The Influence of Environmental Feedback on Ecological Competition.
Disciplines
Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Species occupying the same ecological niche must compete for resources and space. The competitive exclusion principle states that two species filling the same niche cannot coexist indefinitely; that is, one will always outcompete the other. Mathematical modeling offers an efficient method of studying the primary factors that determine which species survives this kind of competitive interaction. In this project, we examine the role of environmental feedback on ecological competition by analyzing a classic Lotka-Volterra ordinary differential equation (ODE) model that we extend to incorporate a simple model of the environment. We use a combination of analytical and numerical methods to study how the interaction between competing species with their environment stabilizes or destabilizes coexistence of the species. Our results offer insight into how real life environmental states influence ecological competitions.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Mathematics
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Glenn Young
The Influence of Environmental Feedback on Ecological Competition.
Species occupying the same ecological niche must compete for resources and space. The competitive exclusion principle states that two species filling the same niche cannot coexist indefinitely; that is, one will always outcompete the other. Mathematical modeling offers an efficient method of studying the primary factors that determine which species survives this kind of competitive interaction. In this project, we examine the role of environmental feedback on ecological competition by analyzing a classic Lotka-Volterra ordinary differential equation (ODE) model that we extend to incorporate a simple model of the environment. We use a combination of analytical and numerical methods to study how the interaction between competing species with their environment stabilizes or destabilizes coexistence of the species. Our results offer insight into how real life environmental states influence ecological competitions.