My main tasks at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research are:
1. To
coordinate efforts regarding the compilation of population projection matrices and integral projection models (and their consequent conversion into life tables) within the plant and animal kingdoms in order to explore questions related to the economics spectrum of
demography. This database, COMPADRE (COMPArative Demographic REsearch), will soon come on-line at the institute's server for all users around the world. If you have questions or wish to access preliminary data, please contact me @ salguero at demogr dot mpg dot de. COMPADRE currently contains projection matrices and integral projection models for ca. 800 plant species and over 400 animal species, and its full digitalization is progression quickly thanks to an army of undergraduate students from the University of Rostock I directly supervise. 2. To develop
and apply (transient, stochastic, pace & shape) demographic tools that allow for the study of
senescence in plants. 3. To develop quantitative ecological and evolutionary analyses on demographic data via integral projection models. A free R package, IPMpack, for this purpose can be found here. This package is a collaboration with Jessica Metcalf, Sean McMahon and Eelke Jongejans. 4. To
continue long-term (15 years and counting!) demographic censuses on the aridland perennial Cryptantha flava. The ultimate goal is to implement stochastic analyses to understand the effects of on-going climate change in the Great Basin Desert (US) and its native flora. 5. To disseminate the knowledge gained in the aforementioned enterprises to the
scientific community (i.e. via publications in peer-review journals, and
publication of life history tables and other demographic parameters on the
intra-/inter-net under the MPIDR umbrella) as well as to the general audience
(i.e. talks at conferences and interviews with mass media whenever
appropriate).
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