Resource competition model with stochastic strategies

The conventional explanation for the coexistence of species in expansive ecosystems relies on niche theory. However, this framework encounters challenges in justifying the abundant biodiversity observed in nearly uniform environments. This master thesis aims to address this limitation by incorporating the renowned consumer-resource model proposed by MacArthur. Unlike previous approaches, this study introduces a novel perspective where metabolic strategies (species-resource interactions) are not treated as fixed parameters but rather as annealed stochastic variables. This adjustment allows for a more dynamic exploration of the interplay between species populations and resources. Previous research has demonstrated that introducing stochasticity to interactions promotes biodiversity, facilitating the coexistence of numerous species. This stands in contrast to deterministic models governed by the well-established Competition Exclusion Principle. The proposed stochastic model offers an avenue to explore coexistence as an outcome of the intricate relationship between the variability of metabolic strategies and the characteristic time of the annealed noise. The investigation of this model will mainly employ numerical simulations, comparing the effects on species diversity of deterministic oscillations and stochastic fluctuations in metabolic strategies.