Yata V., Dumont Y., Tewa J.J., Couteron Pierre, Bowong S. (2014). Mathematical analysis of a size structured tree-grass competition model for savanna ecosystems. Biomath, 3, art. no 1404212 [18 p.]. ISSN 1314-684X.
Titre du document
Mathematical analysis of a size structured tree-grass competition model for savanna ecosystems
Année de publication
2014
Type de document
Article
Auteurs
Yata V., Dumont Y., Tewa J.J., Couteron Pierre, Bowong S.
Source
Biomath, 2014,
3, art. no 1404212 [18 p.] ISSN 1314-684X
Several continuous-time tree-grass competition models have been developed to study conditions of long-lasting coexistence of trees and grass in savanna ecosystems according to environmental parameters such as climate or fire regime. In those models, fire intensity is a fixed parameter while the relationship between woody plant size and fire-sensitivity is not systematically considered. In this paper, we propose a mathematical model for the tree-grass interaction that takes into account both fire intensity and size-dependent sensitivity. The fire intensity is modeled by an increasing function of grass biomass and fire return time is a function of climate. We carry out a qualitative analysis that highlights ecological thresholds that summarize the dynamics of the system. Finally, we develop a non-standard numerical scheme and present some simulations to illustrate our analytical results.
