Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Overview Of A Passive Tracking Index For Monitoring Wild Canids And Associated Species, Richard M. Engeman, Lee Allen

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Population density estimates for many animal species are often difficult or expensive to obtain, and they rely on assumptions that, if violated, result in unmeasurable estimation errors. Density estimates also may be unnecessary for research or management purposes, because an index that tracks changes in a population within appropriate time and geographic constraints could provide the information necessary to make management decisions or to evaluate the impact of a control program. We review research on a passive tracking index where observations are made on a series of tracking plots placed on lightly used dirt roads. The number of sets of …