A 'non-breeder' refers to an organism, typically an animal, that does not reproduce. This can be due to a variety of factors, including sterility, age (e.g., pre-pubescent or post-reproductive), environmental conditions that inhibit reproduction, or social constraints within a group. The term is often used in wildlife management and conservation to describe individuals within a population that contribute less or nothing to population growth. It's crucial to distinguish between a temporary inability to breed and a permanent state of non-breeding to understand population dynamics accurately.
Non-breeder meaning with examples
- The wildlife biologist identified a significant number of non-breeders in the deer population due to habitat fragmentation. These individuals, while healthy, lacked the necessary resources to successfully reproduce. Their presence, alongside the stressors, posed a concern, impacting overall population sustainability. Careful management might mitigate these stressors to help increase the breeder rates, as a sustainable environment is imperative.
- In a colony of penguins, some younger birds are considered non-breeders; they haven't yet reached sexual maturity and are still learning survival skills. This delay in breeding is a natural part of their life cycle. Observing this, it is common for younger penguins to stay by their parent and provide assistance as an introduction to nesting.
- Captive breeding programs often carefully manage non-breeders. Animals that don't meet the criteria to mate can still play a vital role in the colony's success. Such animals are able to assist in raising the young offspring of breeding pairs, with their help leading to enhanced success.
- The impact of pollution was evident as a large percentage of the salmon population were identified as non-breeders. Their eggs, which should have been developing, were not able to survive in such a degraded environment. This decline created a significant hurdle for the salmon's population's long-term survival.
- Social hierarchies in wolf packs often determine who breeds, and some pack members may be non-breeders. This can lead to an imbalance with breeding members contributing to a limited number of offspring. The wolves often take an assistance role, contributing to the survival of the pups.