ECOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF STABILITY IN MODEL POPULATIONS

Detailed studies of the density-dependent interactions of larval and adult life stages of Drosophila melanogaster suggest that the stability of populations is dependent on environmental variables. Models of Drosophila population dynamics predict that the levels of food supplied to the adults and larvae will have important effects on population stability: stability is enhanced when adults are given low amounts of food and larvae are given high amounts of food. Experimental results presented here are consistent with these general predictions. These observations have implications for the management of biological populations and present an opportunity for studying the evolution of population stability.