Mathematical Modelling of Host–Parasitoid Systems: Effects of Chemically Mediated Parasitoid Foraging Strategies on Within- and Between-generation Spatio-temporal Dynamics
✍ Scribed by PETER SCHOFIELD; MARK CHAPLAIN; STEPHEN HUBBARD
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 2002
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 832 KB
- Volume
- 214
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0022-5193
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✦ Synopsis
In this paper we develop a novel discrete, individual-based mathematical model to investigate the e!ect of parasitoid foraging strategies on the spatial and temporal dynamics of host}parasitoid systems. The model is used to compare namK ve or random search strategies with search strategies that depend on experience and sensitivity to semiochemicals in the environment. It focuses on simple mechanistic interactions between individual hosts, parasitoids, and an underlying "eld of a volatile semiochemical (emitted by the hosts during feeding) which acts as a chemoattractant for the parasitoids. The model addresses movement at di!erent spatial scales, where scale of movement also depends on the internal state of an individual. Individual interactions between hosts and parasitoids are modelled at a discrete (micro-scale) level using probabilistic rules. The resulting within-generation dynamics produced by these interactions are then used to generate the population levels for successive generations. The model simulations examine the e!ect of various key parameters of the model on (i) the spatio-temporal patterns of hosts and parasitoids within generations; (ii) the population levels of the hosts and parasitoids between generations. Key results of the model simulations show that the following model parameters have an important e!ect on either the development of patchiness within generations or the stability/instability of the population levels between generations: (i) the rate of di!usion of the kairomones; (ii) the speci"c search strategy adopted by the parasitoids; (iii) the rate of host increase between successive generations. Finally, evolutionary aspects concerning competition between several parasitoid subpopulations adopting di!erent search strategies are also examined.