Hiking the hypercube: producers and consumers

TL;DR

This paper models the co-evolution of producers and consumers using bit-strings, revealing how different interaction parameters lead to distinct ecological regimes such as niche specialization or competition.

Contribution

It introduces a novel bit-string based model to analyze producer-consumer dynamics and identifies conditions leading to different ecological attractors.

Findings

Identification of regimes leading to niche exclusivity or competition

Demonstration of how recognition processes influence co-evolution

Analysis of parameter effects on population dynamics

Abstract

We study the dynamics of co-evolution of producers and customers described by bit-strings representing individual traits. Individual ''size-like'' properties are controlled by binary encounters which outcome depends upon a recognition process. Depending upon the parameter set-up, mutual selection of producers and customers results in different types of attractors, either an exclusive niches regime or a competition regime.