Suppose researchers marked 800 turtles and later were able to trap a total of 300 individuals in that population,of which 150 were marked.What is the estimate for total population size?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

We can use the Lincoln-Petersen Index to estimate the total population size:
Total Population Size = (Number of Individuals in First Sample x Number of Individuals in Second Sample) / Number of Marked Individuals in Second Sample
In this case, we have:
Number of Individuals in First Sample = 800
Number of Individuals in Second Sample = 300
Number of Marked Individuals in Second Sample = 150
Total Population Size = (800 x 300) / 150 = 1600
The estimate for total population size is between 1500 and 1800, so the best choice is C.

Suppose Researchers Marked 800 Turtles and Later Were Able to Trap