Modelling the effects of dispersal on metacommunity dynamics

我建议的研究将集中在了解物种的扩散如何影响生态系统的元群落动态。随机分散和密度依赖（适应度依赖）分散在多个不同的群落将被考虑。正在考虑的模型包括：(i)捕食者-猎物模型，（ii）竞争模型，（iii）野生动物内部捕食模型和（iv）传染病模型。我们将研究导致不同网络拓扑结构的各种分散模式。我试图量化扩散在以下方面的作用：(1)平衡的存在和稳定性，特别是共存平衡；(2)持续和灭绝；(3)瞬态时空动力学；(4)渐近时空动力学。我还研究了扩散模式和扩散策略之间相互作用的影响，并试图确定导致生态系统中频繁观察到的复杂行为（如波动和混乱）的生态因素。

My proposed research will focus on understanding how dispersal of species affect the metacommunity dynamics of ecological systems. Random dispersal and density-dependent (fitness-dependent) dispersal among multiple distinct communities will be considered. Models under consideration include (i) predator-prey models, (ii) competition models, (iii) intraguild predation models and (iv) infectious disease models. Various dispersal patterns resulting in different configurations of network topology will be studied. I seek to quantify the role of dispersal on (1) the existence and stability of equilibria, especially the coexistence equilibria, (2) persistence and extinction, (3) the transient spatiotemporal dynamics and (4) the asymptotic spatiotemporal dynamics. I also study the impacts of the interplay between dispersal patterns and dispersal strategies, and attempt to identify the ecological factors that give rise to the frequently observed complex behavior such as fluctuations and chaos in ecosystems. This program plans to train 6 graduate and 4 undergraduate HQP and 2 postdoctoral fellows. Closely working with these HQPs, I will develop novel mathematical and computational techniques to deal with complex nonlinear systems and make use of big data science to fit and validate proposed models. The expected new results will promote our understanding on how ecological dispersal affects the metacommunity's transient (short-term) and asymptotic (long-term) spatiotemporal dynamics and lead to useful insights on management of ecosystems.