Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Statistics For Wildlifers: How Much And What Kind?, Douglas H. Johnson, Terry L. Shaffer, Wesley E. Newton

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Quantitative methods are playing increasingly important roles in wildlife ecology and, ultimately, management. This change poses a challenge for wildlife practitioners and students who are not well educated in mathematics and statistics. Here we give our opinions on what wildlife biologists should know about statistics, while recognizing that not everyone is inclined mathematically. For those who are, we recommend that they take mathematics coursework at least through calculus and linear algebra. They should take statistics courses that are focused conceptually, stressing the "why" rather than the "how" of doing statistics. For less mathematically oriented wildlifers, introductory classes in statistical techniques …