Body composition data of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem 2000-2020

Understanding evolutionary processes that drive population dynamics is critical in ecology. Measuring the performance-density relationship in long-lived mammalian species demands long-term data, limiting the ability to observe such mechanisms. We tested density-dependent (intrinsic) and density-independent (extrinsic) drivers of body composition of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem over two decades.解析驱动种群动态的演化过程，在生态学研究中至关重要。针对长寿命哺乳动物的种群表现与种群密度的关系开展量化研究，需要长期监测数据，这极大制约了此类生态机制的观测研究。本研究以大黄石生态系统内的灰熊（Ursus arctos）为研究对象，历时二十年检验了其身体组成的密度依赖（内因）与密度非依赖（外因）驱动因素。