Which technique is primarily used for tracking wildlife and understanding their population dynamics?

Mark and recapture is a widely used technique in wildlife ecology that allows researchers to estimate population sizes and understand population dynamics over time. This method involves capturing a number of individuals from a population, marking them in a way that is not harmful, and then releasing them back into their habitat. After some time, a second sample of individuals is captured, and researchers can determine how many of these captured individuals were previously marked.

This technique provides critical data on population size, survival rates, and movement patterns. By comparing the ratio of marked to unmarked individuals in the second sample, ecologists can use mathematical models to estimate the total population size. This information is essential for effective conservation management, allowing organizations like Ducks Unlimited to develop strategies that ensure the sustainability of wildlife populations.

The other methods mentioned, such as tagging only or using photographic monitoring, serve different functions—tagging is part of the mark and recapture process, while photographic monitoring primarily helps in species identification and behavior assessment but doesn't usually provide direct estimates of population sizes. Transect surveys involve counting individuals along a set line and can indicate presence or abundance but are often less accurate for estimating population size compared to mark and recapture. Thus, mark and recapture stands out as the primary technique for understanding both