How is population density determined?
1 Answer
May 25, 2016
A representative sample of a species is taken from an area of interest.
Explanation:
All “population” statistics are necessarily derived from samples because it too difficult to actually count an entire population. However, statistical techniques exist to provide very useful and fairly accurate values.
Starting with the area of interest, a “representative sample” is devised that may include multiple sites as well as a minimum number of observations to achieve a desired level of accuracy (minimal error).
The values obtained from the sampling process are then evaluated statistically to derive the desired population value. Population density is usually expressed as the number of species per hectare (S.I.) or square mile (English).
