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）种间变异。在对种群估计值中的观测误差进行校正后，自然死亡率、年补充量（annual recruitment）及种群增长率的时间变异性与世代时间（generation time）呈负相关关系。长寿命物种的平均自然死亡率、年补充量及种群增长率均低于短寿命物种。由此可见，种群动态的重要物种特异性特征与物种在生活史变异快慢连续谱上的位置密切相关。此类关联还与生态学层面的种间差异相关：处于快端的物种多为中上层鱼类，具有世代时间短、自然死亡率高、年补充量及种群增长率高的特征，且上述种群统计性状（demographic traits）的时间变异性亦较高。与之相反，处于慢端的物种均为长寿命深水鱼种，其相关种群统计性状的速率更低且时间变异性更弱。上述种间关联表明，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，这对选择适宜的捕捞策略以实现可持续产量具有指导意义。