Wildlife population

A wildlife population or species population is the concept of "population" applied to any species other than humans. Understanding a wildlife population requires a census of the species, and the technique for accomplishing that vary depending on the species and circumstance.^[1] Characteristics which define a wildlife population include population density, birth rate, mortality rate, age distribution, biotic potential, biological dispersal, and growth form.^[2]

Methods for measuring wildlife populations include mark and recapture, distance sampling, and examining a harvest.^[3] Biologists who survey wildlife populations often work in a business context where they balance maintaining quality data, but complete the survey quickly, and work at low cost.^[4] Economic reasons for doing wildlife surveys can include harvesting wildlife, controlling disease, or negotiating conflicts between multiple business interests who claim control of a resource.^[5]

Motivations for studying wildlife populations include wildlife conservation^[6] and wildlife management.^[7][8]

Wildlife populations are declining globally at fast rates. The Living Planet Index reported that from 1970-2020, the global populations in freshwater ecosystems have decreased by 85%, Terrestrial animals by 69%, and marine life by 56%.^[9] Counting the number of individuals in a population is key to predicting and identifying ecosystem collapse when populations of wildlife will go extinct.^[10][11] Population viability analysis is a method for determining if a population will go extinct in given circumstances.^[12]