Appendix A. VORTEX simulation parameters
Table A1. Description and justification for parameters used in VORTEX simulations. With the exception of mortality rates and initial population
size, the same parameters were used for cassidix and gippslandicus.
Input variable
Species description
Inbreeding depression
Lethal equivalents
Value
% due to recessive lethals
50 (Default)
Environmental correlation
between reproduction and
survival
0.5 (Default)
Environmental correlation
among populations
0.5 (Default)
Reproductive system
System
Age of first offspring females
Age of first offspring males
Checked box
6.29 (Default)
Long-term
monogamy
2
2
Description
Comments
Severity of inbreeding
depression
Based on combined effect of O’Grady et al. (2006)
inbreeding on fecundity and
first year survival
Based on studies on
Simmons and Crow
Drosophila
(1977)
% of inbreeding
depression that is due to
lethal alleles vs. other
genetic mechanisms
Extent to which
environmental variation in
reproduction and survival
are synchronized
Extent to which
populations are subjected
to synchronous
environmental variation in
reproduction and survival
rates
Supporting reference
Pairs remain together
across years until one dies
Based on mean age of first
breeding = 2.09
As above.
Smales et al. (2009)
Max lifespan
Max age female
reproduction
Max age male
reproduction
Max number broods per
year
14
10
Max progeny per brood
Sex ratio at birth (in %
males)
3
50
Reproductive rates
% adult females breeding
SD in % breeding due to
EV
Distribution of broods per
year (as %)
Distribution of number of
offspring per female per
brood
Mortality rates
†Mortality age 0-1
Oldest bird 14.49 years
10
HHRT records
4
65
Maximum ever recorded
was 8, but that was a very
exceptional case.
In Smales et al. 2009 ratio
was 1:1.04 (females: males)
– based on birds banded as
chicks/fledgling.
Probability a female will
reproduce in a year
13
0 – 7%
1 – 42%
2 – 27%
3 – 17 %
4–7%
1–5%
2 – 90%
3 – 5%
75%
Smales et al. (2009)
HHRT records
Distribution is for number
of females breeding above
HHRT records
HHRT records
Smales et al. (2009)
Average across three
breeding seasons
(2009/2010; 2013/2014;
2014/2015)
As above.
HHRT records
Distribution based on
averages across five
breeding seasons (20102015)
HHRT records
91% of clutches 2 eggs, 4%
1 egg, 5% 3 egg (rounded to
nearest multiple of 5)
Franklin et al. (2009)
Proportion of hatched eggs
that yielded fledglings
Smales et al. (2009)
HHRT records
SD in 0-1 mortality due to
EV
Mortality age 1-2
10%
SD in 1-2 mortality due to
EV
Mortality age 2+
10%
SD in 2+ mortality due to
EV
Initial population size
Gippslandicus N
Cassidix N
10%
Age distribution
Automatically
calculated
20%
20%
2000
130
(0.47) x proportion
fledglings that survived to
independence (0.88) x
proportion surviving to year
1 (0.63) = 0.26 = 74%
mortality.
SD range 0.06-0.12%
Weighted mean annual
survivorship of adult birds
was 0.75 for females and
0.81 for males.
Used same value as for age
0-1
Weighted mean annual
survivorship of adult birds
was 0.75 for females and
0.81 for males.
Used same value as for age
0-1
Smales et al. (2009)
Smales et al. (2009)
Smales et al. (2009)
Based on current wild
population
Carrying capacity (K)
Gippslandicus K
2000
Cassidix K
2000
†mortality rates were relaxed to 65% for age 0-1for the simulated captive cassidix and gippslandicus populations to maintain constant
population size in the source populations (i.e. to avoid demographic and genetic decline in the source populations).
References
Franklin, D. C., Smales, I. J., Miller, M. A., & Menkhorst, P. W. (1995). The reproductive biology of the Helmeted Honeyeater, Lichenostomus
melanops cassidix. Wildlife Research, 22, 173-191.
Menkhorst, P. (2008) National Recovery Plan for the Helmeted Honeyeater Lichenostomus melanops cassidix. Department of Sustainability and
Environment, Melbourne.
Simmons, M.J., and J.F. Crow. (1977). Mutations affecting fitness in Drosophila populations. Annual Review of Genetics 11:49-78.
Smales, I. J., Quin, B., Menkhorst, P. W., & Franklin, D. C. (2010). Demography of the Helmeted Honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops
cassidix).Emu, 109, 352-359.