Replicators ecosystems: a statistical mechanics of disordered systems approach

Author(s)

Fabio Campos Poderoso

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Carlos.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC/BT)
• Defense date: 2007-09-03

Examining board members

José Fernando Fontanari; Miled Hassan Youssef Moussa; Carmen Pimentel Cintra do Prado; Walter Karl Theumann; Carlos Seihiti Orii Yokoi

• Advisor: José Fernando Fontanari

Abstract

In this thesis we use the random replicator model, proposed by Diederich and Opper \\cite, to analyse the equilibrium properties of complex ecosystems (formed by a large number of species) in three distinct situations. In the first part of this thesis \\cite, we investigate the effects of variable interactions upon ecosystem structure, using the generalized replica method, introduced by Penney et al \\cite{penn93,cool93}. In this formalism we find a new interpretation for the replica number $n$ as the ratio between two characteristic temperatures: the temperature related to the couplings ($\\beta^{\\prime}$) and the temperature associated to the spin variables ($\\beta$). We approach the problem using mean field methods of statistical mechanics and intensive numerical simulations; in particular we are concerned with the ground state ($\\beta ightarrow + \\infty$). We find two distinct regimes, one where cooperation between different species prevails ($\\beta^{\\prime} > 0$) and the other in which competition is predominant ($\\beta^{\\prime} < 0$). In the first case we have a discontinuous transition to the zero diversity regime and in the other we have the maximum species diversity. In the second part of this thesis \\cite, we examine the finite temperature implications upon ecosystem structure. Through the Hebb rule we can describe the interactions between different species. With the aid of a Gaussian noise in the stochastic equation, that governs the temporal evolution, we have a way to introduce the finite temperature in the model. We treat analytically the annealed case, in which the species characteristics evolve so fast as its concentrations, as well as the quenched case, in which such characteristics are fixed. We conclude that there is a discontinuous phase transition between a state where competition prevails, implying low diversity, to another state in which cooperation is stronger. At last \\cite, we analyse the possible consequences of human intervention upon the equilibrium properties of the ecosystem. We assume the competitive exclusion principle to model the couplings between different species, the Hebb rule. We interfere in the community by imposing that a set of characters, previously selected, be present in a well defined fraction of its members. The main result of this study reveals, provided that the intraspecies competition parameter is not too weak, that the effect of such a manipulation leads to the impoverishment of the ecosystem. (AU)