Chaos in a Plant Pathogen/Hyperparasite Population Model
Chaos in a Plant Pathogen/Hyperparasite Population Model
This Demonstration shows successive end-of-season populations of a plant pathogen population increasing in conditions that become progressively unfavorable during the season, and which is limited by the plant population available. A hyperparasite population increases on the pathogen faster if there is more pathogen present. Annually BOTH populations are reduced to a fraction of themselves by the off-season, when the host plant is absent and the weather is unfavorable.
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The graphic shows time series for each component and a phase-plane plot for the final 50% of the time series. The pattern varies from a stable population at the end of each year through a variety of cycles to a chaotic fluctuation.