Resource limited and equilibrium models of populations

Abstract

The logistic equation has been used as the basis of two distinct models of population dynamics, a resource limited model and an equilibrium model. It is argued that although the two models are very different, the distinction between them has been obscured by the use of the same terminology for the parameters of both. It is further argued that the simple equilibrium model developed from the logistic equation has inconsistencies which make it untenable as a population model.