Population tracking of fluctuating environments and natural selection for tracking ability

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Daley, D. J.
  • Boyce, M. S.

• Environmental variation is often a very important aspect in the ecology of organisms, with most populations experiencing at least seasonal fluctuations in resource availability and thus in their carrying capacity (Annegers 1973; Emmel 1976, chap. 10; Fleming and Hooker 1975; Fretwell 1972). A recent body of literature has begun to explore the dynamics of populations experiencing a fluctuating carrying capacity (e.g., Levins 1969; May 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978; Goel and Richter-Dyn 1974; Roughgarden 1975). In this paper we clarify some aspects of the dynamics of the logistic model with a variable K and suggest implications for natural selection on the ability of organisms to follow or \"track\" fluctuations in K.

• Date created

  1980

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Natural-selection
  • Populations
  • Seasonal Fluctuations

• Type of Item

  Article (Published)

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3NG4GW2H

• License

  © 1980 by The University of Chicago. This version of this article is open access and can be downloaded and shared. The original author(s) and source must be cited.