Anachronism on illusion of density-independence in biology

Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2016 16:49:41 +0900
A leader of Japanese fisheries scientist, Kazumi Sakuramoto, wrote an article "Illusion of a density-dependent effect in biology"

I was much surprised that this article was accepted by a journal "Agricultural Sciences".

I have the following comments:
1. It is well known that a simple statistical test of correlation makes an artifact of density dependence (Dennis & Taper 1994).
2. But there is a rigorous method to detect density dependence (Dennis & Taper 1994). Not a few real time series showed statistically significant density dependence, although we cannot detect density dependence from some poor time series.
3. (Lack of density-dependence) have now been rejected on logical grounds, and it is generally accepted that　population regulation cannot occur in the absence of density dependence (Turchin 1995).
4. Definitely density-dependence and environmental fluctuation are not mutually exclusive. It has been well known in international fisheries management organizations.
5. MSY [Maximum sustainable yield] theory is definitely based on density-dependence, but it does not mean that MSY theory must be adopted if density dependence really exists.

References
Sakuramoto K (2015) Illusion of a Density-Dependent Effect in Biology. Agricultural Sciences, 6: 479-488
Turchin P (1995) Population regulation: old arguments and a new synthesis. N. Cappuccino, P.W. Price (Eds.), Population Dynamics, Academic Press (1995), pp. 19–40

Dennis B, Taper ML (1994) Density dependence in time series observations of natural populations: Estimation and testing. Ecol Monogr 64:205-224.