Innes Clinton, Anand Madhur, Bauch Chris T
1] Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada [2] Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Colombia, Canada.
Sci Rep. 2013;3:2689. doi: 10.1038/srep02689.
Forest-grassland mosaic ecosystems can exhibit alternative stables states, whereby under the same environmental conditions, the ecosystem could equally well reside either in one state or another, depending on the initial conditions. We develop a mathematical model that couples a simplified forest-grassland mosaic model to a dynamic model of opinions about conservation priorities in a population, based on perceptions of ecosystem rarity. Weak human influence increases the region of parameter space where alternative stable states are possible. However, strong human influence precludes bistability, such that forest and grassland either co-exist at a single, stable equilibrium, or their relative abundance oscillates. Moreover, a perturbation can shift the system from a stable state to an oscillatory state. We conclude that human-environment interactions can qualitatively alter the composition of forest-grassland mosaic ecosystems. The human role in such systems should be viewed as dynamic, responsive element rather than as a fixed, unchanging entity.
森林 - 草原镶嵌生态系统可能呈现出交替稳定状态，即在相同的环境条件下，该生态系统可能根据初始条件同样良好地处于一种状态或另一种状态。我们开发了一个数学模型，该模型将简化的森林 - 草原镶嵌模型与基于对生态系统稀有性的认知的种群中关于保护优先级的观点动态模型相结合。微弱的人类影响增加了可能存在交替稳定状态的参数空间区域。然而，强烈的人类影响排除了双稳态，使得森林和草原要么在单一稳定平衡中共存，要么它们的相对丰度振荡。此外，一个扰动可以使系统从稳定状态转变为振荡状态。我们得出结论，人类 - 环境相互作用可以定性地改变森林 - 草原镶嵌生态系统的组成。在这类系统中，人类的作用应被视为一个动态的、响应性的要素，而不是一个固定不变的实体。
