Compensation and stability in nonlinear matrix models (Q1194463)

Stability, bifurcation, and dynamic behaviour of discrete, nonlinear, age-structured population matrix models is investigated. A compensatory mechanism is a process by which the effect of one vital rate on a population tends to be counteracted by a corresponding change in another vital rate. It is demonstrated that stability in compensatory systems does not always occur; e.g. equilibria arising through a bifurcation can be initially unstable. Results concerning existence and uniqueness of equilibria, stability of equilibria, and boundedness of solutions suggest that ``compensatory'' systems might not be compensatory in the literal sense.