Age, sex, density, winter weather, and population crashes in Soay sheep.

Quantifying the impact of density, extrinsic climatic fluctuations, and demography on population fluctuations is a persistent challenge in ecology. We analyzed the effect of these processes on the irregular pattern of population crashes of Soay sheep on the St. Kilda archipelago, United Kingdom. Bec...

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Main Authors: Coulson, T, Catchpole, E, Albon, S, Morgan, B, Pemberton, J, Clutton-Brock, T, Crawley, M, Grenfell, B
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2001
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author Coulson, T
Catchpole, E
Albon, S
Morgan, B
Pemberton, J
Clutton-Brock, T
Crawley, M
Grenfell, B
author_facet Coulson, T
Catchpole, E
Albon, S
Morgan, B
Pemberton, J
Clutton-Brock, T
Crawley, M
Grenfell, B
author_sort Coulson, T
collection OXFORD
description Quantifying the impact of density, extrinsic climatic fluctuations, and demography on population fluctuations is a persistent challenge in ecology. We analyzed the effect of these processes on the irregular pattern of population crashes of Soay sheep on the St. Kilda archipelago, United Kingdom. Because the age and sex structure of the population fluctuates independently of population size, and because animals of different age and sex respond in different ways to density and weather, identical weather conditions can result in different dynamics in populations of equal size. In addition, the strength of density-dependent processes is a function of the distribution of weather events. Incorporating demographic heterogeneities into population models can influence dynamics and their response to climate change.
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spelling oxford-uuid:c3170cd7-d8a1-4bc6-a2a5-031e65adf1f22022-03-27T06:14:01ZAge, sex, density, winter weather, and population crashes in Soay sheep.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:c3170cd7-d8a1-4bc6-a2a5-031e65adf1f2EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2001Coulson, TCatchpole, EAlbon, SMorgan, BPemberton, JClutton-Brock, TCrawley, MGrenfell, BQuantifying the impact of density, extrinsic climatic fluctuations, and demography on population fluctuations is a persistent challenge in ecology. We analyzed the effect of these processes on the irregular pattern of population crashes of Soay sheep on the St. Kilda archipelago, United Kingdom. Because the age and sex structure of the population fluctuates independently of population size, and because animals of different age and sex respond in different ways to density and weather, identical weather conditions can result in different dynamics in populations of equal size. In addition, the strength of density-dependent processes is a function of the distribution of weather events. Incorporating demographic heterogeneities into population models can influence dynamics and their response to climate change.
spellingShingle Coulson, T
Catchpole, E
Albon, S
Morgan, B
Pemberton, J
Clutton-Brock, T
Crawley, M
Grenfell, B
Age, sex, density, winter weather, and population crashes in Soay sheep.
title Age, sex, density, winter weather, and population crashes in Soay sheep.
title_full Age, sex, density, winter weather, and population crashes in Soay sheep.
title_fullStr Age, sex, density, winter weather, and population crashes in Soay sheep.
title_full_unstemmed Age, sex, density, winter weather, and population crashes in Soay sheep.
title_short Age, sex, density, winter weather, and population crashes in Soay sheep.
title_sort age sex density winter weather and population crashes in soay sheep
work_keys_str_mv AT coulsont agesexdensitywinterweatherandpopulationcrashesinsoaysheep
AT catchpolee agesexdensitywinterweatherandpopulationcrashesinsoaysheep
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AT morganb agesexdensitywinterweatherandpopulationcrashesinsoaysheep
AT pembertonj agesexdensitywinterweatherandpopulationcrashesinsoaysheep
AT cluttonbrockt agesexdensitywinterweatherandpopulationcrashesinsoaysheep
AT crawleym agesexdensitywinterweatherandpopulationcrashesinsoaysheep
AT grenfellb agesexdensitywinterweatherandpopulationcrashesinsoaysheep