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On the regulatory nature of individual growth: some observations from freshwater snails
Author(s) -
Calow P.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1973.tb05056.x
Subject(s) - biology , freshwater snail , reductionism , representation (politics) , ecology , function (biology) , snail , epistemology , evolutionary biology , philosophy , politics , political science , law
Various types of growth models are assessed. Results derived from observations made on growth in the freshwater snail, Planorbis contortus , suggest that in certain instances models based on a mechano‐reductionist philosophy are acceptable whereas in others they are untenable. In the latter case a holistic representation is more biologically satisfying. Q10 values provide a useful assessment and summary of an individuals regulatory capacity with respect to growth when temperature disturbances are experienced. Another parameter, k corr is developed to carry out this function when other, particularly food supply, disturbances are involved.