Effective Resource-Competition Model for Species Coexistence

Abstract

Local coexistence of species in large ecosystems is traditionally explained within the broad framework of niche theory. However, its rationale hardly justifies rich biodiversity observed in nearly homogeneous environments. Here we consider a consumer-resource model in which a coarse-graining procedure accounts for a variety of ecological mechanisms and leads to effective spatial effects which favour species coexistence. Herein, we provide conditions for several species to live in an environment with very few resources. In fact, the model displays two different phases depending on whether the number of surviving species is larger or smaller than the number of resources. We obtain conditions whereby a species can successfully colonize a pool of coexisting species. Finally, we analytically compute the distribution of the population sizes of coexisting species. Numerical simulations as well as empirical distributions of population sizes support our analytical findings.

5 pages + 4 figures, Major revision

References in corpus (1)

• Neutral Theory and Relative Species Abundance in Ecology

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Well-mixed Lotka-Volterra model with random strongly competitive interactions
• OxDNA to study species interactions
• Mechanisms promoting biodiversity in ecosystems
• Self-organized biodiversity in biotic resource systems
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• Emergence of vertical diversity under disturbance
• Interplay between intraspecific suppression and environment in shaping biodiversity
• Interspecific information use facilitates species coexistence in ecosystems