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Bistability in a differential equation model of oyster reef height and sediment accumulation
- Source :
- Journal of theoretical biology. 289
- Publication Year :
- 2010
-
Abstract
- Native oyster populations in Chesapeake Bay have been the focus of three decades of restoration attempts, which have generally failed to rebuild the populations and oyster reef structure. Recent restoration successes and field experiments indicate that high-relief reefs persist, likely due to elevated reef height which offsets heavy sedimentation and promotes oyster survival, disease resistance and growth, in contrast to low-relief reefs which degrade in just a few years. These findings suggest the existence of alternative stable states in oyster reef populations. We developed a mathematical model consisting of three differential equations that represent volumes of live oysters, dead oyster shells (=accreting reef), and sediment. Bifurcation analysis and numerical simulations demonstrated that multiple nonnegative equilibria can exist for live oyster, accreting reef and sediment volume at an ecologically reasonable range of parameter values; the initial height of oyster reefs determined which equilibrium was reached. This investigation thus provides a conceptual framework for alternative stable states in native oyster populations, and can be used as a tool to improve the likelihood of success in restoration efforts.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Statistics and Probability
Oyster
Geologic Sediments
Range (biology)
Population Dynamics
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
Models, Biological
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Feedback
Alternative stable state
biology.animal
Animals
Ecosystem
14. Life underwater
Crassostrea
Quantitative Biology - Populations and Evolution
Reef
Environmental Restoration and Remediation
geography
geography.geographical_feature_category
General Immunology and Microbiology
biology
Coral Reefs
010604 marine biology & hydrobiology
Applied Mathematics
Populations and Evolution (q-bio.PE)
Sediment
General Medicine
Coral reef
Sedimentation
Fishery
Oceanography
FOS: Biological sciences
Modeling and Simulation
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 10958541
- Volume :
- 289
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of theoretical biology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....2f666770321db5d5a01982ba279b1137