NCEP Exercise - Applied Demography: Parrots and Palms

This exercise provides students with an introduction to applied demographic analysis. Students examine a scenario involving parrots and harvesting of the trees they require for nesting. Our objectives are: (1) evaluate different strategies for sustainable harvesting of parrots for the pet trade, and (2) balance sustained yield for trees and parrots simultaneously. The exercise is intended to provide students with first hand experience analyzing the type of population data typically gathered by field biologists and to do so within a realistic context. That context is one in which conservation biologists are struggling to find a balance between parrot conservation and harvest for the pet trade as well as timber harvest and the incidental loss of nesting trees for the parrots. Additional teaching materials on topics relating to biodiversity conservation and ecology can be obtained free of charge by registering at the Network for Conservation Educators and Practitioners’ website (http://ncep.amnh.org).