Trap‐dependence in capture–recapture studies: empirical evidence in vertebrates and biological meaning

Capture–recapture (CR) models have been used for decades to estimate population size and demographic rates in natural populations from the monitoring of individuals. One of the most frequent deviations from assumptions required in CR studies is the immediate trap‐dependence that corresponds to the c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oikos
Main Authors: Cachelou, Jessica, Gaillard, Jean‐Michel, Chassagneux, Agathe, Baubet, Eric, Gamelon, Marlène
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Nordic Ecological Society 20.10.2025
Subjects:
Animal biology
Biodiversity and Ecology
Environmental Sciences
Life Sciences
Vertebrate Zoology
individual monitoring
individual heterogeneity
inter-individual differences
resighting
capture-mark-recapture
goodness-of-fit test
unequal catchability
ISSN:0030-1299, 1600-0706
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Capture–recapture (CR) models have been used for decades to estimate population size and demographic rates in natural populations from the monitoring of individuals. One of the most frequent deviations from assumptions required in CR studies is the immediate trap‐dependence that corresponds to the correlation between capture events. We review empirical evidence of immediate trap‐dependence across vertebrate populations where several capture types exist, record possible variation in the occurrence and the sign of trap‐dependence and discuss its biological meaning. We highlight that when trap‐dependence occurs, trap‐happiness, the higher probability for an individual to be captured again at i + 1 if captured at i , is the rule rather than the exception, whatever the type of capture. However, the occurrence of trap‐dependence varies among populations of a given species and only displays a moderate repeatability in a given species. It also varies within a population depending on sex, age, or type of mark, and reflects among‐individual variation in personality (bold versus shy), social status, or ecological context. We argue that immediate trap‐dependence can be seen as a form of dynamic heterogeneity, reflecting clear among‐individual differences. Although trap‐dependence is generally considered simply as a noise to account for, it has a clear biological meaning in terms of among‐individual differences.
ISSN:0030-1299
1600-0706
DOI:10.1002/oik.11715