Competition for space: Effects of disturbance and indeterminate competitive success (Q1092839)

Organisms occupying and competing for space appear to coexist indefinitely on a relatively homogeneous and limited resource. \textit{R. A. Armstrong} [Ecology 57, 953-963 (1976)], developed a mathematical model showing how fugitive species, with high recruitment rates and low interference competitive ability, can coexist with dominant species, those with high competitive ability but lower rates of recruitment. This and similar models of coexistence have not considered the case where competitive success is indeterminate, that is, where the poorer competitor can sometimes win competitive encounters. Armstrong's model and others considering coexistence of more than two species predict coexistence of multiple species at intermediate rates of disturbance and monopolization of space by single species at either very low or very high disturbance rates. This result is not true for a three- species modification of Armstrong's model. Under certain parameter values, a single species can monopolize space at intermediate disturbance rates as well.