Opposing paradigms: regulation or limitation of populations?

White, T. C. R.

doi:10.1034/j.1600-0706.2001.930116.x

Cited by 89 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 16 publications

(12 reference statements)

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“…Elsewhere, we have explored the theoretical consequences of behaviourally structured populations with individuals expressing either extreme aggression or avoidance under harsh conditions, and concluded that there are survival advantages for the structured population in comparison with unstructured populations [38]. This runs counter to the thesis that competition for a limited resource determines which individuals survive but not how many [34,44].…”

Section: Limitation Vs Regulationmentioning

confidence: 79%

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Limitation and Regulation of Ecological Populations: a Meta-analysis ofTipula paludosaField Data

Blackshaw

Petrovskii

2007

Math. Model. Nat. Phenom.

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Abstract. Whether the size of an animal population is environmentally limited or regulated by density dependent negative feedback mechanisms is of ecological interest. Proponents of limitation theory have issued a set of specific challenges which are addressed in this paper using field data for the insect Tipula paludosa. This species is known to be subject to population crashes caused by adverse environmental conditions and assumed to be limited. We re-examine published data in support of this hypothesis and show that there is also evidence of negative feedback between generations. Meta-analyses of annual count data from individual fields, and regional surveys provide further evidence of negative feedback and it is concluded that population regulation occurs at both local and regional scales. Evidence from other studies is used to propose that cannibalism is the causative mechanism. Since similar negative feedback responses were apparent under both normal and environmentally limiting conditions when populations crash, a single population model that could simulate the differing regional dynamics observed from the annual surveys was produced. We conclude that the range of annual fluctuations observed in T. paludosa populations is the outcome of both limiting and regulating processes, confirming from field observations that these are not exclusive mechanisms.

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Section: Limitation Vs Regulationmentioning

confidence: 79%

“…It is White's [44] contention that exogenous variation in a resource constraint such as the availability of food is sufficient to explain population fluctuations whereas Berryman et al [6] conclude that regulation does exist but that it is an emergent property of particular ecological structures rather than an "a priori fact of life".…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Limitation and Regulation of Ecological Populations: a Meta-analysis ofTipula paludosaField Data

Blackshaw

Petrovskii

2007

Math. Model. Nat. Phenom.

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“…This observation suggested to early ecologists that populations were regulated by density-dependent factors, and that competition was the most plausible underlying mechanism. In contrast, other authors emphasized abiotic environmental factors as the primary drivers of population fluctuations, often largely in the absence of competition (6)(7)(8)(9). Recurring debates about the relative importance of biotic regulation vs. abiotic forcing have been dubbed ''ecology's 12-year cycle'' (1,10).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Compensatory dynamics are rare in natural ecological communities

Houlahan

Currie

Cottenie

et al. 2007

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

272

300

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In population ecology, there has been a fundamental controversy about the relative importance of competition-driven (densitydependent) population regulation vs. abiotic influences such as temperature and precipitation. The same issue arises at the community level; are population sizes driven primarily by changes in the abundances of cooccurring competitors (i.e., compensatory dynamics), or do most species have a common response to environmental factors? Competitive interactions have had a central place in ecological theory, dating back to Gleason, Volterra, Hutchison and MacArthur, and, more recently, Hubbell's influential unified neutral theory of biodiversity and biogeography. If competitive interactions are important in driving year-to-year fluctuations in abundance, then changes in the abundance of one species should generally be accompanied by compensatory changes in the abundances of others. Thus, one necessary consequence of strong compensatory forces is that, on average, species within communities will covary negatively. Here we use measures of community covariance to assess the prevalence of negative covariance in 41 natural communities comprising different taxa at a range of spatial scales. We found that species in natural communities tended to covary positively rather than negatively, the opposite of what would be expected if compensatory dynamics were important. These findings suggest that abiotic factors such as temperature and precipitation are more important than competitive interactions in driving year-to-year fluctuations in species abundance within communities.biological interactions ͉ community dynamics ͉ negative covariance ͉ neutral models ͉ zero-sum

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“…Population size is limited by factors such as food, nest sites, predation, weather, competition, and disease (Wiens 1984;Martin 1987;Newton 1998;White 2001). Food effects may be direct through starvation, or indirect through increased predation as a result of changed behaviour and exposure (Jansson et al 1981;Newton 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why are there so many empty lakes? Food limits survival of mallard ducklings

Gunnarsson¹,

Elmberg²,

Sjöberg³

et al. 2004

Can. J. Zool.

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Abstract:Food is an important factor affecting survival in many bird species, but this relationship has rarely been explored experimentally with respect to reproductive output of precocial birds. In a field experiment we tested the hypothesis that food abundance limits reproductive output in breeding dabbling ducks. Onto 10 oligotrophic lakes in northern Sweden we introduced one wing-clipped female mallard (Anas platyrhynchos L., 1758) and a brood of 10 newly hatched ducklings, and survival was monitored for 24 days. Food was added ad libitum at five of the lakes, but not at the other five. Duckling survival was best modelled to include a treatment effect, with higher survival on lakes with food added, and a negative effect of harsh weather. As expected, duckling survival increased nonlinearly with age. Only one female remained on control lakes after 24 days, whereas four remained on lakes with food added. This is the first experimental demonstration that food may limit survival and reproductive output in breeding precocial birds. We argue that food limitation may be one reason why duckling mortality is high and why many lakes throughout the Holarctic have no breeding dabbling ducks.Résumé : La nourriture est un facteur important pour la survie de plusieurs espèces d'oiseaux, mais sa relation avec le rendement reproductif des oiseaux nidifuges n'a que rarement été explorée expérimentalement. Une expérience sur le terrain nous a permis de vérifier l'hypothèse selon laquelle l'abondance de la nourriture contrôle le rendement reproductif chez les canards barboteurs en période de reproduction. Nous avons introduit une femelle à ailes écourtées du canard colvert (Anas platyrhynchos L., 1758) ainsi qu'une couvée fraîchement éclose de 10 canetons dans 10 lacs oligotrophes du nord de la Suède et nous avons noté leur survie pendant 24 jours. Nous avons ajouté de la nourriture à volonté dans cinq des lacs, mais pas dans les cinq autres. Notre modélisation optimale de la survie des canetons inclut un effet du traitement expérimental avec une survie accrue dans les lacs approvisionnés et un effet négatif des conditions climatiques rigoureuses. Comme prévu, la survie des canetons augmente de façon non linéaire avec l'âge. Au bout de 24 jours, il ne restait qu'une seule femelle sur les lacs témoins, alors qu'il y en avait quatre sur les lacs approvisionnés. C'est une première démonstration expérimentale que la nourriture peut contrôler la survie et le rendement reproductif chez les oiseaux nidifuges en période de reproduction. Nous croyons que la carence de nourriture peut être l'une des causes de la forte mortalité des canetons et de l'absence de reproduction de canards barboteurs dans de nombreux lacs de la région holarctique.[Traduit par la Rédaction] Gunnarsson et al. 1703

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Opposing paradigms: regulation or limitation of populations?

Cited by 89 publications

References 16 publications

Limitation and Regulation of Ecological Populations: a Meta-analysis ofTipula paludosaField Data

Limitation and Regulation of Ecological Populations: a Meta-analysis ofTipula paludosaField Data

Compensatory dynamics are rare in natural ecological communities

Why are there so many empty lakes? Food limits survival of mallard ducklings

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