Life tables

Definition

Life tables are tools used to summarize the survival and reproductive rates of individuals within a population, typically categorized by age or stage. They help ecologists understand patterns of mortality and predict future population dynamics.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Life tables can be either cohort (following individuals born at the same time) or static (sampling individuals of different ages at one time).
2. Key components include age-specific mortality rate, survivorship, and fecundity.
3. Survivorship curves derived from life tables illustrate the number of individuals surviving at each age.
4. Life tables are fundamental in calculating net reproductive rate (R0) and generation time.
5. They are essential for conservation biology, helping to identify vulnerable stages in an organism's lifecycle.

Review Questions

• What is the difference between cohort and static life tables?
• How do life tables contribute to understanding population dynamics?
• What information can be derived from a survivorship curve?

Related terms

Survivorship Curve: A graphical representation of the number of individuals surviving at each age.

Net Reproductive Rate (R0): The average number of offspring produced by an individual in a population during its lifetime.

Fecundity: The potential reproductive capacity of an individual or population.