Age-specific sensitivity analysis of stable, stochastic and transient growth for stage-classified populations

Sensitivity analysis in ecology and evolution is a valuable guide to rank demographic parameters depending on their relevance to population growth. Here, we propose a method to make the sensitivity analysis of population growth for matrix models solely classified by stage more fine-grained by considering the effect of age-specific parameters. The method applies to stable population growth, the stochastic growth rate, and transient growth. The method yields expressions for the sensitivity of stable population growth to age-specific survival and fecundity from which general properties are derived about the pattern of age-specific selective forces molding senescence in stage-classified populations.