Integrating top‐down and bottom‐up effects of local density across scales and a complex life cycle

Effects of group size (local conspecific density) on individual performance can be substantial, yet it is unclear how these translate to larger‐scale and longer‐term outcomes. Effects of group size can be mediated by both top‐down and bottom‐up interactions, can change in type or direction across the life cycle, and can depend on the spatial scale at which group size is assessed. Only by determining how these different processes combine can we...