Abstract:
This study proposes and analyzes a discrete-time mathematical model of population dynamics with seasonal reproduction, taking into account the density-dependent regulation and sex structure. In the model, population birth rate depends on the number of females, while density is regulated through juvenile survival, which decreases exponentially with increasing total population size. Analytical and numerical investigations of the model demonstrate that when more than half of both females and males survive, the population exhibits stable dynamics even at relatively high birth rates. Oscillations arise when the limitation of female survival exceeds that of male survival. Increasing the intensity of male survival limitation can stabilize population dynamics, an effect particularly evident when the proportion of female offspring is low. Depending on parameter values, the model exhibits stable, periodic, or irregular dynamics, including multistability, where changes in current population size driven by external factors can shift the system between coexisting dynamic modes. To apply the model to real populations, we propose an approach for estimating demographic parameters based on total abundance data. The key idea is to reduce the two-component discrete model with sex structure to a delay equation dependent only on total population size. In this formulation, the initial sex structure is expressed through total abundance and depends on demographic parameters. The resulting one-dimensional equation was applied to describe and estimate demographic characteristics of ungulate populations in the Jewish Autonomous Region. The delay equation provides a good fit to the observed dynamics of ungulate populations, capturing long-term trends in abundance. Point estimates of parameters fall within biologically meaningful ranges and produce population dynamics consistent with field observations. For moose, roe deer, and musk deer, the model suggests predominantly stable dynamics, while annual fluctuations are primarily driven by external factors and represent deviations from equilibrium. Overall, these estimates enable the analysis of structured population dynamics alongside short-term forecasting based on total abundance data.
Keywords:sex structure, density-dependent factors, discrete-time model, parameter estimation, population dynamics
Fulltext:
PDF file (2257 kB)