Math Biology Seminar Abstracts

Wednesday, September 3, 2003 3:05 pm LCB 323

Speaker:KTom Robbins Nick Cogan.

Title: `` Biological invasions in heterogeneous environments''

Abstract: In this talk, we consider an Integrodifference model (continuous space, discrete time) for the growth and spread of a plant community in an infinite, one-dimensional heterogeneous environment. We model seed dispersal as a diffusion process, with a spatially dependent deposition rate, and model the population dynamics with spatially dependent growth functions. For the first part of the talk, we consider the problem of community establishment or the invasibility of the environment. In the second part of the talk, we consider the case where the environment is favorable for community establishment, and assume that the expanding population evolves into a traveling wave front near the leading edge of the population. For these assumptions, we derive a dispersion relation for the speed of the wave.

For more information contact J. Keener, 1-6089

E-mail: keener@math.utah.edu