Survival Rates of Birds of Tropical and Temperate Forests: Will the Dogma Survive?

Survival rates of tropical forest birds are widely assumed to be high relative to the survival rates of temperate forest birds. Much life-history theory is based on this assumption despite the lack of empirical data to support it. We provide the first detailed comparison of survival rates of tropica...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American naturalist 1990-09, Vol.136 (3), p.277-291
Main Authors: Karr, James R., Nichols, James D., Klimkiewicz, M. Kathleen, Brawn, Jeffrey D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Aviculture
Biological and medical sciences
Bird banding
Bird nesting
Birds
Clutch size
Demography
Estimation methods
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Population estimates
Songbirds
Survival rates
Synecology
Terrestrial ecosystems
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Summary:Survival rates of tropical forest birds are widely assumed to be high relative to the survival rates of temperate forest birds. Much life-history theory is based on this assumption despite the lack of empirical data to support it. We provide the first detailed comparison of survival rates of tropical and temperate forest birds based on extensive data bases and modern capture-recapture models. We find no support for the conventional wisdom. Because clutch size is only one component of reproductive rate, the frequently assumed, simple association between clutch size and adult survival rates should not necessarily be expected. Our results emphasize the need to consider components of fecundity in addition to clutch size when comparing the life histories of tropical and temperate birds and suggest similar considerations in the development of vertebrate life-history theory.
ISSN:0003-0147
1537-5323
DOI:10.1086/285098