What are the Lotka-Volterra
Interspecific Competition Logistic Equations?T
he Lotka-Volterra Interspecific Competition Logistic Equations are con-
cerned with the predator-prey relationships between species in the environ-
ment, and are based on differential equations (for more on differential equa-
tions, see “Mathematical Analysis”). Such predator-prey theories were developed
independently by then-Austrian (now the Ukraine) chemist, demographer, ecolo-
gist, and mathematician Alfred James Lotka (1880–1949) and Italian mathemati-
cian Vito Volterra (1860–1940) in 1925. They refer to interspecific competition,
or the competition between two or more species for some limiting resource,
such as food, nutrients, space, mates, nesting sites, or anything in which the
demand is greater than the supply.Most people think about the AQI in terms of being outdoors—and most weather
broadcasts include air quality listings, especially in larger cities. When the readings are
high, people are warned not to participate in strenuous activities like sports or hard
work outside; people with asthma or other lung problems are urged to stay inside.
What is environmental modeling?
As with most of the sciences, mathematical modeling and computer simulations also
come in handy for environmental applications on a local, regional, and global scale.
For example, scientists model environmental landscape changes, global climate
change and the impacts on ecosystems, watershed and reservoir interactions, and for-
est management and sustainability.
What is computational ecology?
Computational ecology can be considered a subset of environmental modeling,
because it addresses practical questions arising from environmental problems using
mathematics. For example, in the field of ecotoxicology, mathematical models are
used to predict the effects of environmental pollutants on populations. Natural
resource management uses mathematics to set quotas for fish and game. And conser-
vation ecologists use mathematical models to determine the effects of various recov-
ery plans for threatened species, and even to design nature preserves.