Planning abundance estimation surveys when detectability is <1.0
Tom Drummer · 2021
A common problem in wildlife censuses is that not all animals are detected during the search. Resources may have to be allocated for estimating the probability of detection. The question may arise as to how much effort should be allocated to estimating detectability as opposed to conducting the census. Researchers planning abundance estimation surveys must sometimes choose between an intensive search of a small fraction of the study area and a less intensive search of a larger area. I consider these problems from the standpoint of minimizing the variance of the abundance estimator subject to cost constraints. I also derive sample size formulas for simple random sampling and optimal allocation for stratified random sampling.