Okay some pretty good thoughts came out of the last thread and I'd like to build on this a bit more. The one thing that caught my imagination most was the idea that in good times a population's territory may expand very slowly and that such times are primarily manifest by an increase in population density. Conversely, during bad times populations tend to disperse more quickly. The concept that bad times may more effectively spread a populations influence than good times is a bit counter intuitive but it has a beauty all its own.

Anyway here is my question, any ideas or observations of what happens to a "fat" population once things start to go south? I can infer drops in reproductive rates and recruitment into the adult population are the first things that happen to bring the population back into equilibrium but at what point does inter-population competition become intense enough that actual dispersion begins and could incidence of cannibalism be a measure of this?

Here on the east coast I find few habitats that are in anything near pristine condition. Perhaps the reason I'm so certain that our kings are completely cannibalistic is because kings here are almost always in a stressed dispersal mode.

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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

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• Happy Snake Families II - Tony D, Mon Feb 16 07:52:41 2009
• RE: Happy Snake Families II - FR, Mon Feb 16 10:43:43 2009
• RE: Happy Snake Families II - Tony D, Mon Feb 16 12:46:05 2009
• RE: Happy Snake Families II - BobS, Mon Feb 16 16:12:15 2009
• RE: Tony and Bob - FR, Mon Feb 16 18:53:48 2009
• RE: Tony and Bob - Tony D, Mon Feb 16 20:00:04 2009
• RE: Tony and Bob - BobS, Mon Feb 16 20:50:08 2009
• RE: Tony and Bob - Tony D, Tue Feb 17 05:20:25 2009
• RE: Tony and Bob - FR, Mon Feb 16 22:47:38 2009
• RE: Tony and Bob - Tony D, Tue Feb 17 05:28:08 2009
• RE: Tony and Bob - FR, Tue Feb 17 09:22:24 2009
• RE: Tony and Bob - Tony D, Tue Feb 17 13:30:33 2009
• What is Biology to you Frank? - Jeff Schofield, Mon Feb 16 23:59:49 2009
• RE: What is Biology to you Frank? - indictment, Tue Feb 17 07:36:45 2009
• RE: What is Biology to you Frank? - FR, Tue Feb 17 09:48:17 2009
• Answer the question Frank - Jeff Schofield, Tue Feb 17 10:00:59 2009
• The X-files...... - BobS, Tue Feb 17 14:06:59 2009
• RE: The X-files...... - BobS, Tue Feb 17 14:20:18 2009
• Jeff......... - BobS, Tue Feb 17 14:59:18 2009
• RE: Jeff......... - Tony D, Tue Feb 17 15:02:56 2009
• RE: - FR, Tue Feb 17 16:38:47 2009
• RE: - BobS, Tue Feb 17 16:51:44 2009
• RE: - Tony D, Tue Feb 17 18:33:15 2009
• RE: - FR, Wed Feb 18 19:22:52 2009
• But thats not a good reason not to write - Jeff Schofield, Fri Feb 20 10:41:14 2009
• RE: But thats not a good reason not to write - FR, Mon Mar 9 11:10:21 2009
• RE: The X-files...... - antelope, Wed Feb 18 03:37:29 2009
• RE: The X-files...... - BobS, Wed Feb 18 08:09:12 2009
• RE: this is easy - FR, Tue Feb 17 15:43:35 2009
• RE: this is easy - Tony D, Wed Feb 18 10:05:55 2009
• RE: Listen Tony - FR, Wed Feb 18 12:41:52 2009
• RE: Listen Tony - Tony D, Wed Feb 18 14:21:43 2009
• RE: Listen Tony - FR, Wed Feb 18 19:18:09 2009
• RE: Listen Tony - Tony D, Wed Feb 18 21:46:21 2009
• RE: Heres the point - FR, Thu Feb 19 13:37:43 2009
• RE: this is easy - thomas davis, Wed Feb 18 12:46:14 2009
• RE: this is easy - orchidspider, Sat Feb 21 11:18:04 2009