Construction and Validation of a Stage-Classified Matrix Model of Alligator mississippiensis
Description
The American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, is a keystone species and ecosystem engineer. Once critically endangered, alligator populations in most regions have recovered, but continued conservation and management are still in effect to keep them in check. Due to the long-lived nature of this species and limited data on growth, mortality, and reproduction in the wild, few models exist to guide these efforts. Using techniques developed by Cochran and Ellner (1992), we used age-based measures of life history traits and population parameters to validate a stage-transition model. With elasticity analysis, we determined which stages contribute most to the population growth rate.
Construction and Validation of a Stage-Classified Matrix Model of Alligator mississippiensis
Farrar Hall, Room 133
The American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, is a keystone species and ecosystem engineer. Once critically endangered, alligator populations in most regions have recovered, but continued conservation and management are still in effect to keep them in check. Due to the long-lived nature of this species and limited data on growth, mortality, and reproduction in the wild, few models exist to guide these efforts. Using techniques developed by Cochran and Ellner (1992), we used age-based measures of life history traits and population parameters to validate a stage-transition model. With elasticity analysis, we determined which stages contribute most to the population growth rate.