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Delayed costs of growth and compensatory growth rates

  1. J. M. YEARSLEY1,*,
  2. I. KYRIAZAKIS2,
  3. I. J. GORDON1,†

Article first published online: 20 JUL 2004

DOI: 10.1111/j.0269-8463.2004.00879.x

Issue

Functional Ecology

Functional Ecology

Volume 18, Issue 4, pages 563–570, August 2004

Additional Information

How to Cite

YEARSLEY, J. M., KYRIAZAKIS, I. and GORDON, I. J. (2004), Delayed costs of growth and compensatory growth rates. Functional Ecology, 18: 563–570. doi: 10.1111/j.0269-8463.2004.00879.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    The Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK, and

  2. 2

    Animal Nutrition and Health Department, Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK

  1. †

    Present address: Rangelands & Savannas Program, Sustainable Ecosystems Division, CSIRO-Davies Laboratory, PMB PO Aitkenvale, Qld 4814, Australia.

* †Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: j.yearsley@macaulay.ac.uk

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 20 JUL 2004
  2. Article first published online: 20 JUL 2004
  3. Received 26 November 2003; revised 18 February 2004; accepted 3 March 2004

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Keywords:

  • Adaptive growth rate;
  • life history;
  • time-delay

Summary

  • 1
    Many studies recognize that growth carries with it a mortality risk that can influence an animal's growth rate.
  • 2
    Data suggest that these costs of growth act over a range of time-scales, from instantaneous to an animal's lifetime.
  • 3
    Models of adaptive growth rate have not addressed the issue of differing time-scales over which the costs of growth act. Here, we develop an adaptive growth model in which the costs of growth are delayed for a period of time, to assess optimal growth strategies in relation to delays in growth costs.
  • 4
    The optimal growth rates are calculated assuming one of two possible fitness measures: the reproductive rate, R0 and the intrinsic population growth rate, r.
  • 5
    It is shown that if the costs of growth are felt only after maturity, then growth compensation can be an adaptive strategy, even in an unchanging environment.
  • 6
    Compensatory growth is predicted only when R0 is the relevant fitness measure, implying that this mechanism of compensatory growth is sensitive to the processes of population regulation.
  • 7
    The effect of time-delayed costs for other life-history problems is discussed in light of these results.
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