Adaptive Cluster Sampling

Adaptive cluster sampling (ACS) is a probability-based design in which an initial random sample of units triggers the inclusion of neighboring units whenever a predefined condition — typically a threshold count of a rare attribute — is satisfied. Developed by Steven K. Thompson in 1990, ACS is especially powerful for estimating the abundance or distribution of rare, spatially clustered populations such as endangered species, disease hotspots, or hard-to-reach social groups.