Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Estimating animal population size and density is a fundamental task in wildlife magement and ecology.
Because small mammals like rodents are elusive and nocturl, direct counting methods are generally impractical.
Step 2: Detailed Explation:
Different population estimation techniques are suited for different taxa:
• Line transect count: Most suitable for large, visible herbivores or birds in open habitats.
• Capture-Mark-Recapture (CMR) technique: This is the standard method for small mammals, particularly rodents. Animals are captured using live traps, marked with a non-harmful identifier, and released. After a period, traps are set again, and the ratio of marked to unmarked individuals in the second capture is used to estimate the total population using the Lincoln-Petersen index.
• Minimum number alive method: A simple count used when capture probability is very high, but it is less statistically robust than CMR.
• Point sampling: Used primarily for vegetation or sedentary organisms.
Thus, the Capture-Mark-Recapture technique is the most common and reliable method for assessing rodent populations.
Step 3: Fil Answer:
The correct option is (B).