Utilization of Capture-Mark-Recapture for the Study of Recruitment and Population Growth Rate

Abstract

Capture-mark-recapture data has been extensively used for the study of survival. However, recruitment and population growth rate can be investigated as well. The study of recruitment is shown to be equivalent to the study of survival in reverse and can be carried out by inverting capture histories. The natural parameter in this approach-here called seniority probability-is, at each occasion, the probability of being previously in the population. An overall likelihood is then presented that describes the gains and losses to the population by means of survival and seniority probabilities. This likelihood can be easily modified for the direct study of population growth rates between occasions