The Optimal Balance between Size and Number of Offspring

Smith and Fretwell's paper on the optimal balance between size and number of offspring. Both papers use its arithmetic of offspring provisioning to tie R_m to the budget, since each offspring needs a reserve and legal standing. With illustrative values R_m is about 2.4, and identity checks that raise the cost per offspring to $750 bring it to about 0.96.

Cited in

both papers (Flagship: The threshold; Companion §5)

Used for

R_m; thresholds; identity checks

Strand

Ecology: energetics, niches & interactions · Niches, competition, succession & radiation

Cite

@article{smith1974optimal,
  title = {The Optimal Balance between Size and Number of Offspring},
  author = {Christopher C. Smith and Stephen D. Fretwell},
  year = {1974},
  journal = {The American Naturalist},
  doi = {10.1086/282929},
}