dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaBiodiversity in model ecosystems, I: Coexistence conditions for competing species
| Authors | Ugo Bastolla, Michael Lässig, Susanna C. Manrubia, Angelo Valleriani |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | q-bio/0502021 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0502021 |
Abstract
This is the first of two papers where we discuss the limits imposed by competition to the biodiversity of species communities. In this first paper we study the coexistence of competing species at the fixed point of population dynamic equations. For many simple models, this imposes a limit on the width of the productivity distribution, which is more severe the more diverse the ecosystem is (Chesson, 1994). Here we review and generalize this analysis, beyond the ``mean-field''-like approximation of the competition matrix used in previous works, and extend it to structured food webs. In all cases analysed, we obtain qualitatively similar relations between biodiversity and competition: the narrower the productivity distribution is, the more species can stably coexist. We discuss how this result, considered together with environmental fluctuations, limits the maximal biodiversity that a trophic level can host.
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"abstract": "This is the first of two papers where we discuss the limits imposed by\ncompetition to the biodiversity of species communities. In this first paper we\nstudy the coexistence of competing species at the fixed point of population\ndynamic equations. For many simple models, this imposes a limit on the width of\nthe productivity distribution, which is more severe the more diverse the\necosystem is (Chesson, 1994). Here we review and generalize this analysis,\nbeyond the ``mean-field\u0027\u0027-like approximation of the competition matrix used in\nprevious works, and extend it to structured food webs. In all cases analysed,\nwe obtain qualitatively similar relations between biodiversity and competition:\nthe narrower the productivity distribution is, the more species can stably\ncoexist. We discuss how this result, considered together with environmental\nfluctuations, limits the maximal biodiversity that a trophic level can host.",
"arxiv_id": "q-bio/0502021",
"authors": [
"Ugo Bastolla",
"Michael L\u00e4ssig",
"Susanna C. Manrubia",
"Angelo Valleriani"
],
"categories": [
"q-bio.PE"
],
"title": "Biodiversity in model ecosystems, I: Coexistence conditions for competing species",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0502021"
},
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