Density dependence maintains long-term stability despite increased isolation and inbreeding in the Florida Scrub-Jay

Isolation caused by anthropogenic habitat fragmentation can destabilize populations. Populations relying on the inflow of immigrants can face reduced fitness due to inbreeding depression as fewer new individuals arrive. Empirical studies of the demographic consequences of isolation are critical to understanding how populations persist through changing conditions. We used a 34-year demographic and environmental dataset from a population of cooperatively-breeding Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) to create mechanistic models linking environmental and demographic factors to population growth rates. We found that the population has not declined despite both declining immigration and increasing inbreeding, owing to a coinciding response in breeder survival. We find evidence of density-dependent immigration, breeder survival, and fecundity, indicating that interactions between vital rates and local density play a role in buffering the population against change. Our study elucidates..., All work was approved by the Cornell University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC 2010-0015) and authorized by permits from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (TE824723-8), the US Geological Survey (banding permit 07732), and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (LSSC-10-00205)., , # Density dependence maintains long-term stability despite increased isolation and inbreeding in the Florida Scrub-Jay

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.p2ngf1vz3](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.p2ngf1vz3)

This dataset contains raw census data (**FullLOI.txt**), derived vital rates (**vr_clean_F_4stageDemo.rdata**, **vr_clean_M_4stageDemo.rdata**), ecological metrics (**reqsoi_update.txt**, **acorns_update.txt**, **TerrYrBurnArea.txt**, **TerrMap.txt**, **TerrsToKeep.txt**, **densityCalcDemo.rdata**, **env_var_updateDemo.txt**, **envFac_annual.txt**), pedigree information (**pedInbr.txt**, **kinship_coef_Demo.rdata**), and demographic models created using these data (**vr_modelsDemo_revision_20240518.rdata**, **vr_modelsDemo.rdata**, **Demo_LTRE_results_20240518.rdata**), including model validation results (**vr_modelsDemo_validation_revisions_20240518.rdata**).

## Description of the data and file structure

#### **FullLOI.txt**

* USFWS: Individual ID
* Year: Year of census
* TerrYr: Te...