The geometry of transient crashes and their dependence on demographic rates

In theory and practice, many ecological communities possessing a stable coexistence steady state may, in actuality, be difficult to assemble species-by-species, due to temporarily low densities of one or more preexisting species after the introduction of a new community member. This article elucidat...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Theoretical population biology 2008-03, Vol.73 (2), p.300-306
Main Author: Wright, R.W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Community assembly
Demography
Ecosystem
Extinction, Biological
Invasions
Models, Statistical
Models, Theoretical
Predatory Behavior
Time scales
Transient dynamics
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In theory and practice, many ecological communities possessing a stable coexistence steady state may, in actuality, be difficult to assemble species-by-species, due to temporarily low densities of one or more preexisting species after the introduction of a new community member. This article elucidates some of the conditions under which these transient near-extinctions are likely to occur. These conditions are given in terms of such geometric quantities as the position of the new coexistence state after an invasion, relative to the original coexistence state, and the severity of the post-invasion community’s oscillations, as well as more directly biological quantities such as the demographic rates of the invader and the potential victim of a crash. Through graphical reasoning, numerical examples, and preliminary experimental results, the importance of these conditions is demonstrated.
ISSN:0040-5809
1096-0325
DOI:10.1016/j.tpb.2007.11.008