Cover Page
Half-title Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Preface and Acknowledgements
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Historical Development of the Concept of Population Stability
What Is Stability?
Stability in Metapopulations
Why Are We Interested in Stability?
Population Extinction
Effective Population Size
Fitness in Age-Structured Populations
Why Conduct Laboratory Experiments?
Laboratory Studies of Population Biology
Starting Populations
Lab Adaptation
Replicate Populations
Measuring Genetic Differences
Evaluating Models in Population Biology
General Versus Specific Models
Chapter 2: Theory of Population Stability
First-Order Nonlinear Difference and Differential Equations
Stability of First-Order Nonlinear Difference and Differential Equations
Population Cycles and Chaos
Cycles
Chaos
Second- and Higher-Order Models
Age Structure
Pre-Adult Density Effects on Adult Reproduction
Evolution of Population Stability
Chapter 3: Techniques for Assessing Population Stability
Linearized Population Dynamics in the Vicinity of an Equilibrium
Model-Based Estimates of Stability
Models Chosen a Priori
Models Estimated from Data
Time-Series Analysis
Chaos
Time Series
Detecting Chaos
Chapter 4: Blowflies
Life History of Lucilia cuprina in the Laboratory
Dynamics of Lucilia cuprina Populations
Modeling the Dynamics of Lucilia cuprina Populations
Chapter 5: Tribolium
Life History of Tribolium in the Laboratory
Pre-Adult Stages
Adult Stage
A Model of Tribolium Population Dynamics
A Model of Egg-Larva Dynamics
The Larva-Pupa-Adult Model
Empirical Evaluation of the Larva-Pupa-Adult Model
Chapter 6: Drosophila
Life History of Drosophila in the Laboratory
Larvae
Adults
A Model of Population Dynamics
Stability of Large Laboratory Populations
Stability of Small Laboratory Populations
Assessment of the Drosophila Model
Stability in Laboratory Metapopulations
Age-Structured Populations
Evolution of Population Dynamics
Increased Risk of Population Extinction with Inbreeding
Evolution of Population Stability
Chapter 7: Natural Populations
Simple Models
Surveys Using Response Surface Methods
Detailed Studies of Single Populations
Soay Sheep and Red Deer
Perennial Grass, Agrostis scabra
Lemmings and Voles
Red Grouse
Why Is Chaos Rare in Natural Populations?
Chapter 8: Conclusions
A Heuristic Framework for Viewing Population Dynamics and Stability
Lucilia cuprina, Tribolium, and Drosophila Compared
Model Systems in Ecology: Where Next?
References
Author Index
Subject Index
