Bottom-up derivation of population models for competition involving multiple resources

This paper provides first-principles derivations of population models for competition involving multiple resources with different competition types, based on resource partitioning between individuals. The following two cases are investigated. The first is the case in which the resource competed for and its competition type change depending on life stages from scramble to contest competition, or from contest to scramble competition. The second is the case in which individuals compete for two resources simultaneously with scramble and contest types, respectively. In both cases, population models are derived analytically, and in particular, the Hassell model is derived in the second case. The nature of reproduction curves and the stability properties of three population models derived are compared with each other. These models provide three representative models for competition involving both scramble and contest types. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.