Journal article

From Insects to Frogs, Egg-Juvenile Recruitment Can Have Persistent Effects on Population Sizes

Barbara J Downes, Barbara L Peckarsky, Jill Lancaster, William D Bovill, Maria Alp

Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics | Annual Reviews | Published : 2021

Abstract

Understanding what regulates population sizes of organisms with complex life cycles is challenging because limits on population sizes can occur at any stage or transition. We extend a conceptual framework to explore whether numbers of successfully laid eggs determine densities of later stages in insects, fish, amphibians, and snails inhabiting marine, freshwater, or terrestrial habitats. Our review suggests novel hypotheses, which propose characteristics of species or environments that create spatial variation in egg densities and predict when such patterns are maintained throughout subsequent life-cycle stages. Existing data, although limited, suggest that persistent, strong associations be..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by Australian Research Council


Awarded by National Science Foundation


Funding Acknowledgements

This review was supported by a Dyason Grant from the University of Melbourne (awarded to B.L.P.). B.J.D. and J.L. gratefully acknowledge substantial support from the Australian Research Council that aided the development of this review (grant numbers: DP0344236, DP0345511, DP0772854, DP120103145, LP140100054, DP160102262, and DP170101908). B.L.P. acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation (DEB-0206095, DEB-0089863) and the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. We thank Chloe Robinson, who helped with literature searches. We gratefully acknowledge contributions to this review by Andrea Encalada and Paul Reich, whose pioneering graduate work laid the foundation for future studies on this topic.