FOOD-DEPENDENT AND TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT FUNCTION OF MOLTING RATE IN COPEPODS - AN EXAMPLE OF PARAMETERIZATION FOR POPULATION-DYNAMICS MODELS

The effects of temperature and food concentration on moulting rates in copepods were studied. The distribution of transfer rates in differen t stages of Euterpina acutifrons in different temperature and food con centrations were simulated using a process model. These distributions were fitted by an appropriate asymmetrical probability distribution: t he gamma density function (GDF). A parameterization of moulting rates established a continuous relationship between parameters of GDF, and t he two external factors, temperature and food concentration. This func tion can also represent the frequency distribution of successive devel opmental stages in a cohort. Two examples of such representation are g iven, using literature data.