Assessing the effects of abiotic environmental stress on population growth in Lumbricus rubellus (Lubricidae, Oligochaeta)

A matrix model for the population dynamics of Lumbricus rubellus was formulated to assess the effects of abiotic environmental disturbances on the viability of the population. The population dynamic model is based on a description of individual growth, reproduction and mortality, which is partly derived from a simple model for the energy budget of an individual. The use of the energy budget model allows us to establish causal relations between physiological influences of abiotic environmental stress and population performance. n individual growth and reproduction (Ma, 1982, 1984) are used to parameterize the model. The analysis shows that the length of the adult life span, and consequently the growth rate from birth to adulthood, is of overriding importance for the performance of the population.