Experimental Studies of Extinction Dynamics

Extinction of populations occurs naturally, but global extinction rates are accelerating, making understanding extinction a high priority for conservation. Extinction in experimental populations of brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) was measured to assess hypothesized extinction processes. Greater i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1999-11, Vol.286 (5442), p.1175-1177
Main Authors: Belovsky, Gary E., Mellison, Chad, Larson, Chad, Van Zandt, Peter A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Animal and plant ecology
Animal populations
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Applied ecology
Artemia
Artemia franciscana
Biological and medical sciences
Birth Rate
Brackish
Brine shrimps
Conservation (Concept)
Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife
Crustaceans
Demecology
Demography
Environmental conservation
Extinct species
Extinction
Extinction (Biology)
Food supply
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Mathematics
Migration
Nauplii
Numbers
Persistence
Population dynamics
Population Growth
Population growth rate
Population size
Protozoa. Invertebrata
Species extinction
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Description
Summary:Extinction of populations occurs naturally, but global extinction rates are accelerating, making understanding extinction a high priority for conservation. Extinction in experimental populations of brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) was measured to assess hypothesized extinction processes. Greater initial population size, greater maximum population size supported by the environment, and lower variation in environmental conditions reduced the likelihood of extinction, as hypothesized. However, initial population size was less important, and maximum population size and environmental variation were more important than often hypothesized. Unexpectedly, deterministic oscillations in population size due to inherent nonlinear dynamics and overcrowding were as important or more important than hypothesized processes.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.286.5442.1175