BRAINCAKEAssumptions of Mark-Release-Recapture
The mark-release-recapture formula only gives a valid estimate if certain assumptions are true. If any of them is false, the estimate will be inaccurate.
1. Marked individuals mix randomly with the rest of the population, so that the proportion marked in the second sample matches the proportion in the whole population. Enough time must be left between samples.
2. Marking does not affect survival. For example, bright paint must not make animals more visible to predators, and marking must not harm them.
3. Marks are not lost, for example by wearing off or when an arthropod moults.
4. There are no significant births, deaths, immigration or emigration between the two samples, so the population size stays the same.
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More in Populations in Ecosystems
- Estimating Population Size with Quadrats
- Random Sampling with Quadrats
- Systematic Sampling along Transects
- Mark-Release-Recapture
- Succession
- Primary Succession
- Secondary Succession
- Climax Communities
All 20 lessons in Populations in Ecosystems · All AQA A-level Biology topics