Adult survival and per-capita production of young explain dynamics of a long-lived goose population

Population growth rates in geese can be sensitive to small changes in survival and/or production of young, and understanding which demographic rates explain more variation in population change can be crucial for implementing effective conservation actions. Here, we show that annual adult survival and production of young (assessed in winter) explained most variation in annual population growth rate across 36 years in Greenland White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons flavirostris, during which time the population showed a sustained increase followed by a decline. In contrast, there was no strong relationship between annual population growth rate and juvenile survival following autumn migration, suggesting that variation in this demographic parameter contributed little to the population trajectory over the same period. Quantifying the influence of decisions made by Greenland White-fronted Geese throughout the annual cycle will improve our ability to target seasonal conservation actions that reduce adult mortality and/or increase production of young where possible.

Automated summary

Population growth rates in geese are sensitive to adult survival and production of young, rather than juvenile survival. Understanding the decisions made by Greenland White-fronted Geese throughout the annual cycle will help target conservation actions effectively.