The hydra effect, bubbles, and chaos in a simple discrete population model with constant effort harvesting

J Math Biol. 2012 Nov;65(5):997-1016. doi: 10.1007/s00285-011-0489-2. Epub 2011 Nov 10.

Abstract

We analyze the effects of a strategy of constant effort harvesting in the global dynamics of a one-dimensional discrete population model that includes density-independent survivorship of adults and overcompensating density dependence. We discuss the phenomenon of bubbling (which indicates that harvesting can magnify fluctuations in population abundance) and the hydra effect, which means that the stock size gets larger as harvesting rate increases. Moreover, we show that the system displays chaotic behaviour under the combination of high per capita recruitment and small survivorship rates.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Ecosystem*
  • Models, Biological*
  • Population Density
  • Population Dynamics