Lecture Five - Demography Flashcards
What is the use of a mathematical model?
To describe the behaviour of a system in a mathematical language.
What is induction?
Prediction by recurrent patterns.
Give an example of induction.
The sun rose every day of my life so far, so it will rise tomorrow.
Give two limits to induction.
- Applies to circumstances we’ve already seen, but can be tricky to predict in new circumstances.
- Does not provide understanding of the mechanism.
What is deduction?
A prediction derived from postulates.
Give an example of deduction.
If the Earth spins, my side will face the sun eventually and the sun will rise tomorrow.
Give the equation for population growth.
dN / dt = Nr
Where r is a constant.
What are the assumptions for the model of population growth?
Every individual is identical.
What are the three possible conservation efforts in different age groups in loggerhead turtles?
- adults running into fishing nets
- caring for juveniles
- producing egg sites on beaches
What is life history?
Age-specific survivorship and fecundity.
How is survivorship calculated?
The percentage of individuals in an age group that have survived from the previous age group.
What is Pi in survivorship?
The proportion of individuals surviving stage i — the likelihood of getting into each particular life stage.
What kind of survivorship curve do humans follow?
Type 1 - most survive into a certain point where numbers drop dramatically.
Give an example of two groups of organisms that follow survivorship curve Type III.
- Trees
- Fish
What are Markov chains?
A mathematical device for modelling change in states over time.
