Simulation of geographical trends in Chowdhury ecosystem model

Abstract

A computer simulation based on individual births and deaths gives a biodiversity increasing from cold to warm climates, in agreement with reality. Complexity of foodwebs increases with time and at a higher rate at low latitudes, and there is a higher rate of species creation at low latitudes. Keeping many niches empty makes the results correspond more closely to natural gradients.

13 pages including 8 figures