Complex dynamics in spatially structured ecological systems

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Project objective

In the current scientific quest to conserve biodiversity and maintain life quality on our planet, it has become vital to develop a theoretical understanding of ecological systems. Currently, however , theory of biocomplexity lags behind experimental and field studies and is a research field that is still in its initial phase of scientific development. In this interdisciplinary research project I will take advantage of modern mathematical modeling techniques from nonlinear dynamics to study natural ecological systems. The major theme will be the systematic investigation of complex dynamics and spatio-temporal synchronization in theory, models, real ecosystems and laboratory experiment. The main goals are:(a) to develop and explore new realistic ecological models;(b) to complete a theoretical study on complex behavior in spatially structured ecological models;(c) to investigate the mechanisms leading to ecological synchronization;( d) to characterize complex dynamics in real ecosystem case studies; and(e) to experimentally verify the theoretical work in laboratory systems. Through this framework it will be passible to achieve a sophisticated study of the ecological consequences of complex dynamics: how different forms of collective behavior affect the risk of species extinction in spatially extended systems and the manner in which synchronization can be used as a control to manage ecosystem dynamics.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• UNIVERSITY OF POTSDAM · POTSDAMCoordinatorGermany

Links

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