Individual-based modeling to project viability of gopher tortoise populations under alternative management scenarios: A case study with two Alabama Wildlife Management Areas
SEAFWA Journal Volume 5, March 2018
Population projection models are applied tools for considering the potential effects of land and population management alternatives. Incorporating spatially explicit processes and individual dynamics into these models can be important when assessing viability for relatively small populations in patchy habitats. We developed a spatially explicit, individual-based population simulation model (IBM) for gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) incorporating demographic rates from published studies throughout the range of the species. We then demonstrated this approach's utility for evaluating...
