Data from: Stochastic population dynamics and life-history variation in marine fish species

We examined whether differences in life-history characteristics can explain interspecific variation in stochastic population dynamics in nine marine fish species living in the Barents Sea system. After observation errors in population estimates were accounted for, temporal variability in natural mortality rate, annual recruitment, and population growth rate was negatively related to generation time. Mean natural mortality rate, annual recruitment, and population growth rate were lower in long-lived species than in short-lived species. Thus, important species-specific characteristics of the population dynamics were related to the species position along the slow-fast continuum of life-history variation. These relationships were further associated with interspecific differences in ecology: species at the fast end were mainly pelagic, with short generation times and high natural mortality, annual recruitment, and population growth rates, and also showed high temporal variability in those demographic traits. In contrast, species at the slow end were long-lived, deepwater species with low rates and reduced temporal variability in the same demographic traits. These interspecific relationships show that the life-history characteristics of a species can predict basic features of interspecific variation in population dynamical characteristics of marine fish, which should have implications for the choice of harvest strategy to facilitate sustainable yields.本研究旨在探究生活史特征（life-history characteristics）的差异能否解释巴伦支海海域9种海洋鱼类的随机种群动态（stochastic population dynamics）的种间变异（interspecific variation）。在校正种群估算中的观测误差（observation errors）后，自然死亡率（natural mortality rate）、年补充量（annual recruitment）与种群增长率（population growth rate）的时间变异性（temporal variability）均与世代时间（generation time）呈负相关关系。长寿命物种（long-lived species）的平均自然死亡率、年补充量与种群增长率均低于短寿命物种（short-lived species）。由此可见，种群动态的关键物种特异性特征与物种在生活史变异快慢连续体（slow-fast continuum）上的位置密切相关。这些关联还与生态学（ecology）领域的种间差异紧密相关：处于快端的物种多为中上层（pelagic）鱼类，世代时间较短，自然死亡率、年补充量与种群增长率均较高，且上述种群统计特征（demographic traits）的时间变异性也更高。与之相反，处于慢端的物种均为长寿命深水物种（deepwater species），其各项速率较低，且上述种群统计特征的时间变异性也显著降低。这些种间关联表明，物种的生活史特征可用于预测海洋鱼类种群动态特征的种间变异基本规律，该结论对于选取保障可持续产量（sustainable yields）的捕捞策略（harvest strategy）具有重要指导意义。