Summary
A technique is presented for fitting and analyzing growth patterns using Gompertz, power, and exponential curves. Data collection involves measuring growth rate as a function of size. This is useful because growth rates at many different sizes can be measured at the same time, which removes the effect of environmental change from the observed growth pattern. Using size instead of age as the independent variable is important because size is usually more closely related to growth rate than is age. The particular technique presented here yields estimates of the variance of the curve parameters so that growth curves for different populations can be compared.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bertalanffy L von (1960) Principles and theory of growth. In: WW Nowinski (ed), Fundamental aspects of normal and malignant growth. Elsevier Publishing Co, Amsterdam London New York Princeton, p 137–259
Brousseau DJ (1979) Analysis of grwoth rate in Mya arenaria using the von Bertalanffy equation. Mar Biol 51:221–227
Cock AG (1966) Genetical aspects of metrical growth and form in animals. Q Rev Biol 41:131–190
Conway GR, Glass NR, Wilcox JC (1970) Fitting non-linear models to biological data by Marquandt's algorithm. Ecology 51:503–507
Elliot JM (1975) The growth rate of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) fed on maximum rations. J Anim Ecol 44:805–821
Evans G Clifford (1972) Studies in ecology, Vol. 1, The quantiative analysis of plant growth. Univ of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles
Frank PW (1969) Growth rates and longevity of some gastropod mollusks on the coral reef at Heron Island. Oecologia (Berl) 2:232–250
Gulland JA (1965) Manual of Methods for fish stock assessment. Part I. Fish population analysis 2nd ed FAO Fish Tech Pap #40.
Hughes T, Jackson JBC (1980) Do corals lie about their age? Some demographic consequences of partial mortality, fission, and fusion. Science 209:713–715
Jones R (1976) The growth of fishes. In: DH Cushing and JJ Walsh, (eds) The ecology of the seas. Black well Scientific Publications, Oxford, p 251–279
Kaufmann KW Describing the growth of bryozoans. (in prep.)
Marubini E, Resele LF, Barghini G (1971) A comparative fitting of Gompertz and logistic functions to longitudinal and height data during adolescence in girls. Human Biology 43:237–252
Sakawa GT, Kimura M (1976) Growth of laboratory-reared northern anchovy Engraulis mordax, from Southern California. Fish Bull 74:271–279
Schoener TW, Schoener A (1978) Estimating and interpreting body-size growth in some Anolis lizards. Copeia 1978:390–405
Silliman RP (1967) Analog computer models of fish populations. US Fish Wildl Serv Spec Sci Rep Fish 66:31–46
Tanner JM (1951) Some notes on the reporting of growth data. Hum Biol 23:93–159
Theisen BF (1973) The growth of Mytilus edulis L. (Bivalvia) from Disko and Thule District, Greenland, Ophelia 12:59–77
Van Devender RW (1978) Growth ecology of a tropical lizard, Basiliscus basiliscus. Ecology 59:1031–1038
Wilson EO, Bossert WH (1971) A primer of population biology. Sinauer Associates Inc, Stamford Connecticut
Yamaguchi M (1975) Estimating growth parameters from growth rate data. Problems with marine sedentary invertebrates. Oecologia (Berl) 20:321–332
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kaufmann, K.W. Fitting and using growth curves. Oecologia 49, 293–299 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347588
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347588