Population Estimation Methods for Free-Ranging Dogs: A Systematic Review.

ABSTRACT: The understanding of the structure of free-roaming dog populations is of extreme importance for the planning and monitoring of populational control strategies and animal welfare. The methods used to estimate the abundance of this group of dogs are more complex than the ones used with domiciled owned dogs. In this systematic review, we analyze the techniques and the results obtained in studies that seek to estimate the size of free-ranging dog populations. Twenty-six studies were reviewed regarding the quality of execution and their capacity to generate valid estimates. Seven of the eight publications that take a simple count of the animal population did not consider the different probabilities of animal detection; only one study used methods based on distances; twelve relied on capture-rec

SUBMITTER: Belo VS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4684217 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature