title: A graphical method for analysing the dynamics of three-species systems.
abstract: We report a series of experiments with three competing species and a novel graphical analysis that explores the dynamics of this simple multi-species system. The three competing species (Drosophila hydei, D. immigrans and D. virilis) were maintained in five very large cages, on a natural fruit resource. The analytic method involved constructing a "dynamic surface", by interpolation, from the population trajectories. Within the dynamic surface constructed from the five experiments a small "equilibrium area" (an area of point vectors) could be identified. The implications of both the method and the results are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS29JT, UK Fax: 0113 2332909; e-mail: pab6bs@leeds.ac.uk, , , , , , GB.
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shorrocks
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of York, PO Box 373, York, YO1 5YW, UK, , , , , , GB.
authors.forename: Calvin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dytham
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS29JT, UK Fax: 0113 2332909; e-mail: pab6bs@leeds.ac.uk, , , , , , GB.
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lennon
keywords: Drosophila; Dynamics; Key words Competition; Multi-species; Triangular co-ordinates