Outline of a new approach to the study of competition

Abstract

Differential coefficients of five time‐dependent functions are proposed to quantify and define the following: the effect of competition on each of two competing populations, the relative aggressiveness of the populations, the competitive ability of each population with respect to the other, and the total effect of competition on the mixed community. Each coefficient is a certain linear combination of the relative rates of increase of the two populations under study; the populations must be grown separately as well as together if all five coefficients are required. The coefficients may he used best in situations which are characterised by continuous change in the sizes of the competing populations. They enable the change to be meaningfully quantified, using data which may often be ordinarily available.

UITTREKSEL

Differensiële koëffisiënte van vyf lyd‐afhanklike funksies word voorgestel om in ‘n mengsel van twee populasies die volgende le kwantifiseer en defineer : die effek van mededinging op iedere van die twee populasies, die relatiewe aggressiwiteit van die populasies, die mededingingsvermoeë van iedere populasie leenoor die ander, en die totale effek van mededinging op die gemengde gemeenskap. Elke koëffisiënt is ‘n sekere kombinasie van die relatiewe aanwastempos van die twee populasies, wat afsonderlik en ook gesumentlik gekweek moet word indien al vyf koëffisiënte verlang word. Die koëffisiënte sal voordelig gebruik kan word in toeslande wat dear voortdurige verandering in die relatiewe groottes van die mededingende populasies gekenmerk word. Hulle laat dit toe dat hierdie verandering, met die gebruik van gewotte gegewens wat dikwels normaalweg in gesamel word, wesensvol gekwantifiseer word.