Rich dynamical behaviours for predator–prey model with weak Allee effect

The weak Allee effect on the predator is introduced into the classic predator–prey model of Lotka–Volterra type. Global qualitative and bifurcation analyses are combined to determine the global dynamics of the model. It is shown that the weak Allee effect can bring rich and complicated dynamics to the previous simple model, such as the saddle–node bifurcation, subcritical and supercritical Hopf bifurcations, and Bogdanov–Takens bifurcations, implying that weak Allee effect can be one of the simple reasons for many complicated behaviours in the predator–prey communities.     

Dynamics of an intraguild predation food web model with strong Allee effect in the basal prey

Since intraguild predation (IGP) is a ubiquitous and important community module in nature and Allee effect has strong impact on population dynamics, in this paper we propose a three-species IGP food web model consisted of the IG predator, IG prey and basal prey, in which the basal prey follows a logistic growth with strong Allee effect. We investigate the local and global dynamics of the model with emphasis on the impact of strong Allee effect. First, positivity and boundedness of solutions are studied. Then existence and stability of the boundary and interior equilibria are presented and the Hopf bifurcation curve at an interior equilibrium is given. The existence of a Hopf bifurcation curve indicates that if competition between the IG prey and IG predator for the basal resource lies below the curve then the interior equilibrium remains stable, while if it lies above the curve then the interior equilibrium loses its stability. In order to explore the impact of Allee effect, the parameter space is classified into sixteen different regions and, in each region, the number of interior equilibria is determined and the corresponding bifurcation diagrams on the Allee threshold are given. The extinction parameter regions of at least one species and the necessary coexistence parameter regions of all three species are provided. In addition, we explore possible dynamical patterns, i.e., the existence of multiple attractors. By theoretical analysis and numerical simulations, we show that the model can have one (i.e. extinction of all species), two (i.e. bi-stability) or three (i.e. tri-stability) attractors. It is also found by simulations that when there exists a unique stable interior equilibrium, the model may generate multiple attracting periodic orbits and the coexistence of all three species is enhanced as the competition between the IG prey and IG predator for the basal resource is close to the Hopf bifurcation curve from below. Our results indicate that the intraguild predation food web model exhibits rich and complex dynamic behaviors and strong Allee effect in the basal prey increases the extinction risk of not only the basal prey but also the IG prey or/and IG predator.     

Complex dynamics of a discrete predator–prey model with the prey subject to the Allee effect

In this paper, complex dynamics of the discrete predator–prey model with the prey subject to the Allee effect are investigated in detail. Firstly, when the prey intrinsic growth rate is not large, the basins of attraction of the equilibrium points of the single population model are given. Secondly, rigorous results on the existence and stability of the equilibrium points of the model are derived, especially, by analyzing the higher order terms, we obtain that the non-hyperbolic extinction equilibrium point is locally asymptotically stable. The existences and bifurcation directions for the flip bifurcation, the Neimark–Sacker bifurcation and codimension-two bifurcations with 1:2 resonance are derived by using the center manifold theorem and the bifurcation theory. We derive that the model only exhibits a supercritical flip bifurcation and it is possible for the model to exhibit a supercritical or subcritical Neimark–Sacker bifurcation at the larger positive equilibrium point. Chaos in the sense of Marotto is proved by analytical methods. Finally, numerical simulations including bifurcation diagrams, phase portraits, sensitivity dependence on the initial values, Lyapunov exponents display new and rich dynamical behaviour. The analytic results and numerical simulations demonstrate that the Allee effect plays a very important role for dynamical behaviour.     

The impact of Allee effect on a predator–prey system with Holling type II functional response

In this paper, the Allee effect is incorporated into a predator–prey model with Holling type II functional response. Compared with the predator–prey model without Allee effect, we find that the Allee effect of prey species increases the extinction risk of both predators and prey. When the handling time of predators is relatively short and the Allee effect of prey species becomes strong, both predators and prey may become extinct. Moreover, it is shown that the model with Allee effect undergoes the Hopf bifurcation and heteroclinic bifurcation. The Allee effect of prey species can lead to unstable periodical oscillation. It is also found that the positive equilibrium of the model could change from stable to unstable, and then to stable when the strength of Allee effect or the handling time of predators increases continuously from zero, that is, the model admits stability switches as a parameter changes. When the Allee effect of prey species becomes strong, longer handling time of predators may stabilize the coexistent steady state.     

Complex dynamics of a diffusive predator–prey model with strong Allee effect and threshold harvesting

In this paper, complex dynamics of a diffusive predator–prey model is investigated, where the prey is subject to strong Allee effect and threshold harvesting. The existence and stability of nonnegative constant steady state solutions are discussed. The existence and nonexistence of nonconstant positive steady state solutions are analyzed to identify the ranges of parameters of pattern formation. Spatially homogeneous and nonhomogeneous Hopf bifurcation and discontinuous Hopf bifurcation are proved. These results show that the introduction of strong Allee effect and threshold harvesting increases the system spatiotemporal complexity. Finally, numerical simulations are presented to validate the theoretical results.     

Dynamics analysis of a reaction–diffusion system with Beddington–DeAngelis functional response and strong Allee effect

In this paper, the dynamics of a diffusive predator–prey model with modified Leslie–Gower term and strong Allee effect on prey under homogeneous Neumann boundary condition is considered. Firstly, we obtain the qualitative properties of the system including the existence of the global positive solution and the local and global asymptotical stability of the constant equilibria. In addition, we investigate a priori estimate and the nonexistence of nonconstant positive steady state solutions. Finally, we establish the existence and local structure of steady state patterns and time-periodic patterns for the system.     

Spatial Dynamics of a Diffusive Predator-prey Model with Leslie-Gower Functional Response and Strong Allee Effect

In this paper, spatial dynamics of a diffusive predator-prey model with Leslie-Gower functional response and strong Allee effect is studied. Firstly, we obtain the critical condition of Hopf bifurcation and Turing bifurcation of the PDE model. Secondly, taking self-diffusion coefficient of the prey as bi- furcation parameter, the amplitude equations are derived by using multi-scale analysis methods. Finally, numerical simulations are carried out to verify our theoretical results. The simulations show that with the decrease of self- diffusion coefficient of the prey, the preys present three pattern structures: spot pattern, mixed pattern, and stripe pattern. We also observe the transi- tion from spot patterns to stripe patterns of the prey by changing the intrinsic growth rate of the predator. Our results reveal that both diffusion and the intrinsic growth rate play important roles in the spatial distribution of species.     

Dynamics of a system of three interacting populations with Allee effects and stocking

A model of three interacting populations where two populations engage in competition and two populations are in predator–prey type interaction is proposed and analysed. One of the two competing populations is subject to Allee effects and is also a pest population. The other competing population is regarded as a control agent and is the host for the predator population. There is a constant level of the external control agents released into the interaction at each generation after parasitism. We provide asymptotic dynamics of the competition subsystem and prove that a Neimark–Sacker bifurcation occurs for the host–parasitoid subsystem when the unique interior steady state loses its stability. The three interacting populations are impossible to persist for all positive initial conditions. Sufficient conditions based on the initial population size of the population with Allee effects are derived for persistence of the three populations.     

Bifurcation analysis of a Leslie-type predator–prey system with simplified Holling type IV functional response and strong Allee effect on prey

In this paper, a Leslie-type predator–prey system with simplified Holling type IV functional response and strong Allee effect on prey is proposed. The dissipativity of the system and the existence of all possible equilibria are investigated. The investigation emphasizes the exploring of bifurcation. It is shown that the system exists several non-hyperbolic positive equilibria, such as a weak focus of multiplicities one and two, (degenerate) saddle–nodes and Bogdanov–Takens singularities (cusp case) of codimensions 2 and 3. At these equilibria, it is proved that the system undergoes various kinds of bifurcations, such as saddle–node bifurcation, Hopf bifurcation, degenerate Hopf bifurcation and Bogdanov–Takens bifurcation of codimensions 2 and 3. With the parameters selected properly, there exhibits a limit cycle, a homoclinic loop, two limit cycles, a semistable limit cycle, or the simultaneous occurrence of a homoclinic loop and a limit cycle in the system. Moreover, it is also proved that the system has a cusp of codimension at least 4. Hence, there may exist three limit cycles generated from Hopf bifurcation of codimension 3. Numerical simulations are done to support the theoretical results.     

Coexistence in seasonally varying predator–prey systems with Allee effect

A general seasonally-varying predator–prey model with Allee effect in the prey growth is investigated. The analysis is performed only on the basis of some properties determining the shape of the prey growth rate and the functional responses. General conditions for coexistence are determined, both in the case of weak and strong Allee effect. Finally, a modified Leslie–Gower predator–prey model with Allee effect is investigated. Numerical results illustrate the qualitative behaviors of the system, in particular the presence of periodic orbits.     

Effects of prey over–undercrowding in predator–prey systems with prey-dependent trophic functions

The local dynamics of a two-trophic chain in the presence of both overcrowding and undercrowding effects on prey growth is investigated. The starting point is given by a general predator–prey system, in which the prey growth rate and the trophic interaction function are defined only by some properties determining their shapes; in particular, the prey growth function is assumed to model a strong Allee effect. A stability analysis of the system using the predation efficiency as bifurcation parameter is performed; conditions for the existence and stability of extinction and coexistence equilibrium states are determined, and peculiar features of the dynamics exhibited by the system are presented, with particular attention to limit cycles and bistability situations. Results are compared with those obtained when overcrowding and undercrowding effects are considered separately.     

A bioeconomic differential algebraic predator–prey model with nonlinear prey harvesting

In this paper, we propose a bioeconomic differential algebraic predator–prey model with Holling type II functional response and nonlinear prey harvesting. As the nonlinear prey harvesting is introduced, the proposed model displays a complex dynamics in the predator–prey plane. Taking into account of the economic factor, our predator–prey system is established by bioeconomic differential algebraic equations. The effect of economic profit on the proposed model is analyzed by viewing it as a bifurcation parameter. By jointly using the normal form of differential algebraic models and the bifurcation theory, the stability and bifurcations (singularity induced bifurcation, Hopf bifurcation) are discussed. These results obtained here reveal richer dynamics of the bioeconomic differential algebraic predator–prey model with nonlinear prey harvesting, and suggest a guidance for harvesting in the practical word. Finally, numerical simulations are given to demonstrate the results.     

Consequences of refuge and diffusion in a spatiotemporal predator–prey model

In this investigation, we offer and examine a predator–prey interacting model with prey refuge in proportion to both the species and Beddington–DeAngelis functional response. We first prove the well-posedness of the temporal and spatiotemporal models which are restricted in a positive invariant region. Then for the temporal model, we analyse its temporal dynamics including uniform boundedness, permanence, stability of all feasible non-negative equilibria and show that refugia can induce periodic oscillation via Hopf bifurcation around the unique positive equilibrium; for the spatiotemporal model, we not only investigate its permanence, stability of non-negative constant steady states and Turing instability but also study the existence and non-existence of non-constant positive steady states by Leray–Schauder degree theory. The key observation is that the coefficient of refuge cooperates a significant part in modifying the dynamics of the current system and mediates the population permanence, stability of coexisting equilibrium and even the Turing instability parameter space. Finally, general numerical simulation consequences are given to illustrate the validity of the theoretical results. Through numerical simulations, one observes that the model dynamics shows prey refugia and self-diffusion control spatiotemporal pattern growth to spots, stripe–spot mixtures and stripes reproduction. The outcomes assign that the dynamics of the model with prey refuge is not simple, but rich and complex. Additionally, numerical simulations show that the other model parameters have an important effect on species’ spatially inhomogeneous distribution, which results in the formation of spots pattern, mixture of spots and stripes pattern, mixture of spots, stripes and rings pattern and anti-spot pattern. This may improve the model dynamics of the prey refuge on the reaction–diffusion predator–prey system.     

Complex dynamics of an eco-epidemiological model with different competition coefficients and weak Allee in the predator

The paper explores an eco-epidemiological model with weak Allee in predator, and the disease in the prey population. We consider a predator-prey model with type II functional response. The curiosity of this paper is to consider different competition coefficients within the prey population, which leads to the emergent carrying capacity. We perform the local and global stability analysis of the equilibrium points and the Hopf bifurcation analysis around the endemic equilibrium point. Further we pay attention to the chaotic dynamics which is produced by disease. Our numerical simulations reveal that the three species eco-epidemiological system without weak-Allee induced chaos from stable focus for increasing the force of infection, whereas in the presence of the weak-Allee effect, it exhibits stable solution. We conclude that chaotic dynamics can be controlled by the Allee parameter as well as the competition coefficients. We apply basic tools of non-linear dynamics such as Poincare section and maximum Lyapunov exponent to identify chaotic behavior of the system.     

A delayed prey–predator model with Crowley–Martin‐type functional response including prey refuge

In this paper, we have studied a prey–predator model living in a habitat that divided into two regions: an unreserved region and a reserved (refuge) region. The migration between these two regions is allowed. The interaction between unreserved prey and predator is Crowley–Martin‐type functional response. The local and global stability of the system is discussed. Further, the system is extended to incorporate the effect of time delay. Then the dynamical behavior of the system is analyzed, taking delay as a bifurcation parameter. The direction of Hopf bifurcation and the stability of the bifurcated periodic solution are determined with the help of normal form theory and centre manifold theorem. We have also discussed the influence of prey refuge on densities of prey and predator species. The analytical results are supplemented with numerical simulations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stability and Hopf bifurcation of a diffusive predator–prey model with predator saturation and competition

This article discusses a predator–prey system with predator saturation and competition functional response. The local stability, existence of a Hopf bifurcation at the coexistence equilibrium and stability of bifurcating periodic solutions are obtained in the absence of diffusion. Further, we discuss the diffusion-driven instability, Hopf bifurcation for corresponding diffusion system with zero flux boundary condition and Turing instability region regarding the parameters are established. Finally, numerical simulations supporting the theoretical analysis are also included.     

Dynamics in a diffusive predator–prey system with a constant prey refuge and delay

In this paper, a diffusive predator–prey system with a constant prey refuge and time delay subject to Neumann boundary condition is considered. Local stability and Turing instability of the positive equilibrium are studied. The effect of time delay on the model is also obtained, including locally asymptotical stability and existence of Hopf bifurcation at the positive equilibrium. And the properties of Hopf bifurcation are determined by center manifold theorem and normal form theorem of partial functional differential equations. Some numerical simulations are carried out.     

Dynamics of predator–prey models with a strong Allee effect on the prey and predator-dependent trophic functions

The complex dynamics of a two-trophic chain are investigated. The chain is described by a general predator–prey system, in which the prey growth rate and the trophic interaction functions are defined only by some properties determining their shapes. To account for undercrowding phenomena, the prey growth function is assumed to model a strong Allee effect; to simulate the predator interference during the predation process, the trophic function is assumed predator-dependent. A stability analysis of the system is performed, using the predation efficiency and a measure of the predator interference as bifurcation parameters. The admissible scenarios are much richer than in the case of prey-dependent trophic functions, investigated in Buffoni et al. (2011). General conditions for the number of equilibria, for the existence and stability of extinction and coexistence equilibrium states are determined, and the bifurcations exhibited by the system are investigated. Numerical results illustrate the qualitative behaviours of the system, in particular the presence of limit cycles, of global bifurcations and of bistability situations.     

Dynamics of a predator–prey system with inducible defense and disease in the prey

Establishing and researching a population dynamical model based on the differential equation is of great significance. In this paper, a predator–prey system with inducible defense and disease in the prey is built from biological evolution and Eco-epidemiology. The effect of disease on population stability in the predator–prey system with inducible defense is studied. Firstly, we verify the positivity and uniform boundedness of the solutions of the system. Then the existence and stability of the equilibria are studied. There are no more than nine equilibrium points in the system. We use a sophisticated parameter transformation to study the properties of the coexistence equilibrium points of the system. A sufficient condition is established for the existence of Hopf bifurcation. Numerical simulations are performed to make analytical studies more complete.