1. Population density (ind/ha) of long-term (>15 years) series of CMR populations, using distinct demographic models designed for both open and closed populations, were analysed for two sympatric species of rodents (Myodes glareolus and Apodemus flavicollis) from a mountain area in central Italy, in order to test the relative performance of various employed demographic models. In particular, the hypothesis that enumeration models systematically underestimate the population size of a given population was tested. 2. Overall, we compared the performance of 7 distinct demographic models, including both closed and open models, for each study species. Although the two species revealed remarkable intrinsic differences in demography traits (for instance, a lower propensity for being recaptured in Apodemus flavicollis), the Robust Design appeared to be the best fitting model, showing that it is the most suitable model for long-term studies. 3. Among the various analysed demographic models, Jolly-Seber returned the lower estimates of population density for both species. Thus, this demographic model could not be suggested for being applied for long-term studies of small mammal populations because it tends to remarkably underestimate the effective population size. Nonetheless, yearly estimates of population density by Jolly-Seber correlated positively with yearly estimates of population density by closed population models, thus showing that interannual trends in population dynamics were uncovered by both types of demographic models, although with different values in terms of true population size.

Quantifying whether different demographic models produce incongruent results on population dynamics of two long-term studied rodent species / Amori, Giovanni; Silvestro, Valentina De; Ciucci, Paolo; Luiselli, Luca. - In: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY. - ISSN 1339-8474. - STAMPA. - 3:1(2017), pp. 18-26. [10.1515/eje-2017-0003]

Quantifying whether different demographic models produce incongruent results on population dynamics of two long-term studied rodent species

AMORI, GIOVANNI;CIUCCI, Paolo;
2017

Abstract

1. Population density (ind/ha) of long-term (>15 years) series of CMR populations, using distinct demographic models designed for both open and closed populations, were analysed for two sympatric species of rodents (Myodes glareolus and Apodemus flavicollis) from a mountain area in central Italy, in order to test the relative performance of various employed demographic models. In particular, the hypothesis that enumeration models systematically underestimate the population size of a given population was tested. 2. Overall, we compared the performance of 7 distinct demographic models, including both closed and open models, for each study species. Although the two species revealed remarkable intrinsic differences in demography traits (for instance, a lower propensity for being recaptured in Apodemus flavicollis), the Robust Design appeared to be the best fitting model, showing that it is the most suitable model for long-term studies. 3. Among the various analysed demographic models, Jolly-Seber returned the lower estimates of population density for both species. Thus, this demographic model could not be suggested for being applied for long-term studies of small mammal populations because it tends to remarkably underestimate the effective population size. Nonetheless, yearly estimates of population density by Jolly-Seber correlated positively with yearly estimates of population density by closed population models, thus showing that interannual trends in population dynamics were uncovered by both types of demographic models, although with different values in terms of true population size.
2017
Rodent population dynamics; demographic models; long-term study; Italy
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Quantifying whether different demographic models produce incongruent results on population dynamics of two long-term studied rodent species / Amori, Giovanni; Silvestro, Valentina De; Ciucci, Paolo; Luiselli, Luca. - In: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY. - ISSN 1339-8474. - STAMPA. - 3:1(2017), pp. 18-26. [10.1515/eje-2017-0003]
File allegati a questo prodotto
File Dimensione Formato  
Amori_Quantifying_2017.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Versione editoriale (versione pubblicata con il layout dell'editore)
Licenza: Creative commons
Dimensione 711.63 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
711.63 kB Adobe PDF

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/948830
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 1
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact