The authors propose a unified growth theory to explain demographic empirical regularities. They calibrate the model to match data moments for Sweden in 2000 and around 1800. The simulated data generated by the calibrated model are then compared to the historical time series for Sweden over the period 1750-2000 in order to investigate the fit of long-term development dynamics, as well as to cross-country panel data for the period 1960-2000 to analyze the relevance for cross-sectional patterns of comparative development.

This study explores the relationship between grandparental co-residence and net fertility – measured as the number of children under five – in Mexico across three key phases of its demographic transition: 1930 (pre-transitional), 1970 (population growth), and 2015 (fertility decline). Using census microdata and Poisson and multinomial regression models, we assess how intergenerational household structures interact with family socioeconomic status and cultural context to influence fertility outcomes. A central innovation is the use of a reconstructed 10% sample of the 1930 census, complemented by an imputation strategy to infer kinship ties not recorded in the original data. This enabled one of the earliest large-scale analyses of family co-residence and reproduction in historical Mexico. Findings reveal that the effects of grandparental co-residence vary by context. In 1930, cohabitation with grandmothers – especially in rural indigenous households – was associated with lower fertility, while cohabitation with grandfathers in non-indigenous rural areas corresponded to higher fertility. In 1970, amid pronatalist policies and economic growth, these effects weakened overall but persisted modestly in rural contexts. By 2015, co-residence – particularly with both grandparents – was associated with higher fertility and lower variability in fertility (CV), suggesting a stabilizing role in reproductive behavior. In contrast, households without grandparents exhibited lower fertility and greater heterogeneity, appearing to lead the shift toward reduced fertility. These findings illustrate how extended family structures both reflect and shape reproductive adaptation across shifting demographic contexts. By integrating evolutionary concepts such as cooperative breeding and social learning biases, the study offers insight into how kin networks can either support or constrain fertility depending on historical, socioeconomic, and cultural conditions. In doing so, it also contributes methodologically by addressing the complexity of nested and interactive effects – an essential step for understanding fertility dynamics in culturally diverse populations undergoing demographic transformation.

Stage structures of populations can have a profound influence on their dynamics. However, not much is known about the transient dynamics that follow a disturbance in such systems. Here we combined chemostat experiments with dynamical modeling to study the response of the phytoplankton species Chlorella vulgaris to press perturbations. From an initially stable steady state, we altered either the concentration or dilution rate of a growth-limiting resource. This disturbance induced a complex transient response—characterized by the possible onset of oscillations—before population numbers relaxed to a new steady state. Thus, cell numbers could initially change in the opposite direction of the long-term change. We present quantitative indexes to characterize the transients and to show that the dynamic response is dependent on the degree of synchronization among life stages, which itself depends on the state of the population before perturbation. That is, we show how identical future steady s...

1.Natural and anthropogenic forest canopy disturbances significantly alter forest dynamics and lead to multi-dimensional shifts in the forest understorey. An understorey plant's ability to exploit alterations to the light environment caused by canopy disturbance leads to changes in population dynamics. The purpose of this work was to determine if population growth of a species adapted to low light increases in response to additional light inputs caused by canopy disturbance, or alternatively, declines due to long-term selection under low light conditions. 2.To address this question, we quantified the demographic response of an understorey herb to three contrasting forest canopy disturbances (ice storms, tent caterpillar defoliation and lightning strikes) that encompass a broad range of disturbance severity. We used a model shade-adapted understorey species, Panax quinquefolius, to parameterize stage-based matrix models. Asymptotic growth rates, stochastic growth rates and simulations of transient dynamics were used to quantify the population-level response to canopy disturbance. Life table response experiments were used to partition the underlying controls over differences in population growth rates. 3.Population growth rates at all three disturbed sites increased in the transition period immediately after the canopy disturbance relative to the transition period prior to disturbance. Stochastic population models revealed that growth rates increased significantly in simulations that included disturbance matrices relative to those simulations that excluded disturbance. Additionally, transient models indicated that population size (n) was larger for all three populations when the respective disturbance matrix was included in the model. 4.Synthesis Obligate shade species are most likely to be pre-adapted to take advantage of canopy gaps and light influx to a degree, and this pre-adaptation may be due to long-term selection under dynamic old growth forest canopies. We propose a model whereby population performance is represented by a parabolic curve where performance is maximized under intermediate levels of canopy disturbance. This study provides new evidence to aid our understanding of the population-level response of understorey herbs to disturbances whose frequency and intensity are predicted to increase as global climates continue to shift.

Environmental change continually perturbs populations from a stable state, leading to transient dynamics that can last multiple generations. Several long-term studies have reported changes in trait distributions along with demographic response to environmental change. Here we conducted an experimental study on soil mites and investigated the interaction between demography and an individual trait over a period of nonstationary dynamics. By following individual fates and body sizes at each life-history stage, we investigated how body size and population density influenced demographic rates. By comparing the ability of two alternative approaches, a matrix projection model and an integral projection model, we investigated whether consideration of trait-based demography enhances our ability to predict transient dynamics. By utilizing a prospective perturbation analysis, we addressed which stage-specific demographic or trait-transition rate had the greatest influence on population dynamics. Both body size and population density had important effects on most rates; however, these effects differed substantially among life-history stages. Considering the observed trait-demography relationships resulted in better predictions of a population’s response to perturbations, which highlights the role of phenotypic plasticity in transient dynamics. Although the perturbation analyses provided comparable predictions of stage-specific elasticities between the matrix and integral projection models, the order of importance of the life-history stages differed between the two analyses. In conclusion, we demonstrate how a trait-based demographic approach provides further insight into transient population dynamics. Daily sampling of individual mitesday: day of the study (day t) | no: individual ID for each day | surv: survival to day t+1? | stage: life-history stage at day t | stage1: life-history stage at day t+1 | trns: transition to next stage at day t+1? | tsex: transition to female stage at day t+1? | dens: weighted population density at day t | size: log(body size) at day t | size1: log(body size) at day t+1 | rep: produced eggs at day t+1? | rec: number of eggs produced on day t+1 | day2: number of eggs hatched on day t+2 | day3: number of eggs hatched on day t+3 | day4: number of eggs hatched on day t+4 | day5: number of eggs hatched on day t+5 | day6: number of eggs hatched on day t+6 | day7: number of eggs hatched after day t+6 | eggsurv: proportion of eggs hatched | hrate: daily hatching rate | eggsize: average log(egg size)ind_data.csvAdditional experiment measuring egg-to-larva size transitioneggSize: log(egg size) | larvaSize: log(larva size)egg_data.csvDaily population censusday: day of the study (day t) | e: number of eggs | l: number of larvae | p: number of protonymphs | t: number of tritonymphs | f: number of female adults | m: number of male adults | group: (c)ontrol or (s)ample group? | dens: weighted population densitypop_census.csv

This dissertation uses new data from Woodrow Ruin to examine the Late Pithouse (AD 550-1000) to Classic period (AD 1000-1130) transition in the Mimbres region of southwest New Mexico. Prior explorations of the Mimbres Late Pithouse to Classic transition have lacked data from one of the largest sites in the region. Woodrow Ruin is a large, multi-component site that had previously received little professional investigation. Fieldwork at Woodrow Ruin for this dissertation demonstrated that it had a long, continuous occupation with a dense population during the Transitional period. Numerous techniques were used to procure data on the occupational history of Woodrow Ruin, and Late Pithouse to Classic period transformations. Surface survey, GPS mapping, and magnetometry were used to assess the number of structures present at the site and how the site’s population transformed through time. Eight structures were excavated to provide information on the Late Pithouse, Transitional, and Classic period occupations of the site. Ceramics, chipped stone, and botanical material from those structures was used to assess changes in subsistence, trade, and interaction between the Late Pithouse and Classic periods. Earlier archaeological investigations of the Mimbres Late Pithouse to Classic transition focused primarily on architecture. Data from Woodrow Ruin indicate that while significant architectural alterations occurred, these were only part of a suite of dramatic of transformations. Evidence of changes in trade and exchange networks, ritual practices, ideology, and social structure during the Transitional period were all found at Woodrow Ruin.
Along with delineating multiple Transitional period changes, this dissertation examines causal factors for the Late Pithouse to Classic transformations. Environmental data indicates that the Transitional period occurred during a prolonged, severe drought. Resilience and vulnerability theories are used to examine the interplay of drought and social transformations during the Mimbres Transitional period. Anthropologists and archaeologists have used vulnerability and resilience to better understand socio-ecological transformations. Expectations from these theories suggest that while the inhabitants of Woodrow Ruin were susceptible prolonged drought during the tenth century, they were able to persist and stay in place through social reorganization.

1. A changing environment directly influences birth and mortality rates, and thus population growth rates. However, population growth rates in the short-term are also influenced by population age-structure. Despite its importance, the contribution of age-structure to population growth rates has rarely been explored empirically in wildlife populations with long-term demographic data.

2. Here, we assessed how changes in age-structure influenced short-term population dynamics in a semi-captive population of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus).

3. We addressed this question using a demographic dataset of female Asian elephants from timber camps in Myanmar spanning 45 years (1970-2014). First, we explored temporal variation in age-structure. Then, using annual matrix population models, we used a retrospective approach to assess the contributions of age-structure and vital rates to short-term population growth rates with respect to the average environment.

4. Age-structure was highly variable over the study period, with large proportions of juveniles in the years 1970 and 1985, and made a substantial contribution to annual population growth rate deviations. High adult birth rates between 1970-1980 would have resulted in large positive population growth rates, but these were prevented by a low proportion of reproductive-aged females.

5. We highlight that an understanding of both age-specific vital rates and age-structure is needed to assess short-term population dynamics. Furthermore, this example from a human-managed system suggests that the importance of age-structure may be accentuated in populations experiencing human disturbance where age-structure is unstable, such as those in captivity or for endangered species. Ultimately, changes to the environment drive population dynamics by influencing birth and mortality rates, but understanding demographic structure is crucial for assessing population growth.

Attitude of the population towards the introduction of the Euro in the participating Euro-Countries. Topics: State of information on the Euro; preparation for the introduction; assessment of the dual pricing as helpful; the most helpful institution (banks, media etc.) during introduction; assessment of the problems during introduction; difficulties with the distinction and handling of the coins and banknotes; changes of the purchasing behaviour caused by the introduction; frequency of converting Euro into the national currency whilst shopping; use of a pocket calculator or converter; personal perception of frequency of rounding up or down prices when converting the Euro into the national currency; estimation on when payment of purchases made by interviewees is only carried out in Euro; preferred procedure after completion of the transitional phase; preferred time scale for keeping the national currency on pricing; knowledge on usability of the Euro coins and banknotes abroad in Euro countries; assessment of the facilitation of international price comparisons due to the Euro; assessment of the development of the Euro to an international currency similar to the U.S. dollar; expectation of an economic growth within the Euro-countries; expectation of an approximation of the Euro-countries; assessment of the emergence of new jobs due to the introduction of the Euro; expected simplification of shopping in other Euro-countries; ease of travelling within the EU; expectation of price stability in the Euro zone due to the Euro; judgement of the advantages of the Euro introduction; elimination of conversion charges for transfers and for the use of bank and Euro cheque cards due to the Euro; concern about the exchange rate of the Euro in proportion to the U.S. dollar; judgement of the integrative functions of the Euro; general attitude towards the Euro; judgement of the course of the Euro transition. Demography: Sex; age; age when finished full time education; professional position; region; type of locality. Einstellung der Bevölkerung zur Euro-Einführung in den Euro-Teilnehmerländern. Themen: Informiertheit über den Euro; Vorbereitung auf die Einführung; Einschätzung der dualen Preisauszeichnung als hilfreich; hilfreichste Institution (Banken, Medien usw.) bei der Einführung; Einschätzung der Probleme bei der Einführung; Schwierigkeiten mit der Unterscheidung und Handhabung der Münzen und Banknoten; Veränderungen des Kaufverhaltens durch die Einführung; Häufigkeit des Umrechnens von Euro in die Landeswährung bei Einkäufen; Verwendung eines Taschenrechners oder Umrechners; persönliche Wahrnehmung von Häufigkeiten von Preisauf- bzw. Preisabrundungen bei der Umrechnung von Euro in die Landeswährung; Einschätzung ab wann die Bezahlung von Einkäufen vom Befragten nur noch in Euro getätigt wird; präferierte Vorgehensweise nach Beendigung der Übergangsphase; präferierte Zeitspanne für das Beibehalten der Landeswährung bei Preisangaben; Kenntnis über Benutzbarkeit der Euro-Münzen und -Banknoten im Euro-Ausland; Einschätzung der Erleichterung von internationalen Preisvergleichen durch den Euro; Einschätzung der Entwicklung des Euro zu einer internationalen Währung ähnlich dem US-Dollar; Erwartung eines wirtschaftlichen Wachstums innerhalb der Euroländer; Erwartung einer Angleichung der Euroländer; Einschätzung der Entstehung neuer Jobs durch die Euro-Einführung; erwartete Erleichterung des Einkaufens in anderen Euroländern; Reiseerleichterung innerhalb der EU; Erwartung einer Preisstabilität durch den Euro in der Eurozone; Beurteilung der Vorteile der Euro-Einführung; Beseitigung von Umtauschgebühren bei Überweisungen, Bank- und EC-Karten-Nutzung durch den Euro; Sorge um den Wechselkurs des Euro im Verhältnis zum US-Dollar; Beurteilung der Integrationsfunktionen des Euro; allgemeine Einstellung zum Euro; Beurteilung des Ablaufs der Euro-Umstellung. Demographie: Alter; Geschlecht; Alter bei Beendigung der Ausbildung; Beruf.