Demography of marine birds in the Northeast Atlantic: informed parameter values for population modelling

Matrix models are often used to assess and predict the impact of human activities on wild populations. These models require input values of demographic parameters, i.e. survival and fecundity. However, empirical estimates of these parameters are often not available, particularly for survival.
We built matrix population models for 25 species of marine birds in the Northeast Atlantic. These models were based on long-term monitoring data on abundance and breeding productivity, collated for an environmental status assessment under the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the North-East Atlantic. We started with literature-based values of age-specific survival and tuned these values to fit the observed population growth rate.
This database presents tuned values of age-specific survival for 25 species in four regions of the north-east Atlantic, a total of 54 regional populations. In addition, we report modelled generation time as well as the level of breeding productivity required to mainta..., , # Demography of marine birds in the Northeast Atlantic: informed parameter values for population modelling

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.4mw6m90qn](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4mw6m90qn)

## Description of the data and file structure

This dataset includes model-derived estimates of demographic parameters for 58 populations of 25 marine bird species in Northwest Europe

### Files and variables

#### File: Model_output_overview_Dryad.xlsx

**Description:** Model assumptions, empirical estimates and model output

**Sheet**: Data

##### Variables

* Species
* Common name
* Scientific name
* Clutch size (1 or +1)
* Region (OSPAR Region, see [https://www.ospar.org/convention/the-north-east-atlantic](https://www.ospar.org/convention/the-north-east-atlantic))
* Assumptions
* Age of first breeding (years)
* Breeding propensity (proportion)
* Base parameter values (from literature). \"n/a\" for survival indicates that survival of the age class in question was considered equal to adult s...,