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COMPARATIVE DEMOGRAPHY OF NEW WORLD POPULATIONS OF THRUSHES (TURDUS SSP.): REPLY
Author(s) -
Ricklefs Robert E.,
Rohwer Sievert
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.1890/05-0066
Subject(s) - citation , bridge (graph theory) , history , library science , biology , computer science , anatomy
Conn, Doherty, and Nichols (2005), hereafter CD&N, question the wisdom of using age ratios obtained from museum collections to estimate adult survival rates in populations of birds. Ricklefs (1997), Rohwer (2004), and other studies that have used this approach have been careful to recognize and evaluate potential problems, to the extent possible. The basic assumptions of the method are that adult and first-year birds can be distinguished reliably and that their survival rates do not differ at the time during the annual cycle when the age ratio is estimated. Additional issues discussed by Ricklefs (1997) were potential biases arising from nonstable (growing or declining) populations, varying population size, collecting biases favoring adults or immatures, aseasonal breeding, senescent de-