Mathematical Analysis of a Size Structured Tree-Grass Competition Model for Savanna Ecosystems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11145/j.biomath.2014.04.212Abstract
Several continuous-time tree-grass competition models have been developed to study conditions of long-lasting coexistence of trees and grass in savanna ecosystems according to environmental parameters such as climate or fire regime. In those models, fire intensity is a fixed parameter while the relationship between woody plant size and fire-sensitivity is not systematically considered.In this paper, we propose a mathematical model for the tree-grass interaction that takes into account both fire intensity and size-dependent sensitivity. The fire intensity is modeled by an increasing function of grass biomass and fire return time is a function of climate. We carry out a qualitative analysis that highlights ecological thresholds that summarize the dynamics of the system. Finally, we develop a non-standard numerical scheme and present some simulations to illustrate our analytical results.Downloads
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