Density Dependence in Large Herbivores Inhabiting an Insular Nature Reserve
Cornelius J Louw, Francesca Parrini, Jason P Marshal · 2024
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Description
Cornelius Louw, Francesca Parrini, and Jason Marshal present a 2024 study of large herbivores on a reserve. Density dependence means growth slows as a population nears what the land can feed. Most studies test it at huge scales. This team works small: a nutrient-poor grassland reserve watched for twenty years. Management barely intervened. Annual counts and herd makeup feed the analysis. A state-space model corrects the counts for observation error.
Most species climbed from low numbers toward balance levels. Growth rates showed clear density-dependent bends along the way. Young-to-adult ratios fell as density rose, a recruitment squeeze. Reserve managers get proof that even small, enclosed systems self-regulate. That proof shapes culling and translocation calls. Small reserves are common in southern Africa, so a fine-scale account fills a real evidence gap.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Cornelius J Louw, Francesca Parrini, Jason P Marshal |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2024 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 30 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |