Question

Suppose you are helping scientists conduct a study of a population of kangaroo rats. The scientists initially capture 95 kangaroo rats from a field in Buttonwillow and tag all of them. After a month, they capture 110 kangaroo rats and count 30 tags. What is the estimated kangaroo rat population from a field in Buttonwillow?

Answer 1

The estimated kangaroo rat population in the field in Buttonwillow is approximately 348.

Step-by-step explanation:

The estimated kangaroo rat population in the field in Buttonwillow can be determined using the mark and recapture method. The formula to calculate population size (N) is: N = (M × C) / R, where M is the number of individuals initially marked, C is the total number of individuals captured in the second sample, and R is the number of marked individuals recaptured in the second sample.

In this case, there were initially 95 marked kangaroo rats and 30 of them were recaptured in the second sample. The total number of individuals captured in the second sample was 110. Plugging these values into the formula, we get: N = (95 × 110) / 30 = 348.33

Therefore, the estimated kangaroo rat population from a field in Buttonwillow is approximately 348.