Competition and Predation Models
The chapter “Competition and Predation Models” considers models with two or more interacting species. What needs to happen for there to be “stable equilibria” that contain all possible members of a system? This is where simple models can be useful: these interactions can be represented by mathematical equations, and then solved for conditions that allow species to coexist. This chapter shows three techniques that make it possible to take a model system and determine whether the system has a stable equilibrium with all members present. The basic principles of model stability are presented, as well as how mathematical models can be used to address basic ecological questions in competition and predator-prey systems. Isocline analysis and analytical stability analysis are explained as ways to predict model behavior and are then used to draw inferences about the processes acting in the real world.