Question

A biology student caught and tagged 50 trout in a small lake. After two weeks, the student caught another 40 trout and found that 4 of them were tagged- these 4 had been the original sample and Jwere caught a second time. What is the best estimate of the population of trout in the lake? What might have contributed to the low number of tagged trout caught the second time? How could the student reduce this factor?

Answer 1

The best estimate of the population of trout in the lake is 500 individuals.

The low number of tagged trout recaptured may be because the tags slipped off.

This possibility can be reduced if the student used tags that does not slip off easily.

Mark and recapture method

The formula for calculating the estimated number of individuals in the population is given as:

• N = (M*C) / R

where:

• N = estimated Number of individuals in the population
• M = number of individuals captured and Marked
• C = total number Captured the second time (with and without a mark)
• R= number of individuals Recaptured (those with a mark)

Calculating the estimate trout population:

N = (50*40)/4

N = 50

Therefore, the best estimate of the population of trout in the lake is 500 individuals.

The low number of tagged trout recaptured may be because the tags slipped off.

This possibility can be reduced if the student used tags that does not slip off easily.

Learn more about mark and recapture method at: https://brainly.com/question/10646744