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The Dynamics of a Colonizing Population of Poa Annua
Author(s) -
Law Richard
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1937291
Subject(s) - poa annua , colonization , biology , population , ecology , population density , population decline , seasonality , southern oscillation , reproduction , population growth , growing season , geography , demography , poaceae , habitat , sea surface temperature , sociology , meteorology
This paper describes a demographic analysis of a colonizing population of Poa annua. The population was characterized by a burst of growth growing the first autumn of colonization, after which there was little further change, apart from small seasonal oscillations. Recruitment of seedlings also increased towards a ceiling during the first autumn, after which it showed marked seasonal oscillation, with peaks in spring and autumn. During colonization there was an increase in numbers of old individuals in the population, and the age structure developed a wake—like pattern, corresponding to the seasonal peaks and troughs of recruitment. Reproduction decreased as population density increased and was much influenced by season, tending to be greatest in the summer. Mortality increased with population density and was also influenced by season, tending to be greater in the autumn. Overall, the analysis draws attention to the interdependence of the spatial and temporal dimensions in plant populations.