Interspecific Competition Models Derived from Competition Among Individuals

This paper demonstrates how discrete-time models describing population dynamics of two competing species can be derived in a bottom-up manner by considering competition for resources among individuals and the spatial distribution of individuals. The competition type of each species is assumed to be either scramble, contest, or an intermediate between them. Individuals of two species are distributed over resource sites or patches following one of three distribution functions. According to the combination of competition types of the two species and the distribution of individuals, various interspecific competition models are derived. Furthermore, a general interspecific competition model that includes various competition models as special cases is derived for each distribution of individuals. Finally, this paper examines dynamics of some of the derived competition models and shows that the likelihood of coexistence of the two species varies greatly, depending on the type of spatial distribution of individuals.     

Modeling inhalational tularemia: deliberate release and public health response

Two epidemic modeling studies of inhalational tularemia were identified in the published literature, both demonstrating the high number of potential casualties that could result from a deliberate aerosolized release of the causative agent in an urban setting. However, neither study analyzed the natural history of inhalational tularemia nor modeled the relative merits of different mitigation strategies. We first analyzed publicly available human/primate experimental data and reports of naturally acquired inhalational tularemia cases to better understand the epidemiology of the disease. We then simulated an aerosolized release of the causative agent, using airborne dispersion modeling to demonstrate the potential number of casualties and the extent of their spatial distribution. Finally, we developed a public health intervention model that compares 2 mitigation strategies: targeting antibiotics at symptomatic individuals with or without mass distribution of antibiotics to potentially infected individuals. An antibiotic stockpile that is sufficient to capture all areas where symptomatic individuals were infected is likely to save more lives than treating symptomatic individuals alone, providing antibiotics can be distributed rapidly and their uptake is high. However, with smaller stockpiles, a strategy of treating symptomatic individuals alone is likely to save many more lives than additional mass distribution of antibiotics to potentially infected individuals. The spatial distribution of symptomatic individuals is unlikely to coincide exactly with the path of the dispersion cloud if such individuals are infected near their work locations but then seek treatment close to their homes. The optimal mitigation strategy will depend critically on the size of the release relative to the stockpile level and the effectiveness of treatment relative to the speed at which antibiotics can be distributed.     

空间分布型的形成过程研究

具合影个研究了广义空间分布型和复合空间分布型的形成问题,解释了空间分布型的形成机理,并给出了１１种广义空间分布型和９种复事空间分布型;同时提出了空间分布型的３种判定方法：扩散系数法、空间相关法和参数变动法,它们以可用于区分常见的空间分布型,也可以用于判定分布型的形成过程;为研究空间分布型的形成机理和变化规模提供了有力的手段。以马尾松毛虫的空间分布型的研究结果表明,马尾松毛虫幼虫的空间分布型是复合负     

A model descriptive of gregariousness of colonial insect larvae

A model is constructed to describe gregariousness of colonial insect larvae which occure in discrete natural habitat units. The model is based on the assumption that the distribution of individuals in a clump is determined by a balance between aggregative and dispersing movements of individuals. The model includes three parameters, i.e., clump size, carrying capacity of habitat units and intensity of aggregation against dispersal. The modes of effects of these parameters on the distribution of individuals are analyzed. Several methods are developed to estimate these parameters from observed data, and their applicabilities are investigated. Application of these methods are described on the larval distribution of a colonial insect Pryeria sinicaMoore .     

Competitive resource sharing: A simulation model

The problem of how competing individuals should distribute themselves between food resource patches has been studied theoretically and experimentally. In this study a simple simulation model is used as a tool. To give the model a realistic background it is assumed that the individuals differ in their abilities to compete for food. Simulations are run with and without assuming travelling costs in order to study their influence. It is shown that the individuals distribute themselves between the food patches in good approximation to the ratio of the patch profitabilities. This result is discussed in relation to the theories of the ideal free distribution and the despotic distribution. The model makes five predictions on how competing individuals should distribute themselves between food resource patches. These predictions have already received some confirmation in experimental studies.     

Assessing transportation by the covariance of species with comments on contagious and random distributions

The paleoecologist must be able to distinguish a transported assemblage from an in situ one. A method is proposed to assess whether the post-mortem transport of individuals affected their observed spatial (horizontal) distribution. The spatial distribution of a species can be random or contagious. The spatial distribution of individuals of a species in the death assemblage produced by the cumulation of many temporally discrete inputs will be random if the individual inputs are random and contagious if the inputs are contagious. The spatial distribution patterns of several species should not covary in the absence of physical disturbance regardless of their own distributions, however. The degree of covariance between individuals of several species of similar hydrodynamic propensity is dependent on the amount and intensity of postmortem movement. The more species that covary, and the larger the size classes that covary, the more likely that transportation played an important role in the species' distribution patterns. Conversely, the absence of covariance suggests that, for at least some species, biological factors determined the species' spatial distributions. Similarly, covariance of vertical distribution patterns might suggest homogenization. by bioturbational or physical mixing.     

The spatial pattern of Enchytraeidae (Oligochaeta)

Summary Spatial pattern of enchytraeids (Oligochaeta: Enchytraeidae) was studied in an experimental plot in an apple orchard near Bavorov, South Bohemia, Czechoslovakia. A total of 450 soil cores were taken in 1982, all individuals were determined (juveniles to genus, mature individuals to species) and counted. In total, 17 species of 4 genera were found. Both juveniles and mature individuals exhibited a distinctly aggregated spatial pattern. The distribution of the number of individuals in a sampling unit may be effectively fitted by the negative binomial distribution. The fit of Neyman type A distribution was considerably poorer. Comparing juveniles and mature individuals of the same genus using Lloyd's index of patchiness we found mature individuals to be slightly more aggregated than juveniles. Comparing the observed distribution of species number with that expected under the assumption of independence we may conclude that individuals appear in multispecies aggregation centres. These two conclusions support the hypothesis that aggregations are environmentally conditioned (abiotic factors and/or food availability) rather than caused by the type of reproduction.     

The emergent properties of a dolphin social network

Many complex networks, including human societies, the Internet, the World Wide Web and power grids, have surprising properties that allow vertices (individuals, nodes, Web pages, etc.) to be in close contact and information to be transferred quickly between them. Nothing is known of the emerging properties of animal societies, but it would be expected that similar trends would emerge from the topology of animal social networks. Despite its small size (64 individuals), the Doubtful Sound community of bottlenose dolphins has the same characteristics. The connectivity of individuals follows a complex distribution that has a scale-free power-law distribution for large k. In addition, the ability for two individuals to be in contact is unaffected by the random removal of individuals. The removal of individuals with many links to others does affect the length of the 'information' path between two individuals, but, unlike other scale-free networks, it does not fragment the cohesion of the social network. These self-organizing phenomena allow the network to remain united, even in the case of catastrophic death events.     

Point pattern analysis of different age-classes of Larix principis-rupprechtii in Luya Mountain Reserve, Shanxi Province, China

Larix principis-rupprechtii forest is an important vegetation formation and has a large distribution area in Luya Mountain Reserve,China.Spatial pattern analysis on individual trees in different age-classes of Larix principisrupprechtii was made in this paper.Here,we employed the technique of point pattern analysis,which could analyze patterns under all scales along a gradient.It was based on spatial mapped points of individual distribution.The results of this study showed that the densities of the five age-classes varied in the order:age-class 3＞age-class 4＞age-class 5＞age-class 2＞age-class 1.Although age-classes 1 and 2 have much fewer individuals than other three age-classes do,the population was stable at present.However,it would be necessary to take some measures for improving population regeneration for a long-time view.The individuals of all age-classes focused on clumping distribution in space;however,their distribution pattern varied with the change of scale.This mainly depended on biological features of Larix principis-rupprechtii and forest environments,but it also meant that the scale was an important factor in controlling spatial distribution pattern of tree individuals.The feature of clumping distribution became more significant with the increase of age.The relationships between individuals in different age-classes were almost all significantly correlated with each other.These associations became more significant within the older age-classes.This suggested that the individuals of different age-classes were interdistributed,by which the population could get benefits in resource utilization.The technique of point pattern analysis is effective and easy to be used in species pattern study.Its results are more closer to the reality,especially for community structure.     

Power of different sampling strategies to detect quantitative trait loci variance effects

Summary Many studies have shown that segregating quantitative trait loci (QTL) can be detected via linkage to genetic markers. Power to detect a QTL effect on the trait mean as a function of the number of individuals genotyped for the marker is increased by selectively genotyping individuals with extreme values for the quantitative trait. Computer simulations were employed to study the effect of various sampling strategies on the statistical power to detect QTL variance effects. If only individuals with extreme phenotypes for the quantitative trait are selected for genotyping, then power to detect a variance effect is less than by random sampling. If 0.2 of the total number of individuals genotyped are selected from the center of the distribution, then power to detect a variance effect is equal to that obtained with random selection. Power to detect a variance effect was maximum when 0.2 to 0.5 of the individuals selected for genotyping were selected from the tails of the distribution and the remainder from the center.     

A distinct role of the queen in coordinated workload and soil distribution in eusocial naked mole-rats

We investigated how group members achieve collective decision-making, by considering individual intrinsic behavioural rules and behavioural mechanisms for maintaining social integration. Using a simulated burrow environment, we investigated the behavioural rules of coordinated workload for soil distribution in a eusocial mammal, the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber). We tested two predictions regarding a distinct role of the queen, a socially dominant individual in the caste system: the presence of a queen would increase the workload of other caste individuals, and the cues by a queen would affect the soil distribution. In experiment 1, we placed four individuals of various castes from the same colony into an experimental burrow. Workers exhibited the highest frequency of workload compared to other castes. The presence of a queen activated the workload by other individuals. Individuals showed a consistent workload in a particular direction so as to bias the soil distribution. These results suggest that individuals have a consensus on soil distribution and that the queen plays a distinct role. In experiment 2, we placed the odour of a queen in one of four cells and observed its effect on other individuals' workload and soil distribution. Relative to other cells, individuals frequently dug in the queen cell so the amount of soil in the queen cell decreased. These results suggest that queen odour is an important cue in coordinated workload and soil distribution in this species.     

A model of the species rank-abundance relation for a community in an open habitat

A mathematical model is proposed to describe the relationship between the abundance and the rank of species in order from the most abundant to the least in a community in an open habitat. This model is derived as a corollary of a species-area equation (Kobayashi , 1975) which could be expected in the case where the individuals of each species are uniformly distributed over a habitat area. Numerical simulation reveals that a rank-abundance curve for a universe results in different species-area or species-individual curves according to the spatial distribution of individuals, and that the relative abundance of each species in a sample varies with sample size unless the spatial distribution of individuals is uniform. A species-individual curve obtained bySanders 's (1968) rarefaction method agrees with that observed actually only for the spatially uniform distribution. Change in the pattern of rank-abundance curve with species diversity and with sample size is discussed in relation to the present model.     

Abundance estimation from multiple photo surveys: confidence distributions and reduced likelihoods for bowhead whales off Alaska

Maximum likelihood estimates of abundance are obtained from repeated photographic surveys of a closed stratified population with naturally marked and unmarked individuals. Capture intensities are assumed log-linear in stratum, year, and season. In the chosen model, an approximate confidence distribution for total abundance of bowhead whales, with an accompanying likelihood reduced of nuisance parameters, is found from a parametric bootstrap experiment. The confidence distribution depends on the assumed study protocol. A confidence distribution that is exact (except for the effect of discreteness) is found by conditioning in the unstratified case without unmarked individuals.     

大兴安岭次生林区优势种落叶松分布格局及竞争作用

竞争是形成特定群落结构、构成分布格局的基本驱动力之一,树种的空间分布和大小并不是相互独立的,而是广泛受到竞争过程影响。在大兴安岭设置一块具有代表性的天然次生林恢复样地,采用点格局分析中的最近邻体距离G（r）函数、双关联函数g（r）和基于个体胸径标记的点格局分析方法同时结合4种点格局零模型（完全随机模型、均值托马斯模型、随机标签模型、先决条件零模型）研究分析大兴安岭次生林区优势种落叶松不同生活史阶段的分布格局、关联性及竞争作用。研究结果显示：落叶松不同发育阶段分布格局不同、同一发育阶段不同研究尺度分布格局也不同;落叶松种群内存在潜在的竞争、且竞争作用与龄级和研究尺度有关;落叶松幼龄个体在小尺度（r<5m）下的聚集分布是由扩散限制作用和竞争作用所导致;落叶松种群内成龄与幼龄个体间有较强的正关联性、成龄个体对幼龄个体在小尺度下有明显的庇护作用;标记点格局分析方法在检测植物群落中的竞争作用时敏感性较高。     

Ants in a labyrinth: a statistical mechanics approach to the division of labour

Division of labour (DoL) is a fundamental organisational principle in human societies, within virtual and robotic swarms and at all levels of biological organisation. DoL reaches a pinnacle in the insect societies where the most widely used model is based on variation in response thresholds among individuals, and the assumption that individuals and stimuli are well-mixed. Here, we present a spatially explicit model of DoL. Our model is inspired by Pierre de Gennes' 'Ant in a Labyrinth' which laid the foundations of an entire new field in statistical mechanics. We demonstrate the emergence, even in a simplified one-dimensional model, of a spatial patterning of individuals and a right-skewed activity distribution, both of which are characteristics of division of labour in animal societies. We then show using a two-dimensional model that the work done by an individual within an activity bout is a sigmoidal function of its response threshold. Furthermore, there is an inverse relationship between the overall stimulus level and the skewness of the activity distribution. Therefore, the difference in the amount of work done by two individuals with different thresholds increases as the overall stimulus level decreases. Indeed, spatial fluctuations of task stimuli are minimised at these low stimulus levels. Hence, the more unequally labour is divided amongst individuals, the greater the ability of the colony to maintain homeostasis. Finally, we show that the non-random spatial distribution of individuals within biological and social systems could be caused by indirect (stigmergic) interactions, rather than direct agent-to-agent interactions. Our model links the principle of DoL with principles in the statistical mechanics and provides testable hypotheses for future experiments.     

天山中部天山云杉种群空间分布格局及其与地形因子的关系

采用点格局分析方法研究了天山云杉不同龄级个体的分布格局及其相互关系,以及地形变化对天山云杉分布的影响.结果表明:天山云杉种群随胸径的增加,各径级植株密度呈下降趋势.除老龄个体在较小尺度(0～12 m)下表现为随机分布外,幼树、小树、中树和大树在所有尺度下均表现为聚集分布,并随着树龄的增加,各种群出现最大聚集度的尺度逐渐增加,聚集强度不断降低.在小尺度(0～16 m)范围内,各龄级间均表现为负关联性,且树龄差别越大,负相关性越显著.海拔与中树、大树和老树的数量呈显著正相关,与幼树和小树个体数量间的相关性不显著;坡度与幼树、小树和中树数量呈显著正相关,与老树数量呈显著负相关,而与大树数量的负相关性不显著;凹凸度与幼树、小树和中树数量呈显著负相关,与老树和大树数量的相关性不显著.     

Egg distribution and survivorship in the pierid butterfly,Colias alexandra

Summary Patterns of egg distribution and survivorship were examined for six generations (1975–79 and 1981) of a univoltine population of the pierid butterfly Colias alexandra. Unlike some other of the so-called red-egged pierids, there is no evidence of egg-recognition in this Coliadine species. Two distribution patterns were observed: contagious or clumped in 1976–1979, but random in 1981. Generation to generation, survivorship to diapause of clumped individuals relative to all individuals shows no consistent pattern. Among clumped individuals, survivorship is two times greater for the first or previously-laid individual than the second or subsequently-laid individual, suggesting that if there is a genetic basis for the common contagious pattern, selection is acting against it. The importance of obtaining data which reveals inter-year variation in assessing or interpreting egg distribution is discussed.     

亚高寒草甸不同坡向金露梅种群的空间分布格局及空间关联

植物种群在不同干扰条件下对环境的适应对策可以通过其空间分布格局及关联性反映出来.金露梅是甘南亚高寒草甸中的优势种,通过野外群落调查,运用空间点格局分析的Ripley K函数,分析甘南不同坡向亚高寒草甸中金露梅种群的空间分布格局及其关联性.结果表明: 金露梅种群在3个坡向的分布具有显著差异,重要值、生物量和盖度在北坡均高于南坡;北坡和西坡金露梅种群Ⅰ、Ⅱ级个体在小尺度上呈显著聚集分布,随着龄级和空间尺度的增加,金露梅种群聚集强度逐渐减弱,趋向于随机分布;南坡由于其生境条件对金露梅生长的抑制,种间竞争激烈,各级金露梅种群的分布格局均以随机分布为主;不同坡向的金露梅种群Ⅰ、Ⅱ级个体之间在一定尺度内表现为负关联,随着尺度增加,关联度降低,Ⅲ、Ⅳ级与Ⅰ、Ⅱ级个体之间的关联性呈显著负关联;较大个体之间无明显关系,表明年龄接近的个体在空间分布上是相互独立的,利于其充分利用环境资源.     

科尔沁沙地植被恢复中差不嘎蒿种群不同龄级个体的点格局分析

差不嘎蒿（Artemisia halodendron）主要分布在呼伦贝尔沙地和科尔沁沙地的流动和半固定沙丘上,是良好的乡土固沙半灌木,也是退化沙地固定和植被恢复过程中的建群种。点格局分析方法是20世纪末发展起来的多尺度空间格局分析方法。通过对差不嘎蒿种群的点格局分析,发现差不嘎蒿幼体的空间格局多为集群分布,在各个尺度上都极为显著,而随着差不嘎蒿龄级的增加,其空间分布也逐渐显现为随机分布。差不嘎蒿相邻龄级的空间关系差异不显著,而间隔龄级间则呈空间负相关。这与其幼体聚集,成体随机分布的空间格局相一致。