A Note on the Demography of Colonization

Abstract

A simple, stochastic model in which the specific birth rate .lambda. and the specific death rate, .mu., are independent of age and population density indicates that the probability of successful colonization by a single individual depends not on the intrinsic rate of increase, r = .lambda. - .mu., but on the ratio, r/.lambda.. The validity of this model and factors influencing its effectiveness are discussed.