A major question in ecology is how age-specific variation in demographic parameters influences population dynamics. Based on long-term studies of growing populations of birds and mammals, we analyze population dynamics by using fluctuations in the total reproductive value of the population. This enables us to account for random fluctuations in age distribution. The influence of demographic and environmental stochasticity on the population dynamics of a species decreased with generation time. Variation in age-specific contributions to total reproductive value and to stochastic components of population dynamics was correlated with the position of the species along the slow-fast continuum of life-history variation. Younger age classes relative to the generation time accounted for larger contributions to the total reproductive value and to demographic stochasticity in "slow" than in "fast" species, in which many age classes contributed more equally. In contrast, fluctuations in population growth rate attributable to stochastic environmental variation involved a larger proportion of all age classes independent of life history. Thus, changes in population growth rates can be surprisingly well explained by basic species-specific life-history characteristics.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/673497DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

population dynamics
20
total reproductive
12
age classes
12
life history
8
population
8
influences population
8
generation time
8
contributions total
8
population growth
8
dynamics
5

Similar Publications

Humans and predators occupy dominant positions in ecosystems and are generally believed to play a decisive role in maintaining ecosystem stability, particularly in the context of virus transmission. However, this may not always be the case. By establishing some ecosystem virus transmission models that cover both human perspectives and predators, we have drawn the following conclusions: (1) Controlling vaccination activities from the human perspective can potentially lower the transmission rate and improve herd immunity, thereby indirectly protecting unvaccinated risk groups.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Arctic environment plays a critical role in the global climate system and marine biodiversity. The region's ice-covered expanses provide essential breeding and feeding grounds for a diverse assemblage of marine species, who have adapted to thrive in these harsh conditions and consequently are under threat from global warming. The bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), including two subspecies (E.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This study aims to investigate the psychological characteristics, motivations and experiences of potential living donors assessed for the first uterus transplant (UTx) clinical trial in Australia.

Design: Mixed methods study.

Setting: Tertiary hospital.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Public disclosures of mental health problems on social media and audiences' self-reported anti-stigma effects.

Health Promot Int

January 2025

Center for Mental Health and Community Wellbeing, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, 207 Bouverie Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia.

Public disclosures of mental health problems on social media represent a potentially powerful informal avenue for increasing mental health literacy and reducing public stigma in relation to people with mental health problems. We investigated whether the audience reported any reduction in their own stigma toward people with mental health problems after exposure to disclosures. We also examined whether self-reported stigma reduction was associated with the characteristics of audience members, the disclosers and the disclosure messages.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Continuous cropping has emerged as a significant challenge affecting yield and quality in greenhouse strawberries, particularly as the cultivation of strawberries as a protected crop continues to increase. To address this issue, substrates with 0 or 2 years of continuous cropping were fertilized with two types of organic materials: vermicompost derived from either sludge or cattle manure. A control group consisted of substrate without the addition of vermicompost.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!