Another look at the eigenvalues of a population matrix model

PeerJ

article

Brenda Hanley¹  Patrick Connelly¹  Brian Dennis² 

[1] Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University;Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Idaho;Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho

关键词: Balance equation;    Characteristic equation;    Projection matrix;    Asymptotic growth rate;    Dominant eigenvalue;    Leslie matrix;    Lefkovitch matrix;    Interactive software;    Wildlife;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.8018

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

Population matrix models are important tools in resource management, in part because they are used to calculate the finite rate of growth (“dominant eigenvalue”). But understanding how a population matrix model converts life history traits into the finite rate of growth can be tricky. We introduce interactive software (“IsoPOPd”) that uses the characteristic equation to display how vital rates (survival and fertility) contribute to the finite rate of growth. Higher-order interactions among vital rates complicate the linkage between a management intervention and a population’s growth rate. We illustrate the use of the software for investigating the consequences of three management interventions in a 3-stage model of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). The software is applicable to any species with 2- or 3-stages, but the mathematical concepts underlying the software are applicable to a population matrix model of any size. The IsoPOPd software is available at: https://cwhl.vet.cornell.edu/tools/isopopd.

【 授权许可】

CC BY