Population dynamics with resource-dependent dispersal: single- and two-species models

Area of Science:

• Population dynamics
• Theoretical ecology
• Mathematical biology

Background:

• Random dispersal models often predict populations exceeding environmental carrying capacity.
• Understanding factors influencing population size and species interactions is crucial in ecology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate population dynamics in single-species and two-species competition models with resource-dependent dispersal.
• To analyze how resource-dependent dispersal affects total population size and species coexistence compared to random dispersal.

Main Methods:

• Analytical modeling of population dynamics.
• Mathematical analysis of single-species and two-species competition models.
• Numerical simulations to support analytical findings.

Main Results:

• Resource-dependent dispersal can result in total population sizes equal to or less than the environmental carrying capacity.
• In two-species competition, resource-dependent dispersal can facilitate coexistence, even when one species diffuses slower.
• This contrasts with random dispersal, where slower diffusers typically lead to competitive exclusion.

Conclusions:

• Resource-dependent dispersal significantly impacts population dynamics, leading to different outcomes than random dispersal.
• This dispersal strategy can promote species coexistence and alter evolutionary trajectories.
• Findings align with experimental observations and highlight the importance of dispersal mechanisms in ecological theory.