ABSTRACT
In the example above, offspring are produced by parents in their fi rst year only with an average r = 1.3 offspring per reproducing individual, but the actual offspring production is randomly determined according to a Poisson distribution. Obviously, populations grow more rapidly when the value of r is increased (Fig. 10.1A). Despite the differences in growth rate for populations i and g, they lose observed heterozygosity at the same rate, while heterozygosity loss is much greater for the slowestgrowing population a (Fig. 10.1B). Suppose that, in restoring a population, maintaining high heterozygosity is the foremost goal. If intervention is required to promote population growth rate, such comparative trials can provide targets for degree of effort needed. For example, a population exhibiting growth rates similar to trial population c would require less effort to maintain its growth rate than populations g or i in order to preserve heterozygosity to a similar degree. Or, if maintaining lower population F values is the crucial target, then growing populations with growth rates similar to population c would suffi ce as well (Fig. 10.2A).
