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Using Known Populations Of Pronghorn To Evaluate Sampling Plans And Estimators, Kathy M. Kraft, Douglas H. Johnson, Jack M. Samuelson, Stephen H. Allen

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Although sampling plans and estimators of abundance have good theoretical properties, their performance in real situations is rarely assessed because true population sizes are unknown. We evaluated widely used sampling plans and estimators of population size on 3 known clustered distributions of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana). Our criteria were accuracy of the estimate, coverage of 95% confidence intervals, and cost. Sampling plans were combinations of sampling intensities (16, 33, and 50%), sample selection (simple random sampling without replacement, systematic sampling, and probability proportional to size sampling with replacement), and stratification. We paired sampling plans with suitable estimators (simple, ratio, …