Bilinear Models in Ecology

Bilinear models are useful in ecology for two reasons. The trivial reason is that they represent the next step up from linearity, and therefore in the direction of increasing realism. The more substantive reason has to do with the nature of evolution by natural selection. According to the neo-Darwinian theory, reproductive and/or mortality advantages accrue to individuals whose physiology and behavior are better adapted to their environment than their compatriots. By “adapted,” one means simply “beter designed,” in the egineering sense.