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Effective size and the persistence of ecosystems

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Summary

Ecosystems distributed in space have an effective size, reflecting both their absolute size (extent) and their fine-scale physical structure (viscosity). In this paper, a general mathematical model of a predator-prey interaction is presented via the phase-plane graphs of Rosenzweig and MacArthur (1963) to show one reason why ecosystems of larger effective size should persist longer than smaller ones: oscillations of population densities tend to be displaced farther from extinction thresholds—even in spatially homogeneous systems. Experimental results obtained by Gause and Luckinbill with protozoa and Huffaker with mites are interpreted in this context.

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  1. Morgan School of Biological Sciences, University of Kentucky, 40506, Lexington, KY, USA

    Philip H. Crowley

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  1. Philip H. Crowley
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Crowley, P.H. Effective size and the persistence of ecosystems. Oecologia 35, 185–195 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00344731

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00344731

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