How predation can slow, stop or reverse a prey invasion
AUTHORS:
Markus R. Owen (1,2) & Mark A. Lewis (2)
1: Nonlinear and Complex Systems Group, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Loughborough University,
Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK.
2: Department of Mathematics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA.
ABSTRACT:
Observations on Mount St.~Helens indicate that the
spread of recolonising lupin plants has been slowed due to
the presence of insect herbivores and it is possible that
the spread of lupins could be reversed in the future by intense
insect herbivory~\citep{fagan:1999:TID}.
In this paper we investigate mechanisms by which herbivory can contain
the spatial spread of recolonizing plants. Our approach is to analyse a
series of predator-prey reaction-diffusion models and spatially coupled
ordinary differential equation models to derive conditions under which
predation pressure can slow, stall or reverse a spatial invasion of
prey. We focus on models where prey disperse more slowly than
predators. We comment on the types of functional response which give
such solutions, and the circumstances under which the models are
appropriate.
To go back...