Vital Parameters Calibration by Stochastic Matrix Models: Application a Spiny Dogfish Population (Squalus Acanthias)

Abstract:     
In this paper we use structured population models to study the evolution of the abundance of a deep-sea shark stock of the Spiny dog fish species, Squalus acanthias. We only consider the female population divided into three length classes based on the characteristics of the species' development. For this population we present matrix models with environmental and demographic stochasticity. In both cases different probability distributions are used to model vital rates. We verify that the models with environmental stochasticity produce more variability in the simulations. As estimates of the vital rates with more initial uncertainty or greater sensibility, we choose the values of the parameters in the model whose simulations are visually better adjusted to the observed values of abundance.

Keywords: Matrix population models, Sensitivity analysis, Spiny dogfish, Stochastic environments, Vital rates

JEL Classification: C40, C49

working papers series