Age-specific growth, reproductive values, and intrinsic r

The age-specific growth function of an observed population and the reproductive value function based on the population’s current vital rates determine the intrinsic rate of growth implied by those vital rates through the simple relationship given in equation (1). That equation establishes the analytical significance of age-specific growth, and leads to relationships that quantify a population’s approach to stability and that specify the extraordinarily close connection between reproductive values and population momentum. 1 Population Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA. Mailing address: 3145 Turk Blvd, #103, San Francisco, CA 94118 USA. E-mail: [email protected]. http://www.demographic-research.org 825 Schoen: Age-specific growth, reproductive values, and intrinsic r