An extension of some classic results on species competition in structured habitats

Abstract

We extend some results on population dynamics in a structured habitat, obtained in a classic paper by J.G. Skellam [1], regarding competition between two species differing in fitness, in a habitat with two unequal sectors. Using the discrete spatial and temporal method introduced by him, we generalize his results to an arbitrary number of species ranked according to fitness, competing in a habitat with any number of sectors. We show particular instances of complete species segregation, and of segregation in some sectors, and coexistence in others. We also consider the case of two species, when fitness superiority is not absolute in the sense originally defined by Skellam. Then we briefly ponder the relevance of his discrete method to subsequent research, based on a survey of the fundamental literature on this subject.