A modified Leslie–Gower predator–prey model with ratio‐dependent functional response and alternative food for the predator

In this work, a modified Leslie–Gower predator–prey model is analyzed, considering an alternative food for the predator and a ratio‐dependent functional response to express the species interaction. The system is well defined in the entire first quadrant except at the origin ( 0 , 0 ) . Given the importance of the origin ( 0 , 0 ) as it represents the extinction of both populations, it is convenient to provide a continuous extension of the system to the origin. By changing variables and a time rescaling, we obtain a polynomial differential equations system, which is topologically equivalent to the original one, obtaining that the non‐hyperbolic equilibrium point ( 0 , 0 ) in the new system is a repellor for all parameter values. Therefore, our novel model presents a remarkable difference with other models using ratio‐dependent functional response. We establish conditions on the parameter values for the existence of up to two positive equilibrium points; when this happen, one of them is always a hyperbolic saddle point, and the other can be either an attractor or a repellor surrounded by at least one limit cycle. We also show the existence of a separatrix curve dividing the behavior of the trajectories in the phase plane. Moreover, we establish parameter sets for which a homoclinic curve exits, and we show the existence of saddle‐node bifurcation, Hopf bifurcation, Bogdanov–Takens bifurcation, and homoclinic bifurcation. An important feature in this model is that the prey population can go to extinction; meanwhile, population of predators can survive because of the consumption of alternative food in the absence of prey. In addition, the prey population can attain their carrying capacity level when predators go to extinction. We demonstrate that the solutions are non‐negatives and bounded (dissipativity and permanence of population in many other works). Furthermore, some simulations to reinforce our mathematical results are shown, and we further discuss their ecological meanings. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Persistence of two prey–one predator system with ratio‐dependent predator influence

In this study, we consider a mathematical model of two competing prey and one predator system where the prey species follow Lotka–Volterra‐type dynamics and the predator uptake functions are ratio dependent. We have derived the conditions for existence of different boundary equilibria and discussed their global behaviour. The sufficient condition for permanent co‐existence of all the species is derived. Finally, we have discussed the possibility of extinction of the species from the system. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of emergent carrying capacity in an eco‐epidemiological system

The paper explores an eco‐epidemiological model of a predator–prey type, where the prey population is subject to infection. The model is basically a combination of S‐I type model and a Rosenzweig–MacArthur predator–prey model. The novelty of this contribution is to consider different competition coefficients within the prey population, which leads to the emergent carrying capacity. We explicitly separate the competition between non‐infected and infected individuals. This emergent carrying capacity is markedly different to the explicit carrying capacities that have been considered in many eco‐epidemiological models. We observed that different intra‐class and inter‐class competition can facilitate the coexistence of susceptible prey‐infected prey–predator, which is impossible for the case of the explicit carrying capacity model. We also show that these findings are closely associated with bi‐stability. The present system undergoes bi‐stability in two different scenarios: (a) bi‐stability between the planner equilibria where susceptible prey co‐exists with predator or infected prey and (b) bi‐stability between co‐existence equilibrium and the planner equilibrium where susceptible prey coexists with infected prey; have been discussed. The conditions for which the system is to be permanent and the global stability of the system around disease‐free equilibrium are worked out. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Migratory effect of middle predator in a tri‐trophic food chain model

A tri‐trophic food chain model in a two‐patch environment is considered. Although tri‐trophic food chain model is well studied, the study considering migration of middle predator is lacking. To the best of our knowledge, the present investigation is the first study in this direction. Both prey and predator density‐dependent migrations are considered to observe the effects on stability and persistence of the system. We observe that migration of middle predator has the ability to control chaos in tri‐trophic food chain model. Our results indicate that the chance of predator extinction enhances for prey density‐dependent middle predator migration. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

PERSISTENCE AND STABILITY IN ARATIO‐DEPENDENT PREDATOR‐PREY SYSTEM WITH DELAY AND HARVESTING

ABSTRACT. . This paper aims to study the effect of time‐delay and combined harvesting on a Michaelis‐Menten type ratio‐dependent predator‐prey system. Dynamical behaviors such as persistence, stability, bifurcation, et cetera, are studied critically. Computer simulations are carried out to illustrate our analytical findings.     

Disease‐selective predation may lead to prey extinction

In real world bio‐communities, predational choice plays a key role to the persistence of the prey population. Predator's ‘sense’ of choice for predation towards the infected and noninfected prey is an important factor for those bio‐communities. There are examples where the predator can distinguish the infected prey and avoids those at the time of predation. Based on the examples, we propose two mathematical models and observe the dynamics of the systems around biologically feasible equilibria. For disease‐selective predation model there is a high risk of prey extinction. On the other hand, for non‐disease selective predation both populations co‐exist. Local stability analysis and global stability analysis of the positive interior equilibrium are performed. Moreover, conditions for the permanence of the system are obtained. Finally, we conclude that strictly disease‐selective predation may not be acceptable for the persistence of the prey population. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamics of a stochastic density dependent predator-prey system with Beddington-DeAngelis functional response

In this paper, we discuss a stochastic density dependent predator-prey system with Beddington-DeAngelis functional response. First, we show that this system has a unique positive solution as this is essential in any population dynamics model. Then, we investigate the asymptotic behavior of this system. When the white noise is small, the stochastic system imitates the corresponding deterministic system. Either there is a stationary distribution, or the predator population will die out. While if the white noise is large, besides the extinction of the predator population, both species in the system may also die out, which does not happen in the deterministic system. Finally, simulations are carried out to conform to our results.     

Dynamics of a ratio‐dependent stage‐structured predator‐prey model with delay

In this paper, we investigate the dynamics of a time‐delay ratio‐dependent predator‐prey model with stage structure for the predator. This predator‐prey system conforms to the realistically biological environment. The existence and stability of the positive equilibrium are thoroughly analyzed, and the sufficient and necessary conditions for the stability and instability of the positive equilibrium are obtained for the case without delay. Then, the influence of delay on the dynamics of the system is investigated using the geometric criterion developed by Beretta and Kuang. 26 We show that the positive steady state can be destabilized through a Hopf bifurcation and there exist stability switches under some conditions. The formulas determining the direction and the stability of Hopf bifurcations are explicitly derived by using the center manifold reduction and normal form theory. Finally, some numerical simulations are performed to illustrate and expand our theoretical results.     

Role of environmental disturbance in an eco‐epidemiological model with disease from external source

An eco‐epidemiological model with random environmental disturbance is proposed and analyzed. We assume that the susceptible prey population can acquire infection both from external sources and from internal transmission of the disease. It is also assumed that there is no recovery of the disease, and the consumption of diseased prey has a deleterious effect on the predator population. The conditions for the extinction of the predator and the prey populations are worked out. The most important observation of the present investigation is that oscillatory behavior of the populations observed in deterministic framework undergoes stable coexistence in the stochastic framework. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

JOINTLY‐DETERMINED ECOLOGICAL THRESHOLDS AND ECONOMIC TRADE‐OFFS IN WILDLIFE DISEASE MANAGEMENT

ABSTRACT. We investigate wildlife disease management, in a bioeconomic framework, when the wildlife host is valuable and disease transmission is density‐dependent. Disease prevalence is reduced in density‐dependent models whenever the population is harvested below a host‐density threshold a threshold population density below which disease prevalence declines and above which a disease becomes epidemic. In conventional models, the threshold is an exogenous function of disease parameters. We consider this case and find a steady state with positive disease prevalence to be optimal. Next, we consider a case in which disease dynamics are affected by both population controls and changes in human‐environmental interactions. The host‐density threshold is endogenous in this case. That is, the manager does not simply manage the population relative to the threshold, but rather manages both the population and the threshold. The optimal threshold depends on the economic and ecological trade‐offs arising from the jointly‐determined system. Accounting for this endogene‐ity can lead to reduced disease prevalence rates and higher population levels. Additionally, we show that ecological parameters that may be unimportant in conventional models that do not account for the endogeneity of the host‐density threshold are potentially important when host density threshold is recognized as endogenous.     

Global dynamics of a delayed eco‐epidemiological model with Holling type‐III functional response

In this paper, an eco‐epidemiological model with Holling type‐III functional response and a time delay representing the gestation period of the predators is investigated. In the model, it is assumed that the predator population suffers a transmissible disease. The disease basic reproduction number is obtained. By analyzing the corresponding characteristic equations, the local stability of each of feasible equilibria and the existence of Hopf bifurcations at the disease‐free equilibrium and the endemic‐coexistence equilibrium are established, respectively. By using the persistence theory on infinite dimensional systems, it is proved that if the disease basic reproduction number is greater than unity, the system is permanent. By means of Lyapunov functionals and LaSalle's invariance principle, sufficient conditions are obtained for the global stability of the endemic‐coexistence equilibrium, the disease‐free equilibrium and the predator‐extinction equilibrium of the system, respectively. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A MICROFOUNDATION OF PREDATOR‐PREY DYNAMICS

ABSTRACT. Predator‐prey relationships account for an important part of all interactions betweenspecies. In this paper we provide a microfoundation for such predator‐prey relations in afood chain. Basic entities of our analysis are representative organisms of species modeled similar to economic households. With prices as indicators of scarcity, organisms are assumed to behave as if they maximize their net biomass subject to constraints which express the organisms' risk of being preyed upon during predation. Like consumers, organisms face a ‘budget constraint’ requiring their expenditure on prey biomass not to exceed their revenue from supplying own biomass. Short‐run ecosystem equilibria are defined and derived. The net biomass acquired by the representative organism in the short term determines the positive or negative population growth. Moving short‐run equilibria constitute the dynamics of the predator‐prey relations that are characterized in numerical analysis. The population dynamics derived here turn out to differ significantly from those assumed in the standard Lotka‐Volterra model.     

Global stability and Hopf bifurcation of a delayed eco‐epidemiological model with Holling type II functional response

In this paper, a delayed eco‐epidemiological model with Holling type II functional response is investigated. By analyzing corresponding characteristic equations, the local stability of each of the feasible equilibria and the existence of Hopf bifurcations at the disease‐free equilibrium, the susceptible predator‐free equilibrium and the endemic‐coexistence equilibrium are established, respectively. By means of Lyapunov functionals and LaSalle's invariance principle, sufficient conditions are derived for the global stability of the endemic‐coexistence equilibrium, the disease‐free equilibrium, the susceptible predator‐free equilibrium and the predator‐extinction equilibrium of the system, respectively. Numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the theoretical results. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

ACCOUNTING FOR TEMPERATURE IN PREDATOR FUNCTIONAL RESPONSES

ABSTRACT. A rational mechanism that integrates temperature‐mediated activity cycles into standard predator functional responses is presented. Daily temperature variations strongly influence times that predators can search for prey, and they affect the activity periods of prey, thereby modifying their detection by predators. Thus, key parameters in the functional response, the search time and the detection, become temperature‐dependent. These temperature mediated responses are included in discrete‐time population growth models, and it is shown how environmental temperature variations, such as those that may occur under global climate change, can affect population levels. As an illustration, a logistic growth model with a stochastic, temperature‐dependent predation term is examined, and the response to both average temperature levels and temperature variability is quantified. We infer, through simulations, that predation and prey abundance are strongly affected by mean temperature, temperature amplitudes, and increasing uncertainty in predicting temperature levels and variation, thus confirming many qualitative conclusions in the ecological literature. In particular, we show that increased temperature variability increases oscillations in the system and leads to increased probability of extinction of the prey.     

A MICRO‐LEVEL ‘CONSUMER APPROACH’ TO SPECIES POPULATION DYNAMICS

ABSTRACT. In this paper we develop a micro ecosystem model whose basic entities are representative organisms which behave as if maximizing their net offspring under constraints. Net offspring is increasing in prey biomass intake, declining in the loss of own biomass to predators and Allee's law applies. The organism's constraint reflects its perception of how scarce its own biomass and the biomass of its prey is. In the short‐run periods prices (scarcity indicators) coordinate and determine all biomass transactions and net offspring which directly translates into population growth functions. We are able to explicitly determine these growth functions for a simple food web when specific parametric net offspring functions are chosen in the micro‐level ecosystem model. For the case of a single species our model is shown to yield the well‐known Verhulst‐Pearl logistic growth function. With two species in predator‐prey relationship, we derive differential equations whose dynamics are completely characterized and turn out to be similar to the predator‐prey model with Michaelis‐Menten type functional response. With two species competing for a single resource we find that coexistence is a knife‐edge feature confirming Tschirhart's [2002] result in a different but related model.     

Predator–prey interaction with harvesting: mathematical study with biological ramifications

In this article, we study a simple predator–prey interaction where predator population is subjected to harvesting. Our qualitative analysis shows different outcomes including switching of stability, oscillations and deterministic extinction. Theoretically observed results have been tested with the parameter values of Paramecium aurelia and its predator Didinium nasutum. Study reveals that harvesting effort and predator’s attack rate may be used as control parameters for the system. Simulation results also indicate that the system may exhibit bistability for some parametric region. Our study also gives the possible answer to the question – why do we frequently observe coexisting predator–prey system in natural system? The study may be helpful to design control strategy for harvested predator–prey system.     

Ergodicity and threshold behaviors of a predator‐prey model in stochastic chemostat driven by regime switching

This paper deals with a stochastic predator‐prey model in chemostat which is driven by Markov regime switching. For the asymptotic behaviors of this stochastic system, we establish the sufficient conditions for the existence of the stationary distribution. Then, we investigate, respectively, the extinction of the prey and predator populations. We explore the new critical numbers between survival and extinction for species of the dual‐threshold chemostat model. Numerical simulations are accomplished to confirm our analytical conclusions.     

On chaos, transient chaos and ghosts in single population models with Allee effects

Density-dependent effects, both positive or negative, can have an important impact on the population dynamics of species by modifying their population per-capita growth rates. An important type of such density-dependent factors is given by the so-called Allee effects, widely studied in theoretical and field population biology. In this study, we analyze two discrete single population models with overcompensating density-dependence and Allee effects due to predator saturation and mating limitation using symbolic dynamics theory. We focus on the scenarios of persistence and bistability, in which the species dynamics can be chaotic. For the chaotic regimes, we compute the topological entropy as well as the Lyapunov exponent under ecological key parameters and different initial conditions. We also provide co-dimension two bifurcation diagrams for both systems computing the periods of the orbits, also characterizing the period-ordering routes toward the boundary crisis responsible for species extinction via transient chaos. Our results show that the topological entropy increases as we approach to the parametric regions involving transient chaos, being maximum when the full shift R(L)^∞ occurs, and the system enters into the essential extinction regime. Finally, we characterize analytically, using a complex variable approach, and numerically the inverse square-root scaling law arising in the vicinity of a saddle-node bifurcation responsible for the extinction scenario in the two studied models. The results are discussed in the context of species fragility under differential Allee effects.     

一类基于比率的捕食-食饵系统的参数分析

研究一类基于比率和具第Ⅲ类功能性反应的捕食-食饵系统.对系统进行较为完整的参数分析.得到了奇点全局渐近稳定的条件,并且指出,系统的持续生存不仅与参数有关,还与其初值有关.     

Wave features of a hyperbolic prey–predator model

A hyperbolic predator–prey model is proposed within the context of extended thermodynamics. The nature of the steady state solutions for the uniform and non‐uniform perturbations are analyzed. The existence of smooth traveling wave‐like solutions, related to the invasion of the predator population into a prey‐only state is discussed. Validation of the model in point is also accomplished by searching for numerical solutions of the system, which also points out limit cycles in the populations. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.