Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Stability of feasible predator-prey systems

Abstract

ROBERTS1 added a new dimension to the stability analysis of model ecosystems—feasibility, the requirement that equilibrium densities of species be positive. Previous work2–4 studied the stability of randomly constructed interaction matrices, S, which represented ecological interactions in the neighbourhood of an assumed feasible equilibrium point.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Roberts, A., Nature, 251, 607 (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Gardner, M. R., and Ashby, W. R., Nature, 228, 784 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. May, R. M., Nature, 238, 413 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. May, R. M., Model Ecosystems (Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Case, T. J., and Gilpin, M. E., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 71, 3073 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Odum, E. P., Fundamentals of Ecology (Saunders, Philadelphia, 1971).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

GILPIN, M. Stability of feasible predator-prey systems. Nature 254, 137–139 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/254137a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/254137a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing