The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

The contributions of age and sex to variation in common tern population growth rate

The contributions of age and sex to variation in common tern population growth rate
The contributions of age and sex to variation in common tern population growth rate
The decomposition of population growth rate into contributions from different demographic rates has many applications, ranging from evolutionary biology to conservation and management. Demographic rates with low variance may be pivotal for population persistence, but variable rates can have a dramatic influence on population growth rate.

In this study, the mean and variance in population growth rate (?) is decomposed into contributions from different ages and demographic rates using prospective and retrospective matrix analyses for male and female components of an increasing common tern (Sterna hirundo) population.

Three main results emerged: (1) subadult return was highly influential in prospective and retrospective analyses; (2) different age-classes made different contributions to variation in ?: older age classes consistently produced offspring whereas young adults performed well only in high quality years; and (3) demographic rate covariation explained a significant proportion of variation in both sexes. A large contribution to ? did not imply a large contribution to its variation.

This decomposition strengthens the argument that the relationship between variation in demographic rates and variation in ? is complex. Understanding this relationship and its consequences for population persistence and evolutionary change demands closer examination of the lives, and deaths, of the individuals within populations within species.
0021-8790
1379-1386
Ezard, T.H.G.
a143a893-07d0-4673-a2dd-cea2cd7e1374
Becker, P.H.
421925e8-47e7-4a64-bbbc-1287e1c5267b
Coulson, T.
4ed43e2c-be98-4fe4-baec-d92fad154d87
Ezard, T.H.G.
a143a893-07d0-4673-a2dd-cea2cd7e1374
Becker, P.H.
421925e8-47e7-4a64-bbbc-1287e1c5267b
Coulson, T.
4ed43e2c-be98-4fe4-baec-d92fad154d87

Ezard, T.H.G., Becker, P.H. and Coulson, T. (2006) The contributions of age and sex to variation in common tern population growth rate. Journal of Animal Ecology, 75 (6), 1379-1386. (doi:10.1111/j.1365-2656.2006.01162.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The decomposition of population growth rate into contributions from different demographic rates has many applications, ranging from evolutionary biology to conservation and management. Demographic rates with low variance may be pivotal for population persistence, but variable rates can have a dramatic influence on population growth rate.

In this study, the mean and variance in population growth rate (?) is decomposed into contributions from different ages and demographic rates using prospective and retrospective matrix analyses for male and female components of an increasing common tern (Sterna hirundo) population.

Three main results emerged: (1) subadult return was highly influential in prospective and retrospective analyses; (2) different age-classes made different contributions to variation in ?: older age classes consistently produced offspring whereas young adults performed well only in high quality years; and (3) demographic rate covariation explained a significant proportion of variation in both sexes. A large contribution to ? did not imply a large contribution to its variation.

This decomposition strengthens the argument that the relationship between variation in demographic rates and variation in ? is complex. Understanding this relationship and its consequences for population persistence and evolutionary change demands closer examination of the lives, and deaths, of the individuals within populations within species.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: November 2006
Organisations: Environmental

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 344735
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/344735
ISSN: 0021-8790
PURE UUID: c19a3dfb-f6ff-4c69-80a4-e01b65c89d55
ORCID for T.H.G. Ezard: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8305-6605

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 12 Feb 2013 14:30
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:46

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: T.H.G. Ezard ORCID iD
Author: P.H. Becker
Author: T. Coulson

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×