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I examined the prevalence of autocorrelation in mammalian, avian, and precipitation time series, how well autocorrelation in the environment translates into autocorrelation in animal populations, and length of the time series needed to accurately characterize the degree of autocorrelation. These are important questions because more-complex population models are incorporating autocorrelation terms in life-history characteristics and the intrinsic rate of increase. Including inaccurate or nonsignificant autocorrelation can alter the conclusions reached, providing either an unduly rosy or bleak picture of the likelihood of population viability and persistence. Using autocorrelation analysis in 175 vertebrate and 88...