The role of multiple basal food sources in a competitive multi-phenotype predator-prey #

Anna McAllister, Mark McCartney, David Glass

15:10 Monday in 3Q16.

Part of the Mathematical ecology session.

Abstract #

A Coupled-Map Lattice (CML) model involving ten basal food sources, ten prey phenotypes and either one or ten predator phenotypes is presented. Nearest-Neighbour mutation has been employed at a constant rate among the prey phenotypes and results are presented with mutation enabled and disabled in the predator phenotypes. Competition for different basal food sources also occurs throughout the prey lattice with various competition strengths being investigated. The consumption rate of the basal food sources and the predators’ kill rate are both varied, with variation in survival rates and population levels of all phenotypes being seen. Our results show a range of behaviours demonstrating that the prey phenotypes survive better when interspecific competition becomes more even between the competing species unless the sole predator’s foraging strategy increases linearly with the prey populations. A study of the system’s robustness indicates how mutation (approx 10^(-5)) plays a vital role in enabling a robust ecology.