Investigation of mathematical models of annual plants

One of the subjects of study in the field of Mathematical Biology is the mathematical modeling of annual plants. The distribution of plants, external factors during distribution, the productivity of plants and their seeds, competition between plants, population-dependent distribution, dormancy of seeds and the germination rates depending on these, and other conditions have led to the emergence of various mathematical models. These models allow researchers to gain insight into the complex processes that govern the growth and reproduction of plant populations and to make predictions about how these processes will be affected by different environmental factors. Edelstein-Keshet (2005), expressed the model that gives the number of plants that can be formed from two-year seeds as a second-order difference equation in his book Mathematical Models in Biology. Bahar and Erdoğan (2023) created a third-order linear difference equation model by using the necessary relations on this model expressed by Edelstein-Keshet This model has many simplifying assumptions. Among them, it is assumed that there is no competition between plants, germination and survival rates are constant over many generations, and all members of the plant population are the same. In order to clarify these assumptions, a literature review has been conducted and the main models created so far have been examined. The thesis is a compilation that aims to reveal the discrete-time mathematical models that have been made so far by conducting a detailed literature review on annual plants, including species that have strategic importance for food production and ecological system management. Thus, it will constitute a main resource for researchers who want to work on this subject.