ANIMAL populations, HARVESTING, ANIMAL offspring sex ratio, POPULATION biology, ANIMAL ecology, MATHEMATICAL models
Abstract
A general type of mathematical model based on the matrix representation of first order difference equation is considered in the light of harvesting animal population. Simplifications in the model that occur if harvesting keeps the population level constant are noted and are used to investigate optimum age and sex specific harvesting strategies. A general result is obtained for cropping to be optimal. In the light of these results, the problem of optimal size for the population itself is considered.