A mathematical analysis of a minimal model of nematode migration in soil

D. L. Feltham, Mark Chaplain, I. M. Young, John W. Crawford

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A minimal model of nematode migration through soil in response to a chemical gradient is presented. We consider Fickian, fractal and porous-media type diffusion of the nematodes, for which the steady-state nematode distributions are found to compare favourably with experimental observations. Analytical results for Fickian nematode diffusion are presented, which are appropriate for the small- and large-time evolution of a nematode distribution. Numerical integrations allow us to compare the three types of nematode diffusion, to provide numerical validation of our analytical results, and to investigate the dependence of the results of our model upon certain key parameters. We conclude with a summary of results and a call for further experimental work.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)15-32
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Biological Systems
Volume10
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2002

Keywords

  • Nematode migration
  • Minimal model
  • Fickian diffusion
  • Fractal diffusion
  • Porous media diffusion

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A mathematical analysis of a minimal model of nematode migration in soil'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this