Open Journal of Ecology

Volume 7, Issue 3 (March 2017)

ISSN Print: 2162-1985   ISSN Online: 2162-1993

Google-based Impact Factor: 1.33  Citations  h5-index & Ranking

Animal and Plant Species in Antagonistic and Mutualistic Networks, a Multispecies Mean Field Model

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DOI: 10.4236/oje.2017.73016    1,372 Downloads   2,435 Views  

ABSTRACT

We construct a dynamic system model of a web of Nanimal species interacting with NP plant species using a system of coupled differential equations. The model has a parameter which represents the effect of animal on plant species that can be positive (mutualistic interaction) or negative (antagonistic interaction). We work a Multispecies Mean Field Model MMFM in which the full set of NA and NP variables are reduced to a couple of an average animal and plant species. We study the conditions for existence of the MMFM and relate the result to the difference between animal and plant species in the network. We compare our results with empirical data from pollinators (mutualistic) and herbivorous insect (antagonistic) networks. We conclude by combining analytical and empirical work that antagonistic networks present fewer animal species in relation to plant species than mutualistic ones.

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Corso, G. , Cruz, C. and de Almeida, A. (2017) Animal and Plant Species in Antagonistic and Mutualistic Networks, a Multispecies Mean Field Model. Open Journal of Ecology, 7, 211-221. doi: 10.4236/oje.2017.73016.

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