Behavioral Studies

Abstract

Population ecologists are concerned with the analysis of natural populations. It is a fact that sooner or later the number of individuals in any population will change and that observations on laboratory populations may not explain the reasons behind changes in free-ranging populations. Consequently, the importance of field studies should not be underrated. The subject of population dynamics entails the numerical estimate of various population attributes such as total numbers, birth and death rates, immigration, and emigration, as well as the effect of various environmental parameters on these attributes. With the current interest in ecological modeling, it is essential that accurate estimates of population parameters be obtained. Development of radionuclide-tracer technology provided the opportunity for ecologists to apply new techniques to ecological investigations related to population dynamics, such as in conjunction with tag-recapture procedures for population estimation, determination of home range, and other behavioral aspects of populations.