Global Dynamics of the Lotka-Volterra Competition-Diffusion System: Diffusion and Spatial Heterogeneity I

In the first part of this series of three papers, we investigate the combined effects of diffusion, spatial variation, and competition ability on the global dynamics of a classical Lotka-Volterra competition-diffusion system. We establish the main results that determine the global asymptotic stability of semitrivial as well as coexistence steady states. Hence a complete understanding of the change in dynamics is obtained immediately. Our results indicate/confirm that, when spatial heterogeneity is included in the model, "diffusion-driven exclusion" could take place when the diffusion rates and competition coefficients of both species are chosen appropriately.