A simple and precise method for fitting a von Bertalanffy growth curve

✍ Scribed by S. Z. Rafail

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1973
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 397 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0025-3162
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00348907

✦ Synopsis

Abslraet

The parameter K of the yon Bertalanffy equation, as developed by Beverten and Holt (1957), is first estimated by the relation lo& (dL,/dt) = A -Kt, where dLt/dt denotes growth increments per a unit of age, t denotes age, and A is a constant. The K estimate is used to evaluate JS~;

The Lr162 estimate is used to estimate to, and to obtain a better estimate for K; log~ (t -Lt/Loo) = -Kt + Kto. The K estimate may be used to obtain another estimate for Leo. Solved examples show that a single iteration is sufficient to obtain fitted equations which are, on the average, as precise as equations fitted by the least squares method shown by Tomlinson and Abramson (1961). This new method can be used, with a slight modification, for the second equation given above, if growth data have unequal age intervals. The variance of K, t o and logs Leo can be estimated by applying the simple methods used in the case of straight-line relationships. 90, t41--147 (t946).