Special Session 86: Advances in Differential, Difference and Dynamic Equations with Applications in Science and Engineering

The effect of very fast dispersal on two species competition with drift
Rana Parshad
Iowa State University
USA
Co-Author(s):    
Abstract:
Classical theory predicts that for two competing populations subject to a constant downstream drift, the faster disperser will competitively exclude the slower disperser. In the current work, we consider a novel model of a much faster dispersing species, modeled via a $p$-Laplacian operator, competing with a slower disperser. We prove global existence of weak solutions to this model for any positive initial condition, in certain parametric regime. Counterintuitively, we show that while the faster disperser always wins - the much faster disperser could actually lose, for certain initial data. Our results have implications for biodiversity, refuge design, and improved biological control, driven by habitat fragmentation and climate change