Spatial Simulation of Population Dynamics in the Evaluation of Foraging Theory in Complex Ecological Systems

Abstract

The distribution and persistence of species in nature is the product of very complex biotic and abiotic interactions. The resources that a species may need for food, shelter, and reproduction are non-uniformly distributed in space and time. Each species is also enmeshed in a complex web of interactions with other species that are part of its environment. It is the evolutionary process of these interactions that has produced the spatial patterns of the populations that are observed in nature. The resources that a species may require (including its food) are generally considered to have a patchy distribution. The patches themselves form patterns of more or less fragmented habitats within areas of “low” habitat value. These spatial patters may be caused by abiotic factors (such as fire, soil differences, climatic factor) interacting with the species that differentially utilize the resources in those patches [1]. The collective effect of deforestation, pollution, urbanization, agriculture, and industrialization by man has increased the level of fragmentation of natural habitats way beyond what many species can tolerate. The complexity of the effects of man’s activities on processes and interactions represents a veritable challenge to theoretical ecology. Every effort to understand the very complex non-linear dynamics of these systems can help in developing more ecologically sound strategies for managing natural systems.