Fox Squirrel Population

A wildlife biologist would like to estimate the number of fox squirrels on the Atoka Wildlife Management Area (WMA). On the first day, the biologist harvests 120 squirrels on the area. At one-week intervals for the rest of the month, using the same amount of effort, the biologist harvests 60, 30, and 15 squirrels during weeks two, three, and four, respectively. The accumulated prior harvest is listed in the table below.

Part 1: Graph the ordered pairs from the table above on an xy-coordinate system where x is the accumulated prior harvest and y is the number harvested. Draw a line through these points. What is the x-intercept for this line? What is the y-intercept for this line? What do each of the intercepts represent in this situation?

The wildlife biologist also could estimate the number of fox squirrels on the Atoka WMA by conducting a CMR study. The biologist sets live traps throughout the area and in the first week 120 squirrels are captured, marked, and released. The biologist repeats the same trapping effort during weeks two, three, and four and captures 51, 38, and 21 previously unmarked squirrels, respectively. The accumulated prior catch (remember that previously marked animals are not counted on subsequent captures) is listed in the table below.

Part 2: Graph the ordered pairs from the table above on an xy-coordinate system where x is the number of animals previously marked and y is the number of new individuals marked. This time your points should not all fall on a straight line. Use your best judgment and draw a straight line that comes closest to all of the points. For your line, what is the x-intercept? What is the y-intercept? What do each of the intercepts represent in this situation and how closely do you think your line estimates the actual situation?