A Mathematical Model for Conservation Strategies of Rare Plants in North Sumatra
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30829/zero.v10i2.29239Keywords:
Conservation strategies, Mathematical modeling, Population dynamics, Rare plants, Stability analysis.Abstract
This study develops a nonlinear mathematical model for the conservation of rare plant populations in North Sumatra by incorporating interactions among rare plants, human populations, population pressure, and fire- and toxicant-control activities. The model is formulated as a system of four nonlinear ordinary differential equations and analyzed using positivity, boundedness, equilibrium, and stability theory. The analysis establishes four equilibrium points, including a biologically relevant coexistence equilibrium. Conditions for the existence of this equilibrium are derived, while its local and global asymptotic stability are established using the Routh–Hurwitz criterion and Lyapunov stability theory, respectively. Numerical simulations using illustrative parameter values are performed to support the analytical results and demonstrate the qualitative behavior of the system. The results provide analytical conditions under which rare plant populations can persist despite human pressure and environmental disturbances. This study is theoretical in nature and is not calibrated using ecological field data; therefore, the numerical results are intended to illustrate model dynamics rather than provide site-specific conservation predictions. The proposed framework contributes to the mathematical understanding of conservation dynamics and may serve as a foundation for future data-driven conservation studies.References
E. S. M. Nababan et al., “Mathematical Modeling of Ecological Associations and Spatial Distribution of Nepenthes Tobaica in Ria-Ria Village, North Sumatra: Implications for Conservation and Management,” Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 443–453, 2025, doi: 10.18280/mmep.120209.
R. T. Corlett, “Safeguarding our future by protecting biodiversity,” Plant Divers., vol. 42, no. 4, pp. 221–228, 2020, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pld.2020.04.002.
M. Goshu and M. Endalew, “Mathematical modeling on conservation of depleted forestry resources,” Nat. Resour. Model., vol. 35, May 2022, doi: 10.1111/nrm.12338.
D. M. A. Rozendaal et al., “Biodiversity recovery of Neotropical secondary forests,” Sci. Adv., vol. 5, no. 3, p. eaau3114, Jul. 2026, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aau3114.
N. M. Haddad et al., “Habitat fragmentation and its lasting impact on Earth’s ecosystems,” Sci. Adv., vol. 1, no. 2, p. e1500052, Jul. 2026, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1500052.
L. Nainggolan, T. Gultom, and M. Silitonga, “Inventory of Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes sp.) and Its Existence in North Sumatra Indonesia,” J. Phys. Conf. Ser., vol. 1485, no. 1, p. 12013, Mar. 2020, doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/1485/1/012013.
S. Sunarti, Rugayah, D. Sulistiarini, and I. Putu Gede P. Damayanto, “Seorsus aequatorius (Myrtaceae), a Borneon endemic, rediscovered after 129 years: Conservation implications,” J. Nat. Conserv., vol. 81, p. 126699, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126699.
K. Lata, A. K. Misra, and J. B. Shukla, “Modeling the effect of deforestation caused by human population pressure on wildlife species,” Nonlinear Analysis: Modelling and Control, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 303–320, 2018, doi: 10.15388/NA.2018.3.2.
J. S. Donaldson, “Botanic gardens science for conservation and global change,” Trends Plant Sci., vol. 14, no. 11, pp. 608–613, 2009, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2009.08.008.
A. Ensslin, O. Tschöpe, M. Burkart, and J. Joshi, “Fitness decline and adaptation to novel environments in ex situ plant collections: Current knowledge and future perspectives,” Biol. Conserv., vol. 192, pp. 394–401, 2015, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2015.10.012.
E. S. M. Nababan, D. deTombe, R. Rambey, E. Erwin, and P. Gultom, “Mathematical Model of Conservation Strategies for the Rare Plant: A Society-Inclusive Dynamic Model,” Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 265–274, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.18280/mmep.130204.
R. M. Cowling and C. E. Heijnis, “The identification of Broad Habitat Units as biodiversity entities for systematic conservation planning in the Cape Floristic Region,” South African Journal of Botany, vol. 67, no. 1, pp. 15–38, 2001, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0254-6299(15)31087-5.
R. L. Pressey, R. M. Cowling, and M. Rouget, “Formulating conservation targets for biodiversity pattern and process in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa,” Biol. Conserv., vol. 112, no. 1, pp. 99–127, 2003, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3207(02)00424-X.
Lenhart, S. Workman, and J. T, Optimal Control Applied to Biological Models. Chapman and Hall/CRC, 2007. doi: 10.1201/9781420011418.
A. Hastings, Population Biology: Concepts and Models. . New York: Springer, 1997.
M. Mansur, F. Q. Brearley, P. J. Esseen, E. J. Rode-Margono, and M. R. M. Tarigan, “Ecology of Nepenthes clipeata on Gunung Kelam, Indonesian Borneo,” Plant Ecol. Divers., vol. 14, no. 3–4, pp. 195–204, 2021, doi: 10.1080/17550874.2021.1984602.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).