An Allee effect is a density-dependent process that can be responsible for the extinction of small populations. This thesis focuses on the detection of Allee effects, along with other density-dependent processes, and their influence on population synchrony. In chapter 2 I investigate the spatial variation in influential density-dependent processes and density-independent weather factors for the large skipper butterfly Ochlodes sylvanus across its British range. I find both qualitative and quantitative spatial variation in these processes and factors driving population dynamics. In chapter 3, I develop and test a Bayesian methodology, that I then use in chapter 4 to analyse local population level dynamics for 38 British butterfly species. For 35 of these species I found population level Allee effects and also found that phylogeny significant influenced a species’ susceptibility to Allee effects. Finally, in chapter 5 I examine the influence Allee effects have on network population synchrony in a theoretical framework.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:604494 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Dooley, Claire |
| Contributors | Bonsall, Michael; Oliver, Tom |
| Publisher | University of Oxford |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:97da58d7-2bf3-45ca-a563-5394c7b97050 |
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