Temporal Changes in the Reproductive Potential of Female Harp Seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus)

1981 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 495-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Don Bowen ◽  
Charles K. Capstick ◽  
David E. Sergeant
Keyword(s):  
Density Dependence ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Reproductive Potential ◽  
Fertility Rate ◽  
Harp Seal ◽  
Northwest Atlantic ◽  
Pagophilus Groenlandicus ◽  
Age Of Maturity ◽  
Biological Sampling

The Northwest Atlantic harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) population declined by more than 50% between 1952 and the early 1970s. Biological sampling of female reproductive tracts began in 1951 and has continued to the present. We reexamined the extent to which mean age of maturity and fertility rate have changed as population size declined. Mean age of maturity declined from ~ 6.2 yr in 1952 to 4.5 yr in 1979. During this same period fertility rate increased from 85 to 94%. Both parameters have changed concurrently with a decline in numbers. Although it is likely that density-dependent mechanisms are involved, empirical data are lacking.Key words: harp seals, Pagophilus groenlandicus; maturity, fertility, density-dependence

Production, Mortality, And Sustainable Yield Of Northwest Atlantic Harp Seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus)

1978 ◽  
Vol 35 (9) ◽  
pp. 1249-1261 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. Winters
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Total Population ◽  
Historical Data ◽  
Maximum Sustainable Yield ◽  
Sustainable Yield ◽  
Natural Mortality ◽  
Northwest Atlantic ◽  
The Past ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Pagophilus Groenlandicus

From recent and historical data the natural mortality rate of adult harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) is estimated to be 0.10 which is within the range of previous estimates (0.08–0.11). New estimates of bedlamer and 0-group natural mortality rates were not significantly different from those of adult seals. Pup production estimates from survival indices agreed well with those from sequential population analyses and indicated a decline from about 350 000 animals in the early 1950s to about 310 000 animals in the early 1970s. Over the same period the 1+ population size declined from 2.5 to 1.1 million animals but has been increasing at the rate of 3%/yr since the introduction of quotas in 1972. The relative contribution of the "Front" production to total ("Front" plus Gulf) production during the past decade has fluctuated from 49 to 87%, the average of 64% being very similar to the 61% obtained previously. These fluctuations suggest some interchange between "Front" and Gulf adults and it is concluded that homing in the breeding areas is a facultative rather than obligatory aspect of seal behavior. Thus the heavier exploitation of the "Front" production is probably sufficiently diffused into the total population to avoid serious effects on "Front" production. The maximum sustainable yield of Northwest Atlantic seals harvested according to recent patterns is estimated to be 290 000 animals (80% pups) from a 1+ population size of 1.8 million animals producing 460 000 pups annually. The sustainable yield at present levels of pup production (335 000 animals) is calculated to be 220 000 animals which is substantially above the present TAC of 180 000 animals and coincides with present harvesting strategies designed to enable the seal hunt to increase slowly towards the MSY level. Key words: mortality, production, sustainable yield, population dynamics, marine mammal

scholarly journals Changes in the reproductive parameters of female harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) in the Northwest Atlantic

2009 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 304-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Becky Sjare ◽  
Garry B. Stenson
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Reproductive Parameters ◽  
Northwest Atlantic ◽  
Pagophilus Groenlandicus ◽  
Long Term Trends ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The 1950S

Abstract Sjare, B., and Stenson, G. B. 2010. Changes in the reproductive parameters of female harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) in the Northwest Atlantic. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 304–315. Changes in female harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) reproductive parameters from 1980 to 2004, and long-term trends since the early 1950s, are evaluated. Estimates of the total number of seals in the Northwest Atlantic declined from ∼3.0 million in the 1950s to 1.8 million in the early 1970s, then increased steadily to 5.5 million in 1996, at which relatively stable level it has remained since. Pregnancy rates increased from ∼86% in the 1950s to a high of 98% in the mid-1960s, then declined to ∼65–70% by the early 1990s; the rate then varied between 45 and 70% from 2000 to 2004. Concurrently, the mean age at sexual maturity decreased from 5.8 (s.e = 0.02) years in the mid-1950s to 4.1 (s.e. = 0.02) in the late 1970s, increased to 5.5 (s.e. = 0.03) years by the early 1990s, and peaked at 5.7 (s.e. = 0.01) in 1995. From 2000 to 2004, mean age varied from 4.9 (s.e. = 0.01) to 6.0 (s.e. = 0.01) years. Although the direction of change in each of the parameters was consistent with a density-dependent response, changes in population size explained relatively little of the variability observed, suggesting that other ecological or environmental factors were influential.

scholarly journals Factors Affecting Harp Seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) Strandings in the Northwest Atlantic

PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. e68779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brianne K. Soulen ◽  
Kristina Cammen ◽  
Thomas F. Schultz ◽  
David W. Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Harp Seal ◽  
Northwest Atlantic ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Pagophilus Groenlandicus

scholarly journals Agglomeration economies, congestion diseconomies, and fertility dynamics in a two-region economy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madoka Muroishi ◽  
Akira Yakita
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Stability Condition ◽  
Fertility Rate ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Initial Population ◽  
Interregional Migration ◽  
Stable Path ◽  
Regional Population ◽  
Initial Population Size

AbstractUsing a small, open, two-region economy model populated by two-period-lived overlapping generations, we analyze long-term agglomeration economy and congestion diseconomy effects of young worker concentration on migration and the overall fertility rate. When the migration-stability condition is satisfied, the distribution of young workers between regions is obtainable in each period for a predetermined population size. Results show that migration stability does not guarantee dynamic stability of the economy. The stationary population size stability depends on the model parameters and the initial population size. On a stable trajectory converging to the stationary equilibrium, the overall fertility rate might change non-monotonically with the population size of the economy because of interregional migration. In each period, interregional migration mitigates regional population changes caused by fertility differences on the stable path. Results show that the inter-regional migration-stability condition does not guarantee stability of the population dynamics of the economy.

scholarly journals Estimation of harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) pup production in the North Atlantic completed: results from surveys in the Greenland Sea in 2002

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tore Haug ◽  
Garry B. Stenson ◽  
Peter J. Corkeron ◽  
Kjell T. Nilssen
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Harp Seal ◽  
Greenland Sea ◽  
The North ◽  
Pagophilus Groenlandicus ◽  
Pack Ice ◽  
Photographic Survey ◽  
Strip Transect

Abstract From 14 March to 6 April 2002 aerial surveys were carried out in the Greenland Sea pack ice (referred to as the “West Ice”), to assess the pup production of the Greenland Sea population of harp seals, Pagophilus groenlandicus. One fixed-wing twin-engined aircraft was used for reconnaissance flights and photographic strip transect surveys of the whelping patches once they had been located and identified. A helicopter assisted in the reconnaissance flights, and was used subsequently to fly visual strip transect surveys over the whelping patches. The helicopter was also used to collect data for estimating the distribution of births over time. Three harp seal breeding patches (A, B, and C) were located and surveyed either visually or photographically. Results from the staging flights suggest that the majority of harp seal females in the Greenland Sea whelped between 16 and 21 March. The calculated temporal distribution of births were used to correct the estimates obtained for Patch B. No correction was considered necessary for Patch A. No staging was performed in Patch C; the estimate obtained for this patch may, therefore, be slightly negatively biased. The total estimate of pup production, including the visual survey of Patch A, both visual and photographic surveys of Patch B, and photographic survey of Patch C, was 98 500 (s.e. = 16 800), giving a coefficient of variation of 17.9% for the survey. Adding the obtained Greenland Sea pup production estimate to recent estimates obtained using similar methods in the Northwest Atlantic (in 1999) and in the Barents Sea/White Sea (in 2002), it appears that the entire North Atlantic harp seal pup production, as determined at the turn of the century, is at least 1.4 million animals per year.

Calling depth and time and frequency attributes of harp (Pagophilus groenlandicus) and Weddell (Leptonychotes weddellii) seal underwater vocalizations

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (11) ◽  
pp. 1438-1452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilary B Moors ◽  
John M Terhune
Keyword(s):  
Light Condition ◽  
Weddell Seal ◽  
Harp Seal ◽  
Vertical Array ◽  
Vocal Cords ◽  
Leptonychotes Weddellii ◽  
Call Duration ◽  
Weddell Seals ◽  
Pagophilus Groenlandicus ◽  
Breeding Seasons

Harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus (Erxleben, 1777)) daytime calling depth during the breeding season and Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii (Lesson, 1826)) daytime and nighttime calling depth during the winter and breeding seasons were investigated using a small vertical array with hydrophones placed at depths of 10 and 60 m. Rough calling depth estimates (<35 m, ~35 m, >35 m) and more accurate point depth estimates (±5–10 m in most cases) were obtained. Significantly more calls were produced at depths ≤35 m for both species. The point depth estimates indicated that the calls occurred most frequently at depths >10 m; 60% of harp seal calls and 71% of Weddell seal calls occurred at depths between 10 and 35 m. The seals called predominately within areas of the water column where light would likely penetrate, but still avoided sea-ice interference to some extent. The vocalizations did not change over depth with respect to call type, the number of elements within a call, or total call duration, or with respect to season and light condition for Weddell seals. Frequency (kHz) of calls also did not change with depth, suggesting that harp and Weddell seals control the pitch of their vocalizations with the vocal cords of the larynx.

scholarly journals DO LANGUAGE CHANGE RATES DEPEND ON POPULATION SIZE?

2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (03) ◽  
pp. 357-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
SØREN WICHMANN ◽  
DIETRICH STAUFFER ◽  
CHRISTIAN SCHULZE ◽  
ERIC W. HOLMAN
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Computer Simulations ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Language Change ◽  
Strong Dependence ◽  
Language Model ◽  
Population Sizes

An earlier study [24] concluded, based on computer simulations and some inferences from empirical data, that languages will change the more slowly the larger the population gets. We replicate this study using a more complete language model for simulations (the Schulze model combined with a Barabási–Albert network) and a richer empirical dataset [12]. Our simulations show either a negligible or a strong dependence of language change on population sizes, depending on the parameter settings; while empirical data, like some of the simulations, show a negligible dependence.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document