Estimation of dynamic rate parameters in insect populations undergoing sublethal exposure to pesticides

Publication Date

2007

Description

With newer, more environmentally friendly and, subsequently less lethal, pesticides in use, evaluating efficacy of a pesticide now requires more than simply counting deaths after treatment. A discrete, age-structured matrix model that incorporates a species’ life history traits (such as birth rate, death rate and fecundity) has previously been used by ecologists. This model will be presented and discussed along with an alternative continuous, age-structured model which offers significant advantage in considering sublethal damage. We use this continuous model to estimate time-dependent mortality parameters in an ordinary least-squares technique. Confidence intervals are given and results from tests for statistical significance of added parameters are presented.

Journal

Bulletin of Mathematical Biology

Volume

69

Issue

7

First Page

2139

Last Page

2180

Department

Mathematics

DOI

10.1007/s11538-007-9207-z

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