36th Annual Student Research Conference
Mathematically Modeling the Symbiotic Relationship Between Drought and Biodiversity in Plants
Thaddeus C. Meadows*, Rosemarie E. Carter, and Luciana L. Scuderi
Dr. Don Bindner, Faculty Mentor
Drought is a major player in the biodiversity of flora, but the mechanics of interspecies competition under different conditions are not well understood. Ecosystems are complex enough to make observational studies very difficult. Controlled experimental environments can fail to reflect the nature of a true ecosystem, while field studies come with their own complications. The study of drought and biodiversity is ripe for the introduction of mathematical models to inform the theory of our practical observations. In this paper, we present a modified recursion equation that can capture the behavior of a broad range of plant species by generalizing diverse biological choices into an array of modifiable parameters. The model projects population distribution in a community of plants under various precipitation scenarios. Our results suggest that drought contributes to maintaining biodiversity in an ecosystem and biodiversity is essential to maintain plant populations through drought conditions.
Keywords: Math Modeling, COMAP, Biodiversity, Drought, Recursion Equations, Math Bio, Mutualism
Topic(s):Mathematics
Biology
Agricultural Science
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: 109-3
Location: MG 1098
Time: 9:00