APES Chapter 13

maximum sustainable yield

the maximum growth rate (measured either as a net increase in the number of individuals or in biomass over a specified time period) that the population could sustain indefinitely.

maximum sustainable-yield population

the population size at which the maximum growth rate occurs.

minimum viable population

the estimated smallest population that can maintain itself and its genetic variability indefinitely.

optimum sustainable population

the population size that provides the greatest overall benefit to the ecosystem and its resources, ensuring long-term sustainability.

carrying capacity

1. logistic growth curve

2. an abundance at which a population can sustain itself without any detrimental effects that would lessen the ability of that species to maintain that abundance

3. the optimum sustainable population leads to a population size between the other two

time series

a set of estimates of ongoing measurement of population size over a number of years.

historical range of variation

the known range of abundances of a population or species over some past time interval.