Formatting data for Mark input

[rhian]

Hi,
I have been carrying out some small mammal traping over 3 days (6 trapping sessions) in a variety of habitats. I have been marking the ones I catch and releasing them. I have been sexing and Identifying them but that doesnt realy matter as I just want an overall estimate of a population size of small mammals (as food for barn owls) within different habitats. I have read the guide but am not too sure how to format the data suitable for use in MARK. I have provided an example of a broadleaved woodland where I caught 4 small mammal on the first evening, 32 the next morning, then 4 unmarked ones and 1 marked on the second evening etc.

Habitat_name pm am pm am pm am
semi-natural 4; 32; 4, 1M; 20, 11M; 6, 3M; 12, 16M
broadleaved
woodland

Any ideas? Also Im not too sure which programme to use. I was thinking CJS....

Thanks, Rhian

[egc]

Hi,
I have been carrying out some small mammal traping over 3 days (6 trapping sessions) in a variety of habitats. I have been marking the ones I catch and releasing them. I have been sexing and Identifying them but that doesnt realy matter as I just want an overall estimate of a population size of small mammals (as food for barn owls) within different habitats. I have read the guide but am not too sure how to format the data suitable for use in MARK. I have provided an example of a broadleaved woodland where I caught 4 small mammal on the first evening, 32 the next morning, then 4 unmarked ones and 1 marked on the second evening etc.

Habitat_name pm am pm am pm am
semi-natural 4; 32; 4, 1M; 20, 11M; 6, 3M; 12, 16M
broadleaved
woodland

Any ideas? Also Im not too sure which programme to use. I was thinking CJS....

Thanks, Rhian

Given your question, I strongly suggest you (i) download (or browse online) a copy of the MARK book

http://www.phidot.org/software/mark/docs/book/

and, in particular, (ii) have a look at Chapter 2 (however, it would probably be well-worth going through at least Chapters 1 -> 8 before going much further).