The spatial dynamics of ecosystem engineers

DOI10.1016/J.MBS.2017.08.002zbMATH Open1378.92081arXiv1611.09283OpenAlexW2558323708WikidataQ46321854 ScholiaQ46321854MaRDI QIDQ1680725FDOQ1680725

Authors: Caroline Franco, José F. Fontanari 

Publication date: 16 November 2017

Published in: Mathematical Biosciences (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: The changes on abiotic features of ecosystems have rarely been taken into account by population dynamics models, which typically focus on trophic and competitive interactions between species. However, understanding the population dynamics of organisms that must modify their habitats in order to survive, the so-called ecosystem engineers, requires the explicit incorporation of abiotic interactions in the models. Here we study a model of ecosystem engineers that is discrete both in space and time, and where the engineers and their habitats are arranged in patches fixed to the sites of regular lattices. The growth of the engineer population is modeled by Ricker equation with a density-dependent carrying capacity that is given by the number of modified habitats. A diffusive dispersal stage ensures that a fraction of the engineers move from their birth patches to neighboring patches. We find that dispersal influences the metapopulation dynamics only in the case that the local or single-patch dynamics exhibits chaotic behavior. In that case, it can suppress the chaotic behavior and avoid extinctions in the regime of large intrinsic growth rate of the population.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1611.09283

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zbMATH Keywords

coupled map latticeniche constructionecosystem engineer

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Population dynamics (general) (92D25) Ecology (92D40)

Cites Work

• Mathematical biology. Vol. 2: Spatial models and biomedical applications.
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Overview of coupled map lattices
• Patchy invasion of stage-structured alien species with short-distance and long-distance dispersal

Cited In (7)

• Pushing the boundaries: models for the spatial spread of ecosystem engineers
• The collapse of ecosystem engineer populations
• Spatial dynamics and spread of ecosystem engineers: two patch analysis
• The ecology of rotators
• Influence of technological progress and renewability on the sustainability of ecosystem engineers populations
• Generative Power of Eco-Colonies
• A tridiagonal patch model of bacteria inhabiting a nanofabricated landscape

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