Statistical Physics Analysis of Ecosystems

I will first start with a general introduction on theoretical ecology, stressing the reasons that make connections with statistical physics interesting and timely. I will then focus on Lotka-Volterra equations, which provide a general model to study large assemblies of strongly interacting degrees of freedom in many different fields: biology, economy and in particular ecology. I will present our ongoing works on Lotka-Volterra equations for ecosystems formed by many species. I will show that such systems display different “phases” and collective behaviors, from simple regimes with a single equilibrium to complex ones characterized by either an exponential number of multiple equilibria, all poised at the edge of stability, or chaotic dynamics. Finally, I will present a study of the interplay between artificial selection at the community level and ecological dynamics. The aim of this talk is to show that methods rooted in statistical physics of disordered systems allow to shed new light on open and debated questions in ecology, and to present a class of models displaying very interesting non-equilibrium dynamics. 

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