DMS Graduate Student Seminar

Speaker: Gopal Nath (Gopal is a PhD student in our department, specializing in statistics; his advisor is Dr. Ash Abebe.)

Title: Amboseli Elephant Population Dynamics Using Integral Projection Models

Abstract: The most commonly used data-driven models for population dynamics are matrix projection models (MPM), which project discrete population structure (age or size classes) in discrete time. IPMs are analogous to a matrix projection model with a constant matrix and constructed from general regression models predicting vital rates from state variables (e.g. mass, size or age). In our study, we will introduce the basic concepts underlying IPMs, and step through the complete process of building, and then an IPM based on population studies of Amboseli elephants is used to analyze their population dynamics.