Recapture technique

Definition

A method used in population studies where individuals are marked and then recaptured to estimate population size. This involves capturing a sample of individuals, marking them in some way (e.g., tagging), releasing them back into the wild, and then recapturing a second sample to determine the proportion of marked individuals.

Etymology

Example

Recapture techniques are often used to estimate the size of insect populations.

Related Terms

• Mark-recapture
• Population estimation
• Sampling