Optimal harvest strategies for ungulate populations in relation to population parameters and environmental variability
department or school: Science, Faculty of
department or school: Zoology, Department of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Stocker, Max
issued: 2010-03-15T18:13:46Z
issued: 1979
related degree: Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: Optimal harvesting strategies for ungulate populations are estimated using stochastic dynamic programming. In the context used here, optimal strategy refers to a sequential decision rule that is optimal with respect to maximizing expected long term returns from ungulate populations. The effects of fluctuating environmental conditions and uncertainty about population parameters were considered. Three case examples were selected for this study to represent classes of real ungulate systems. In effect these cases represent three fragmentary views of the basic food-ungulate-predation food chain. Models incorporating functional information with regard to fecundity, survival, resource utilization, and predation were formulated as stochastic dynamic programming models and optimal harvesting strategies were derived numerically using a digital computer. The strategies are expressed as isopleth diagrams relating state variables and harvest rates. The optimal harvest strategies were generally found to be insensitive to environmental fluctuations. On the other hand, it was found that assumptions regarding biological processes have to be carefully investigated for their effect on the functional form of the optimal harvesting strategies. Though only simple objective functions were considered, indications are that optimal harvesting strategies are sensitive to assumptions regarding the management goals. The response of the model populations to harvesting, and the returns obtained from applying optimal harvesting strategies as well as alternative strategies were explored through simulation. Though the functional form of the optimal strategies is robust with regard to the uncertainties considered in this investigation, the returns obtained from applying optimal strategies are very sensitive to these uncertainties. The effects of decreased productivity resulting from varying the stochastic population variables affected harvesting returns in all cases. The most interesting results from…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/21905
note: OPTIMAL HARVEST STRATEGIES FOR UNGULATE POPULATIONS IN RELATION TO POPULATION PARAMETERS AND ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABILITY by MAX STOCKER B.Sc.(Agr), M c G i l l ' U n i v e r s i t y , 1973 M.Sc, U n i v e r s i t y of Guelph, 1975 A t h e s i s submitted i n p a r t i a l f u l f i l l m e n t of the requirements f o r the degree of Doctor of Phil o s o p h y i n The F a c u l t y of Graduate S t u d i e s Department of Zoology We accept t h i s t h e s i s as conforming to the r e q u i r e d standard The U n i v e r s i t y of B r i t i s h Columbia A p r i l , 1979 (c) Max Stocker, 1979 In present ing t h i s t h e s i s i n p a r t i a l f u l f i l m e n t of the requirements f o r an advanced degree at the U n i v e r s i t y of B r i t i s h Co lumbia, I agree tha t the L i b r a r y s h a l l make i t f r e e l y a v a i l a b l e f o r re fe rence and s tudy . I f u r t h e r agree tha t permiss ion f o r ex tens ive copying of t h i s t h e s i s f o r s c h o l a r l y purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by h i s r e p r e s en t a t i v e s . I t i s understood tha t copy ing or p u b l i c a t i o n of t h i s t h e s i s f o r f i n a n c i a l ga in s h a l l not be a l lowed wi thout my w r i t t e n pe rm iss i on . Department o f 2ooio ^ The U n i v e r s i t y of B r i t i s h Columbia 2075 Wesbrook P lace Vancouver, Canada V6T 1W5 i i ABSTRACT Optimal h a r v e s t i n g s t r a t e g i e s f o r ungulate p o p u l a t i o n s are estimated using s t o c h a s t i c dynamic programming. In the context used here, o p t i m a l s t r a t e g y r e f e r s to a s e q u e n t i a l d e c i s i o n r u l e that i s o p t i m a l with r e s p e c t to maximizing expected long term r e t u r n s from ungulate p o p u l a t i o n s . The e f f e c t s of f l u c t u a t i n g environmental c o n d i t i o n s and u n c e r t a i n t y about p o p u l a t i o n parameters were c o n s i d e r e d . Three case examples were s e l e c t e …
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0094879
language: eng
degree discipline: Zoology
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/21905