Spatial Ecology Via Reaction-Diffusion Equations
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 Introductory Remarks
A fundamental goal of theoretical ecology is to understand how the interactions of
individual organisms with each other and with the environment determine the distribution of
populations and the structure of communities. Empirical evidence suggests that the spatial
scale and structure of environments can influence population interactions (Gause, 1935;
Huffaker, 1958) and the composition of communities (MacArthur and Wilson, 1967). In
recent decades the role of spatial effects in maintaining biodiversity has received a great
deal of attention in the literature on conservation; see for example Soulh (1986) or Kareiva
et al. (1993). One of the most common ways that human activities alter environments is
by fragmenting habitats and creating edges. Some habitat fragments may be designated as
nature reserves, but they are fragments nonetheless.
One way to try to understand how spatial effects such as habitat fragmentation influence
populations and communities is by using mathematical models; ... read full excerpt from Spatial Ecology via Reaction-Diffusion Equations ebook
