POPULATION-DYNAMICS OF LARGE HERBIVORES - VARIABLE RECRUITMENT WITH CONSTANT ADULT SURVIVAL

Recent long-term studies of population ecology of large herbivorous ma mmals suggest that survival of prime-aged females varies little from y ear to year and across populations. Juvenile survival, on the other ha nd, varies considerably from year to year. The pattern of high and sta ble adult survival and variable juvenile survival is observed in contr asting environments, independently of the main proximal sources of mor tality and regardless of whether mortality is stochastic or density-de pendent. High yearly variability in juvenile survival may play a predo minant role in population dynamics.