The Descriptive Properties of Some Models for Density Dependence

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Abstract
The descriptive abilities of several difference equation models for density dependence were examined, first by a qualitative comparison of their flexibility and secondly by considering their ability to describe 30 sets of data on density dependent mortality. The qualitative comparison demonstrated that 2 of the models have forms, which are particularly flexible. The quantitative comparison indicated that of these 2 models, that of Maynard Smith and Slatkin (1973) is better able to describe a wide range of data.