Data from: Matrix models of hierarchical demography: linking group- and population-level dynamics in cooperative breeders

For highly social species, population dynamics depend on hierarchical demography that links local processes, group dynamics, and population growth. Here, we describe a stage-structured matrix model of hierarchical demography, which provides a framework for understanding social influences on population change. Our approach accounts for dispersal and affords insight into population dynamics at multiple scales. The method has close parallels to integral projection models, but focuses on a discrete characteristic (group size). Using detailed long-term records for meerkats (Suricata suricatta), we apply our model to explore patterns of local density dependence and implications of group size for group and population growth. Taking into account dispersers, the model predicts a per-capita growth rate for social groups that declines with group size. It predicts that larger social groups should produce a greater number of new breeding groups; thus dominant breeding females (responsible for most reproduction) are likely to be more productive in larger groups. Considering the potential for future population growth, larger groups have the highest reproductive value, but per-capita reproductive value is maximised for individuals in smaller groups. Across a plausible range of dispersal conditions, meerkats' long-run population growth rate is maximised when individuals form groups of intermediate size.对于高度社会化的物种而言，种群动态依赖于连接局域过程、群体动态与种群增长的层级人口统计学（hierarchical demography）。本研究构建了一种基于层级人口统计学的阶段结构矩阵模型，为解析社会因素对种群动态变化的影响提供了理论框架。该模型纳入扩散过程，可从多尺度视角解析种群动态。该方法与积分投影模型（integral projection models）高度相似，但聚焦于群体规模这一离散特征。本研究基于狐獴（Suricata suricatta）的长期详细观测记录，应用该模型探究了局域密度依赖模式，以及群体规模对群体增长与种群增长的影响机制。纳入扩散个体后，模型预测社会化群体的人均增长率会随群体规模增大而下降。模型预测，规模更大的社会化群体可产生更多新生繁殖群体；因此，负责绝大多数繁殖活动的优势繁殖雌性，在更大群体中的繁殖成效往往更高。若着眼于种群未来增长潜力，规模更大的群体拥有最高的繁殖价值，但个体的人均繁殖价值在小型群体中达到峰值。在合理范围内的扩散条件下，当狐獴个体形成中等规模的群体时，其长期种群增长率将达到最大值。