Quantifying Wildlife Abundance: Negative Rayleigh Modeling of Line Transect Data

Abstract

This study introduces a negative Rayleigh detection model for estimating population abundance in line transect surveys. The model satisfies key detection conditions and provides a detailed analysis of its probability density function, moments, and other essential characteristics. Parameters are estimated using three methods: moment estimator, maximum likelihood estimator, and Bayesian estimator. The model’s performance is evaluated through simulations, comparing its estimators to those from established models. An empirical application using perpendicular distance data further assesses the model, with goodness-of-fit statistics demonstrating its advantages over traditional methods.