Abstract
The study of population dynamics addresses three questions that are not always
separated in discussions with empirical data. Two questions address population
regulation. What stabilises population density is the
first question, and, in spite of much theory, little progress has been made in
answering this question empirically. The assumption of an equilibrium density
is impossible to test and direct experimental tests to answer this question
are rare. What prevents population growth is a second
question, and is the classic question of population regulation. To answer this
question requires an increasing population, and, with adequate experimental
manipulations, the density dependent factors preventing increase can be
identified. Surprisingly, answering this question has provided little
assistance in solving practical problems in population dynamics, possibly
because most populations are rarely in the state of growth and show a limited
range of densities.
What limits population density in good and poor habitats
is a third question, which addresses population limitation rather than
regulation, and has been the most useful question for empirical ecologists to
ask. Population limitation admits of little theory and no elegant models, and
highlights the gap between theory and practice in much of ecology. Defining
the question clearly and adopting an experimental approach with clear
alternative hypotheses will be essential to avoiding the controversies of the
past while building useful generalisations for the practical problems of
population management.
Subject
Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Cited by
50 articles.
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