 x 62 / | 23 = | 2. 142.8 3 | Not applicable | 13 x 62 / | 12 = | 3. 67.1 4 | Not applicable | 13 x 62 / | 7 = | 4. 115.1 5 | Not applicable | 7 x 62 / | 6 = | 5. 72.3 1-5. What is the estimated total population size in each year? 6. Looking at your population data, you notice that the sifaka lemur population went through a population bottleneck. What year did this occur? 7. Given this population bottleneck, what is the effective size (Ne) of this lemur population across years 1-5? 8. Is Ne bigger or smaller than the arithmetic mean of your five year population estimates? 9. Explain the discrepancy between the two numbers.

          Assignment #2

Q 1-19. Consider the following scenario. You are a conservation biologist and are monitoring the population of the critically endangered sifaka lemurs (Verreaux's sifaka) in Madagascar. You are using mark-recapture methods to count the population size of this species in your area. You capture 62 animals, mark them, and release them back into the wild. Then you return for the next five years to capture animals and record the number of marked animals among the individuals that you captured each year. You create the table below.

Year | # animals originally captured, marked, and released | # of animals recaptured | Average # of recaptured animals that had a mark | Estimated population size (#)
---|---|---|---|---
0 | 62 | -- | -- | --
1 | Not applicable | 55 x 62 / | 12 = | 1. 284.1
2 | Not applicable | 53 x 62 / | 23 = | 2. 142.8
3 | Not applicable | 13 x 62 / | 12 = | 3. 67.1
4 | Not applicable | 13 x 62 / | 7 = | 4. 115.1
5 | Not applicable | 7 x 62 / | 6 = | 5. 72.3

1-5. What is the estimated total population size in each year?

6. Looking at your population data, you notice that the sifaka lemur population went through a population bottleneck. What year did this occur?

7. Given this population bottleneck, what is the effective size (Ne) of this lemur population across years 1-5?

8. Is Ne bigger or smaller than the arithmetic mean of your five year population estimates?

9. Explain the discrepancy between the two numbers.

Assignment #2

Q 1-19. Consider the following scenario. You are a conservation biologist and are monitoring the population of the critically endangered sifaka lemurs (Verreaux's sifaka) in Madagascar. You are using mark-recapture methods to count the population size of this species in your area. You capture 62 animals, mark them, and release them back into the wild. Then you return for the next five years to capture animals and record the number of marked animals among the individuals that you captured each year. You create the table below.

Year | # animals originally captured, marked, and released | # of animals recaptured | Average # of recaptured animals that had a mark | Estimated population size (#)
—|—|—|—|—
0 | 62 | – | – | –
1 | Not applicable | 55 x 62 / | 12 = | 1. 284.1
2 | Not applicable | 53 x 62 / | 23 = | 2. 142.8
3 | Not applicable | 13 x 62 / | 12 = | 3. 67.1
4 | Not applicable | 13 x 62 / | 7 = | 4. 115.1
5 | Not applicable | 7 x 62 / | 6 = | 5. 72.3

1-5. What is the estimated total population size in each year?

6. Looking at your population data, you notice that the sifaka lemur population went through a population bottleneck. What year did this occur?

7. Given this population bottleneck, what is the effective size (Ne) of this lemur population across years 1-5?

8. Is Ne bigger or smaller than the arithmetic mean of your five year population estimates?

9. Explain the discrepancy between the two numbers.

Added by Sandra H.

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