The effect of random dispersal on competitive exclusion – A review

Does a high dispersal rate provide a competitive advantage when risking competitive exclusion? To this day, the theoretical literature cannot answer this question in full generality. The present paper focuses on the simplest mathematical model with two populations differing only in dispersal ability and whose one-dimensional territories are spatially segregated. Although the motion of the border between the two territories remains elusive in general, all cases investigated in the literature concur: either the border does not move at all because of some environmental heterogeneity or the fast diffuser chases the slow diffuser. Counterintuitively, it is better to randomly explore the hostile enemy territory, even if it means highly probable death of some individuals, than to “stay united”. This directly contradicts a celebrated result on the intermediate competition case, emphasizing the importance of the competition intensity. Overall, the larger picture remains unclear and the optimal strategy regarding dispersal remains ambiguous. Several open problems worthy of a special attention are raised.