Analyzing population dynamics of zooplankton1

Demographic analyses of zooplankton populations are commonly based on an exponential population growth model and a birth rate calculated from the ratio of eggs per female, an approach originally developed by W. T. Edmondson. The birth rate estimates are reliable when departures from the assumptions about exponential growth are moderate. Death rates are calculated as the difference between birth and growth rates and are less reliable because they incorporate errors of both components. These demographic analyses are most accurate during periods of stable or slowly changing conditions. Computer simulations were used to examine the effects of sampling and counting efforts on confidence limits for the rate estimates in homogeneous and patchy environments.