Is extinction rate related to temporal variability in population size? An empirical answer for orb spiders
Article Abstract:
Observations over a nine-year period of 174 populations of seven orb spider species were done in different sites and analyzed. The relationship between extinction rate and temporal variability in population size of orb spiders was determined. Six out of seven statistical treatments indicated either an inverse relation or no relation at all, which is contrary to the expected result of a positive relation. The main explanation given was that a population series that undergoes periodic extinctions and restartings through immigration never reach sizes large enough to generate variability.
Publication Name: The American Naturalist
Subject: Earth sciences
ISSN: 0003-0147
Year: 1992
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Extinction in multispecies and spatially explicit models of habitat destruction
Article Abstract:
A model of competition among sessile organisms was modified to account for spatial distribution of sites on the landscape. By re-evaluating the assumption on colonization rates of succeeding species in the hierarchy of competition, the best competitors were found to be the first ones to become extinct because of habitat destruction. During habitat destruction, certain species become extinct and settle in the community after severe habitat destruction that causes extinction among competitive species.
Publication Name: The American Naturalist
Subject: Earth sciences
ISSN: 0003-0147
Year: 1998
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Measuring temporal variability of population density: a critique
Article Abstract:
The conclusions derived from comparisons of temporal variations in population density among different species or among different populations within the same species but with different geographical distributions were questioned. The injudicious use of various density indices that are not linearly related to true densities was demonstrated in an analysis of several published studies. The density estimates in such studies were therefore invalid.
Publication Name: The American Naturalist
Subject: Earth sciences
ISSN: 0003-0147
Year: 1992
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