Program RDSURVIV: An estimation tool for capture-recapture data collected under Pollock's robust design

Several papers have demonstrated the advantages of collecting capture- recapture data using subsamples (i.e. Pollock's robust design). Compared with a standard design (i.e. one sample per period), this approach (1) permits the estimation of more demographic parameters and (2) in many cases produces more efficient estimators. Program SURVIV is a powerful tool for computing parameter estimates under the robust design. However, multinomial models developed for the robust design require cells for each possible capture history that occurs across the subsamples within a period. This makes the process of entering cell probabilities in SURVIV¸ very tedious and subject to errors. Program RDSURvIv combines SURVIV with a front end that converts capture histories taken under the robust design to the proper input format for estimating parameters under a general model, and builds that model. This model permits Markovian temporary emigration, trap response in capture probabilities and time variation in all parameters. Program RDSURVIV also automatically computes estimates under a series of submodels, but also permits the user to specify other submodels.