Competition for Territory: The Levins Model for Two Species
Competition for Territory: The Levins Model for Two Species
This population dynamics model (being the extension of the well-known Levins metapopulation model) describes the competition for territory of two species having different colonization strategies. The model equations are:
p
1
c
1
p
1
p
1
p
2
e
1
p
1
p
1
p
2
p
2
c
2
p
2
p
1
p
2
e
2
p
2
p
1
p
2
where (t) and (t) are the portion of the territory at time occupied by species 1 and 2, respectively. The occupation is exclusive. Hence, the assumptions and (t)+(t)≤1 hold.
p
1
p
2
t
0≤(t),0≤(t)
p
1
p
2
p
1
p
2
The meaning of the parameters is as follows:
c
1
c
2
e
1
e
2
o