Cited by 145Wildlife Ecology and ConservationCensus and Population EstimationRangeland and Wildlife Management

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 46 of the 48 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

How reliable are dung counts for estimating elephant numbers?

Barnes, R. F. W.·2001·African Journal of Ecology

DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2028.2001.00266.x

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Abstract

Dung counts are the most commonly used techniques for estimating elephant numbers in forests, yet there is considerable scepticism concerning their accuracy. Published accounts of dung counts show that they give estimates similar to those from other methods for vertebrates ranging in size from lizards to elephants. For ungulates, macropods and elephants there are strong correlations between estimates from dung counts and other methods. Thus, dung counts are as accurate or inaccurate as other methods for estimating vertebrate numbers, including elephants. Dung counts for elephants give estimates that are as precise as, and sometimes more precise than, those from aerial surveys of elephants. This is because the variance in dung density is usually low and results in a lower than expected variance for the final elephant estimate when combined with the variances of defecation and decay rates. Dung counts may be more appropriate than aerial surveys for monitoring small or declining elephant populations.

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Self-citation
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Authors: Barnes, R. F. W.
Affiliations: University of California San Diego (US)
Corresponding author: Barnes, R. F. W.
ORCID: Barnes, R. F. W.
Venue: African Journal of Ecology
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2001-03
Volume: 39
Issue: 1
Pages: 1-9
ISSN: 0141-6707 (ISSN-L)
1365-2028
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2028.2001.00266.x
OpenAlex: W2128090400
Cited by: 145
References: 48
Citations by year: 2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 5
FWCI: 2.74
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor, 2696 d)
Locations: African Journal of Ecology (publishedVersion)
Topics: Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Census and Population Estimation
Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Rangeland and Wildlife Management
Keywords: dung counts, African bush elephant, aerial survey, stool frequency, survey accuracy, population monitoring, forest elephants

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How reliable are dung counts for estimating elephant numbers?

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