Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Toxicant Impacts On Density-Limited Populations: A Critical Review Of Theory, Practice, And Results, Valery E. Forbes, Richard M. Sibly, Peter Calow

Valery Forbes Publications

Most natural populations experience some density dependence, and longterm average rates of population growth are likely to be close to zero (i.e., steady state). An essential question, therefore, is how and to what extent do density-dependent effects influence the responses of populations to toxicant impacts? Here we consider three general types of interaction between density dependence and toxicant effects: additive, less than additive, and more than additive. If we know enough about the life-history dynamics of an organism and how its life-history traits are affected by density and toxicant exposure, we should be able to use life-history models to predict …