Environment, Population Size and Vital Statistics: An Analysis of Demographic Data from 18th Century Villages in the Province of Reggio Emilia (Italy)
1979
Matessi, Carlo | Menozzi, Paolo
We have analyzed a set of crude vital statistics from six of the years between 1690 and 1793 for a number of villages in the province of Reggio Emilia (Italy). These statistics were computed from population counts and registered baptisms and burials. We investigated the relationship between these vital statistics and population size for evidence of population regulation by density—dependent mechanisms. Since the villages were located in three quite distinct environmental zones (mountains, hills and plains), we also investigated the existence of environmental effects. The statistical results indicate that: (1) birth rates do not depend on population size but increase significantly from mountains to hills and plains; (2) death rates increase significantly with population size, also increasing by environmental zone in the same order as birth rates; (3) consequently, growth rates depend significantly on both environment and population size. However, the last relation does not emerge so strongly as for death rates alone because growth rates include the statistical variations in both the birth and death rates.
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