Selection of survival and recruitment models with SURGE 5.0

The great flexibility of capture-recapture models to estimate survival and recruitment parameters is described. Recruitment models appear as analogous to survival models applied to capture histories reversed in time. The avai lable flexibility is used at its best by basing model selection on the mini mization of Akaike's information criterion within a set of biologically pla usible models. However, to proceed to model selection, one needs to determi ne the number of identifiable parameters. We explain how SURGE version 5.0 (available on the Internet by anonymous ftp from ftp.cefe.cnrs-mop.fr) make s it possible to fit survival and recruitment models and determines numeric ally how many and which parameters are concerned with identifiability probl ems. Model selection for survival and recruitment models is illustrated usi ng European Dipper Cinclus cinclus data. The advantages and shortcomings ar e discussed.