The 1977 Fort McMurray AOSERP Moose Census: Analysis and Interpretation of Results

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Cook, R. D.
  • Jacobson, J. O.

• A stratified random sampling procedure involving a helicopter census of square-mile (2.6 km2) quadrats in a 648 mi2 (1,678 km2) pilot area in the AOSERP study area was continued in February 1977. The census produced a weighted mean estimate of 0.49 moose/mi2 (0.19/km2), or a study area estimate of 320 moose ± 29 percent. This was not significantly different from the population of 363± 30 percent estimated in 1976. The 1977 moose population of 320 moose was contained in an estimated 196 groups distributed on 23 percent of the square-mile study area quadrats at the time of census. Analysis of front and back observer data indicated a visibility bias in the 1977 census of approximately 50 percent. Adequate visibility bias models are required to provide biologically meaningful and statistically reliable estimates on any future moose censuses of the area.

• Date created

  1978

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Oil Sands
  • AOSERP
  • Surveys
  • Moose
  • Tar Sands
  • Wildlife
  • Tar sands
  • AOSERP TF 7.2.2
  • Alberta
  • Oil sands
  • Canada, Alberta, Fort McMurray

• Type of Item

  Report

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3DJ58H20

• License

  This material is provided under educational reproduction permissions included in Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development's Copyright and Disclosure Statement, see terms at http://www.environment.alberta.ca/copyright.html. This Statement requires the following identification: \"The source of the materials is Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development http://www.environment.gov.ab.ca/. The use of these materials by the end user is done without any affiliation with or endorsement by the Government of Alberta. Reliance upon the end user's use of these materials is at the risk of the end user.