Controlling species richness in spin-glass model ecosystems.
Within the framework of the random replicator model of ecosystems, we use equilibrium statistical mechanics tools to study the effect of manipulating the ecosystem so as to guarantee that a fixed fraction of the surviving species at equilibrium display a predefined set of characters (e.g., characters of economic value). Provided that the intraspecies competition is not too weak, we find that the consequence of such intervention on the ecosystem composition is a significant increase on the number of species that become extinct, and so the impoverishment of the ecosystem.
Poderoso
Fábio C
FC
Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 369, 13560-970 São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
Fontanari
José F
JF
D005075:Biological Evolution; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017753:Ecosystem; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D008954:Models, Biological; D011157:Population Dynamics; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate