Abstract
The spatial rock-paper-scissors ecosystem, where three species interact cyclically, is a model example of how spatial structure can maintain biodiversity. We here consider such a system for a broad range of interaction rates. When one species grows very slowly, this species and its prey dominate the system by self-organizing into a labyrinthine configuration in which the third species propagates. The cluster size distributions of the two dominating species have heavy tails and the configuration is stabilized through a complex spatial feedback loop. We introduce a statistical measure that quantifies the amount of clustering in the spatial system by comparison with its mean-field approximation. Hereby, we are able to quantitatively explain how the labyrinthine configuration slows down the dynamics and stabilizes the system.
| Original language | English |
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| Journal | Physical Review E. Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics |
| Volume | 87 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Pages (from-to) | 042702 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| ISSN | 1539-3755 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 8 Apr 2013 |