Stochastic dynamics, inflationary effects & predator-prey metapopulations

Appreciating how the numbers and distribution of a species change is of fundamental importance to our understanding of the biosphere. These changes in populations can occur at a local, very small scale or at larger scales such as regions. It remains unclear how the ecological factors (e.g. predation) alter as this spatial scale changes. One approach in answering this question is to use experimental microcosms: small groups of species that interact in controlled environments to test and explore ideas, and make predictions in community ecology. Combining our microcosm experiments with mathematical modelling allows a broader perspective to be used in tackling these sorts of research questions. The primary aim of this research work is to understanding how predator and prey numbers change as we consider more about the habitat (space) in which they occupy. Using insects and their predators (parasitic wasps), we will make landscapes in which predators and prey are allowed to move and interact. We will monitor the consequences of these interactions in terms of changes in numbers of each species. It is equally important to know what the consequences of different environments or changes in the environment are for ecological interactions. For example, how are predator-prey interactions affected by different environments? What happens to the distribution and numbers of a species if these environments change and are unpredictable? Exploring how these external, environmental processes couple with spatial scale affect species interactions is the second aim of our work. Conducting a study on different species interactions at different scales in unpredictable environmental regimes will provide us with information about how populations response to space and unpredictability. By coupling this work with mathematical modelling, we will gain important insights into a broad class of processes that affect the persistence and abundance of biodiversity. Our curiosity-driven project will provide a proof of concept of a number of testable aims and objectives. This study relates to a number of areas supported by the NERC, particularly those associated with understanding fundamental processes in ecosystems that affect the preservation of biodiversity