A size-structured matrix model to simulate dynamics of marine community size spectrum

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 13; no. 6; p. e0198415
• Main Authors: Xia, Shujuan, Yamakawa, Takashi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 07.06.2018; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Aquatic Organisms - physiology; Bacteria; Biological research; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomass; Body size; Cetacea; Communities; Computer simulation; Differential equations; Ecology; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Ecosystems; Fish; Fish communities; Growth models; Life sciences; Marine ecosystems; Mathematical models; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolism; Metabolites; Models, Biological; Mortality; Numerical simulations; Partial differential equations; Physiology; Population; Population biology; Population Dynamics; Predation; Predator-prey interactions; Prey; Research and Analysis Methods; Spectra; Japan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198415

Several types of size-based models have been developed to model the size spectra of marine communities, in which abundance scales strongly with body size, using continuous differential equations. In this study, we develop a size-structured matrix model, which can be seen as a discretization of the Mckendrick-von Foerster equation, to simulate the dynamics of marine communities. The developed model uses a series of simple body size power functions to describe the basic processes of predator-prey interactions, reproduction, metabolism, and non-predation mortality based on the principle of mass balance. Linear size spectra with slopes of approximately -1 are successfully reproduced by this model. Several examples of numerical simulations are provided to demonstrate the model's behavior. Size spectra with cut-offs and/or waves are also found for certain parameter values. The matrix model is flexible and can be freely manipulated by users to answer different questions and is executed over a shorter numerical calculation running time than continuous models.