Speaker: Dr. Rongsong Liu,
Department of Mathematics,
Purdue University, West Lafayette

Title: Plant-herbivore interactions mediated by plant toxicity

Abstract: We explore the impact of plant toxicity on the dynamics of a plant-herbivore interaction, such as that of a mammalian browser and its plant forage species, by studying a mathematical model that includes a toxin-determined functional response. In this functional response, the traditional Holling Type 2 response is modified to include the negative effect of toxin on herbivore growth, which can overwhelm the positive effect of biomass ingestion at sufficiently high plant toxicant concentrations. Two types of consumption decisions of the herbivore are considered.