Invasion models of vegetation dynamics

✍ Scribed by Hulst, Robert

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 660 KB
• Volume: 69
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1573-5052
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00038693

✦ Synopsis

Since communities change as a result of their successful invasion by new species it seems logical to attempt to predict future vegetation change by focussing on the invasion process. Several such invasion models are reviewed, and one particular model, based on dynamic game theory is developed further. This model can be used as an alternative to linear (e.g. Markov chain) models for the prediction of vegetation dynamics, and also to compare invasive abilities of species and resistance to invasion of communities. The main advantage of the model lies in the fact that it operates at a sufficiently high level of integration to allow for model calibration (in spite of the large number of underlying processes), and yet has an obvious population biological interpretation (in terms of the success of invading populations). The model can be calibrated using either time course data or experimental data, and it may be helpful in understanding what determines the fate of an invading population. It is used here to analyze two published vegetation .dynamics data sets.