Oscillation in the Simple Logistic Growth Model

• DOI: 10.1038/207316a0
• Publication Date: 2006-07-05T22:32:59Z
• Authors: L. M. COOK
• Keywords: Logistic function; Oscillation (cell signaling); Growth curve (statistics)

THE logistic curve is often used in teaching ecology as a first description of growth of an animal population. For many reasons, frequency related to age structure and time-lag effects, it does not usually fit in practice; and a population may undergo oscillations of one type or another. The causes of oscillations have been discussed in detail by numerous authors (see refs. 1–5), some of whom propose more or less complex conditions which would generate them. Nevertheless, the logistic growth curve is a useful starting point in the study of population ecology, so that the following simple relation between, the rate of increase, generation time and the type of approach to the ‘saturation’ level may be of interest.