Population dynamics in fluctuating environments

Karl Wienand, LMU Munich. Part of the Leeds applied nonlinear dynamics seminars series.

Unpredictable environments are the norm rather than the exception in natural populations. In this talk I will present a well-mixed, finite population consisting of two competing strains in an environment that randomly switches between states of abundant and scarce resources.

Through analytics and simulations, I will show how this environmental noise intertwines with the inherent stochasticity of the finite population. This will allow predictions on the size of such a population, as well as the survival chance of a slow-growing strain. After successfully addressing the pure competition case, I will outline an approach to include public goods.

Karl Wienand, LMU Munich