The population dynamics of epiphytic orchids: A review and methodological guide

Abstract

The study of population dynamics using matrix analysis, which estimates population growth and determines the importance of each life stage for the destiny of a population, is a widely used tool for the management and conservation of wild plant species. In recent years, matrix analysis has been used as the basis for powerful methods to model population dynamics, such as population viability analysis (PVA), which estimates the probabilities of quasi-extinction and minimal population size; the life table response analysis (LTRE), which compares the differences between lambda values of populations in different circumstances or years produced by varying vital rates; and the integration projection model, which projects population growth rates using regression models of vital rates rather than by dividing populations into stage or size classes (Silvertown et al. 1996; Menges 2000; Crone et al. 2011). The commonality shared by these methods is a strong reliance on the quality of the field-collected data used to build the models.