02003naa a2200325 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000210006024500810008126000090016252011910017165000110136265000130137365000150138665000130140165000130141465000100142765000120143765000160144965300180146565300210148365300130150465300160151765300180153370000160155170000200156770000230158770000150161077300520162517880242017-04-05       1994    bl ---       0--  u    #d1 aMOURAO, G. de M.  aTest an aerial survey for caiman and other wildlife in the Pantanal, Brazil.  c1994  aWe assessed the feasibility of standardized fixed-wing aerial survey to monitor the distribution and abundance of caiman in the Pantanal, anextensive wetland in South America. Twelve other species were surveyed simultaneously. Caiman, cattle, and capybara occurred at high densities: on average their combined counts were 93% of the total. The remaining species were uncommon or are. More caiman, cattle, and capybara were observed in afternoons than in mornings. We used a modified markrecapture method to estimate visibility bias of caimans counted during aerial surveys. Caimans were captured, painted, released, then "recaptured" visually from an ultralight aircraft. On average, 26% of caimans were seen in open habitats and 2% were observed in a heavily vegetated pond. A correction factor was dirived from that sighting fraction to improve the accuracy of counts of caimans in open habitats during aerial surveys over large areas. Aerial survey is a cost-effective method for monitoring the density of caimans in the Pantanal and, simultaneously, for obtaining information on the distribuition and relative abundance of other important wildlife species amenable to aerial survey.  aCaiman  aPantanal  apopulation  awildlife  aCapivara  aFauna  aJacaré  aPopulação  aAerial survey  aAnimal silvestre  aCapybara  aCenso aereo  aSavage animal1 aBAYLISS, P.1 aCOUTINHO, M. E.1 aABERCOMBRIE, C. L.1 aARRUDA, A.  tWildlife Society Bulletingv.22, p.50-56, 1994.