Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 30 May 1997:
Vol. 276. no. 5317, p. 1335
DOI: 10.1126/science.276.5317.1335
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Research News

Ecology:
New Model Charts Swings in Crab Populations

Kathryn S. Brown

Crab populations are notoriously erratic, skyrocketing one year and tumbling the next. For decades, ecologists have wondered what forces drive these swings: Is it biology--behaviors such as competition--which depends on the density of crabs in a given locale? Or is it environment--random changes in various aspects of the crabs' habitat? A new computer model, described on page 1431, suggests that the answer may well be both: Biological feedbacks can amplify even small changes in the crabs' physical environment, resulting in huge population swings. The work could help scientists better understand the population dynamics of a host of species, from pest insects such as gypsy moths to endangered butterflies.

Read the Full Text

To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)