title: Population regulation of territorial species: both site dependence and interference mechanisms matter.
abstract: Spatial patterns of site occupancy are commonly driven by habitat heterogeneity and are thought to shape population dynamics through a site-dependent regulatory mechanism. When examining this, however, most studies have only focused on a single vital rate (reproduction), and little is known about how space effectively contributes to the regulation of population dynamics. We investigated the underlying mechanisms driving density-dependent processes in vital rates in a Mauritius kestrel population where almost every individual was monitored. Different mechanisms acted on different vital rates, with breeding success regulated by site dependence (differential use of space) and juvenile survival by interference (density-dependent competition for resources). Although territorial species are frequently assumed to be regulated through site dependence, we show that interference was the key regulatory mechanism in this population. Our integrated approach demonstrates that the presence of spatial processes regarding one trait does not mean that they necessarily play an important role in regulating population growth, and demonstrates the complexity of the regulatory process.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Earley Gate, PO Box 237, Reading RG6 6AR, UK. m.nevoux@reading.ac.uk
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nevoux
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gimenez
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arlt
authors.forename: Malcolm
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nicoll
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Norris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D046093:Falconiformes / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D011156:Population Density; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D013731:Territoriality