Mathematical models of diseases spreading in symbiotic communities

Mainul Haque, Ezio Venturino

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedingBook Chapterpeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Symbiotic communities are relevant from the biologists' viewpoint. Diseases affecting interacting populations have earlier been considered in ecoepidemic models with interactions of competitive or predational type but also for mutualistic associations. Here the analysis is extended to populations experiencing mutualism, in the more realistic case in which the benefits of the symbiosis cannot exhibit unlimited growth as function of the ecosystem populations. The investigation of some such situations is not only biologically relevant, but it becomes important even from an economic point of view, like for instance the case of chestnut trees affected by chestnut cancer and several mushrooms. We model a symbiotic ecoepidemic system via a dynamical system, assuming that the return coming from positive species interactions has an upper bound. We matematically analyze its long-term behavior and identify conditions leading to disease eradication. Some new features characteristic of these models with respect to earlier ecoepidemic models with different underlying demographics are highlighted.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationWildlife
Subtitle of host publicationDestruction, Conservation and Biodiversity
PublisherNova Science Publishers, Inc.
Pages135-179
Number of pages45
ISBN (Print)9781606929742
Publication statusPublished - 2009
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Commensalism
  • Ecoepidemiology
  • Epidemic models
  • Facultative mutualism
  • Global stability.
  • Local stability
  • Obligate mutualism
  • Persistence
  • Population models

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Environmental Science
  • General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
  • General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology

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