Size distribution dynamics for a marine sessile organism with space-limitation in growth and recruitment: application to a coral population

摘要: Summary 1 Corals are clonal organisms and show a plastic growth. We study partial differential equation model for the dynamics of size distribution corals predict trajectory recovery after catastrophic disturbance, such as recent bleaching that killed most in southern Japan. 2 We assume mean growth rate colony size, measured projected area, is linear function variance proportional to which consistent with data coral Acropora hyacinthus Dana 1846. 3 The incorporates space-limitation recruitment. The recruitment fraction free space within local habitat. 4 In many corals, including A. hyacinthus, occurs short period once year. However, our illustrates does not distinguishable cohorts since observed large. discrete settlement large results distributions very well approximated by an explicitly soluble constant no variance. 5 When mortality low, two different phases process. In first phase, determined growth, can be predicted case without mortality. After depleted, slow down become balanced equilibrium controlled all three processes. Both transient distribution, average increases but decreases rate. 6 Strongly skewed colony-size small classes have largest numbers generated wide range parameters even death colonies.