The effect of density-independent mortality on the coexistence of exploitative competitors for renewing resources

The American Naturalist
Peter A Abrams

Abstract

Many ecologists believe that higher mortality imposed on competing species increases the probability that they will coexist. This belief has persisted in spite of many theoretical counterarguments. However, few of those counterarguments have been based on models having explicit representation of the resources for which competition is occurring. This article analyzes a series of consumer-resource models of competition for nutritionally substitutable renewable resources and determines the range of relative resource requirements that allow coexistence. In most cases, if consumers are initially efficient at reducing resource densities, increasing density-independent mortality widens the range of resource requirements of the consumers that allow coexistence, provided the increase in mortality is not too great. The coexistence-promoting effects of mortality occur because a very efficient consumer species usually reduces the diversity of the set of resources it consumes. This lessens the extent to which resource utilization differences between consumer species can be expressed. Mortality, in this case, increases the diversity of resource types, widening the conditions for coexistence. However, sufficiently high mortality will usually ...Continue Reading

References

Feb 1, 1976·Journal of Theoretical Biology·R A Armstrong, R McGehee
Dec 1, 1976·Theoretical Population Biology·T W Schoener
Dec 1, 1975·Theoretical Population Biology·P Abrams
Dec 1, 1973·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·M E Gilpin, F J Ayala
Mar 1, 1974·Journal of Theoretical Biology·L Van Valen
Feb 1, 1972·Journal of Theoretical Biology·N F Cramer, R M May
May 1, 1970·Theoretical Population Biology·R MacArthur
Feb 1, 1980·Theoretical Population Biology·P A Abrams
Dec 1, 1993·Mathematical Biosciences·M M Ballyk, G S Wolkowicz
Feb 7, 2001·The American Naturalist·Jessica GurevitchLarry V Hedges
Aug 19, 2008·The American Naturalist·J Huisman, F J Weissing
Sep 25, 2008·The American Naturalist·P Chesson, N Huntly
Sep 25, 2008·The American Naturalist·J T Wootton
Sep 25, 2008·The American Naturalist·P A Hambäck

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Apr 20, 2004·Journal of Theoretical Biology·Thomas Flatt, I István Scheuring
May 17, 2003·Bulletin of Mathematical Biology·Yang KuangIrakli Loladze
May 11, 2007·Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America·Stephen C Newbold, Rich Iovanna
Sep 13, 2008·Mathematical Biosciences·Michel Iskin da Silveira Costa
Apr 1, 2008·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Peter A AbramsGary Kim
Sep 25, 2014·Ecology Letters·György BarabásAnnette Ostling
Oct 17, 2020·Global Change Biology·Isaac D ShepardHamish S Greig

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.