Turing pattern formation in a three species model with generalist predator and cross-diffusion

In a natural ecosystem, specialist predators feed almost exclusively on one species of prey. But generalist predators feed on many types of species. Consequently, their dynamics is not coupled to the dynamics of a specific prey population. However, the defense of prey formed by congregating made the predator tend to move in the direction of lower concentration of prey species. This is described by cross-diffusion in a generalist predator–prey model. First, the positive equilibrium solution is globally asymptotically stable for the ODE system and for the reaction–diffusion system without cross-diffusion, respectively, hence it does not belong to the classical Turing instability scheme. But it becomes linearly unstable only when cross-diffusion also plays a role. This implies that cross–diffusion can lead to the occurrence and disappearance of the instability. Our results exhibit some interesting combining effects of cross-diffusion, predations and intra-species interactions. Furthermore, we consider the existence and non-existence results concerning non-constant positive steady states (patterns) of the system. We demonstrate that cross-diffusion can create non-constant positive steady-state solutions.     

Boundedness and global stability of the predator–prey model with prey-taxis and competition

In this paper, we consider a reaction–diffusion system of the population dynamics of two predators and one prey with prey-taxis and competition. We prove the global existence and uniform boundedness of the positive classical solutions for the fully parabolic system over a bounded domain with Neumann boundary conditions. Furthermore, we establish the asymptotic behavior of solutions by constructing some appropriate Lyapunov functionals. Our results not only generalize the previously known one, but also present some new conclusions.     

Periodic solutions in non autonomous predator prey system with delays

In this paper, we consider a biological model for two predators and one prey with periodic delays. By assuming that one predator consumes prey according to Holling II functional response while the other predator consumes prey according to the Beddington–DeAngelis functional response, based on the coincidence degree theory, the existence of positive periodic solutions for this model is obtained under suitable conditions.     

A simple Gause‐type predator–prey model considering social predation

The consumer–resource relationships are among the most fundamental of all ecological relationships and have been the focus of ecology since its beginnings. Usually are described by nonlinear differential equation systems, putting the emphasis in the effect of antipredator behavior (APB) by the prey; nevertheless, a minor quantity of articles has considered the social behavior of predators. In this work, two predator–prey models derived from the Volterra model are analyzed, in which the equation of predators is modified considering cooperation or collaboration among predators. It is well known that competition among predators produces a stabilizing effect on system describing the model, since there exists a wide set in the parameter space where the system has a unique equilibrium point in the phase plane, which is globally asymptotically stable. Meanwhile, the cooperation can originate more complex and unusual dynamics. As we will show, it is possible to prove that for certain subset of parameter values the predator population sizes tend to infinite when the prey population goes to extinct. This apparently contradicts the idea of a realistic model, when it is implicitly assumed that the predators are specialist, ie, the prey is its unique source of food. However, this could be a desirable effect when the prey constitutes a plague. To reinforce the analytical result, numerical simulations are presented.     

A cannibalistic eco-epidemiological model with disease in predator population

In this present article, we propose and analyze a cannibalistic predator–prey model with disease in the predator population. We consider two important factors for the dynamics of predator population. The first one is governed through cannibalistic interaction, and the second one is governed through the disease in the predator population via cannibalism. The local stability analysis of the model system around the biologically feasible equilibria are investigated. We perform global dynamics of the model using Lyapunov functions. We analyze and compare the community structure of the system in terms of ecological and disease basic reproduction numbers. The existence of Hopf bifurcation around the interior steady state is investigated. We also derive the sufficient conditions for the permanence and impermanence of the system. The study reveals that the cannibalism acts as a self-regulatory mechanism and controls the disease transmission among the predators by stabilizing the predator–prey oscillations.     

Stabilization in a 3D eco-epidemiological model: From the complete extinction of a predator population to their self-healing

In this paper, using the localization method of compact invariant sets, we examine the ultimate dynamics of the 3D prey–predator model containing two subpopulations of susceptible and infected predators. Our attention is focused to finding ultimate sizes of interacting populations, and, in addition, we show the existence of a global attracting set. Then, we derive various global conditions of ultimate extinction of at least one of the predators subpopulations and describe conditions under which all types of internal bounded dynamics are ruled out. In particular, we describe convergence conditions to omega-limit sets located (1) in the intersection of the prey-free plane with the infected predators-free plane and (2) in the infected predators-free plane. Based on the dynamical analysis of the 2D infection-free subsystem, we obtain conditions of global attraction to (i) the prey-only disease-free equilibrium point, (ii) the disease-free prey-predator equilibrium point (self-healing of the predator population), and (iii) the omega-limit set containing an equilibrium point or a periodic orbit. Main theoretical results are illustrated by numerical simulation. Tools and techniques developed in this work can be appropriated in the studies within predictive population ecology of more complex eco-epidemiological models.     

An eco‐epidemiological predator–prey model where predators distinguish between susceptible and infected prey

A predator–prey model with disease amongst the prey and ratio‐dependent functional response for both infected and susceptible prey is proposed and its features analysed. This work is based on previous mathematical models to analyse the important ecosystem of the Salton Sea in Southern California and New Mexico where birds (particularly pelicans) prey on fish (particularly tilapia). The dynamics of the system around each of the ecologically meaningful equilibria are presented. Natural disease control is considered before studying the impact of the disease in the absence of predators and the interaction of predators and healthy prey and the disease effects on predators in the absence of healthy prey. Our theoretical results are confirmed by numerical simulation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Existence of global solutions for a three‐species predator‐prey model with cross‐diffusion

In this short note, we study a strongly coupled system of partial differential equations which models the dynamics of a two‐predator‐one‐prey ecosystem in which the prey exercises defense switching and the predators collaboratively take advantage of the prey's strategy. We prove the existence of global strong solutions. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Traveling wave solutions for a predator–prey system with two predators and one prey

We study a predator–prey model with two alien predators and one aborigine prey in which the net growth rates of both predators are negative. We characterize the invading speed of these two predators by the minimal wave speed of traveling wave solutions connecting the predator-free state to the co-existence state. The proof of the existence of traveling waves is based on a standard method by constructing (generalized) upper-lower-solutions with the help of Schauder’s fixed point theorem. However, in this three species model, we are able to construct some suitable pairs of upper-lower-solutions not only for the super-critical speeds but also for the critical speed. Moreover, a new form of shrinking rectangles is introduced to derive the right-hand tail limit of wave profile.     

A discrete prey–predator model preserving the dynamics of a structurally unstable Lotka–Volterra model

Leslie's method to construct a discrete two dimensional dynamical system dynamically consistent with the Lotka–Volterra type of competing two species ordinary differential equations is applied in a newly extended manner for the Lotka–Volterra prey–predator system which is structurally unstable. We show that, independently of the time step size, the derived discrete prey–predator system is dynamically consistent with the continuous counterpart, keeping the nature of neutrally stable periodic orbit. Further, we show that the extended method to construct the discrete prey–predator system can provide a dynamically consistent model also for the logistic Lotka–Volterra one.     

Bifurcations in a Leslie–Gower model with constant and proportional prey refuge at high and low density

Assuming that the prey refuge is proportional to the prey density if its population size is below a critical threshold, or constant if its size is above the threshold, this paper proposes, and qualitatively analyzes, a Leslie–Gower predator–prey model assuming alternative feeding and harvesting in predators, and a Holling II function as the predator functional response. From the results of the mathematical analysis to the predator–prey models with proportional or constant prey refuge, the proposed model retains the same bifurcation cases obtained for each model analyzed. However, appropriate alterations of the parameters representing the critical threshold of prey population size and harvest in predators allows the formation of at least one limit cycle, stable or unstable, that lives in both vector fields of the proposed model.     

Global asymptotic stability for predator–prey models with environmental time-variations

This paper considers a Lotka–Volterra predator–prey model with predators receiving an environmental time-variation. For such a system, a unique interior equilibrium is shown to be globally asymptotically stable if the time-variation is bounded and weakly integrally positive. Our result tells that the equilibrium can be stabilized even by nonnegative functions that make the limiting system structurally unstable. Numerical simulations are also shown to illustrate the result and to suggest that cases with time-variation acting on predators have larger-scale convergence to the equilibrium than population dynamics with time-variation acting on prey.     

Evolution in predator–prey systems

We study the adaptive dynamics of predator–prey systems modeled by a dynamical system in which the traits of predators and prey are allowed to evolve by small mutations. When only the prey are allowed to evolve, and the size of the mutational change tends to 0, the system does not exhibit long term prey coexistence and the trait of the resident prey type converges to the solution of an ODE. When only the predators are allowed to evolve, coexistence of predators occurs. In this case, depending on the parameters being varied, we see that (i) the number of coexisting predators remains tight and the differences in traits from a reference species converge in distribution to a limit, or (ii) the number of coexisting predators tends to infinity, and we calculate the asymptotic rate at which the traits of the least and most “fit” predators in the population increase. This last result is obtained by comparison with a branching random walk killed to the left of a linear boundary and a finite branching–selection particle system.     

Spatiotemporal complexity of a discrete space-time predator−prey system with self- and cross-diffusion

In this research, we investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of a discrete space-time predator−prey system with self- and cross-diffusion. Through stability analysis and bifurcation analysis, Turing pattern formation conditions are derived and two nonlinear mechanisms of pattern formation are found, i.e., pure Turing instability and Hopf-Turing instability. Numerical simulations reveal rich dynamics of the discrete predator−prey system. In spatially homogeneous case, stable homogeneous stationary states, homogeneous periodic, quasiperiodic and chaotic oscillating states are exhibited; in spatially heterogeneous case, a surprising variety of prey and predator patterns are described, including spotted, striped, labyrinth, gapped, spiral, circled patterns and many intermediate patterns. Moreover, sensitivity of spatiotemporal pattern formation to initial conditions is predicted along with Hopf-Turing instability, suggesting the self-organization of diverse patterns under identical parametric conditions. In comparison with former results in literature, the discrete version of reaction-diffusion model developed in this research capture more complicated and richer nonlinear dynamical behaviors, contributing to a new comprehending on the complex pattern formation of spatially extended discrete predator−prey systems.     

Dynamics of a stage-structured predator–prey model with prey impulsively diffusing between two patches

In this work, we propose a stage-structured predator–prey model, with prey impulsively diffusing between two patches. Using the discrete dynamical system determined by the stroboscopic map, we obtain a predator-extinction periodic solution. Further, the predator-extinction periodic solution is globally attractive. By the theory on the delay and impulsive differential equation, we prove that the investigated system is permanent. Our results indicate that the discrete time delay has influence to the dynamical behaviors of the investigated system.     

Chaos in delay-induced Leslie–Gower prey–predator–parasite model and its control through prey harvesting

In this paper we analyze a delay-induced predator–prey–parasite model with prey harvesting, where the predator–prey interaction is represented by Leslie–Gower type model with type II functional response. Infection is assumed to spread horizontally from one infected prey to another susceptible prey following mass action law. Spreading of disease is not instantaneous but mediated by a time lag to take into account the time required for incubation process. Both the susceptible and infected preys are subjected to linear harvesting. The analysis is accomplished in two phases. First we analyze the delay-induced predator–prey–parasite system in absence of harvesting and proved the local & global dynamics of different (six) equilibrium points. It is proved that the delay has no influence on the stability of different equilibrium points except the interior one. Delay may cause instability in an otherwise stable interior equilibrium point of the system and larger delay may even produce chaos if the infection rate is also high. In the second phase, we explored the dynamics of the delay-induced harvested system. It is shown that harvesting of prey population can suppress the abrupt fluctuations in the population densities and can stabilize the system when it exceeds some threshold value.     

Spatial propagation of a lattice predation–competition system with one predator and two preys in shifting habitats

This paper deals with a discrete diffusive predator–prey system involving two competing preys and one predator in a shifting habitat induced by the climate change. By applying Schauder's fixed-point theorem on various invariant cones via constructing several pairs of generalized super- and subsolutions, we establish four different types of supercritical and critical forced extinction waves, which describe the conversion from the state of a saturated aboriginal prey with a pair of invading alien predator–prey, two competing aboriginal coexistent preys with an invading alien predator, a pair of aboriginal coexistent predator–prey and an invading alien prey, and the coexistence of three species to the extinction state, respectively. Meanwhile, the nonexistence of some subcritical forced waves is showed by contradiction. Furthermore, some numerical simulations are given to present and promote the theoretical results.     

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.     

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.     

Nonconstant Positive Steady States and Pattern Formation of 1D Prey-Taxis Systems

Prey-taxis is the process that predators move preferentially toward patches with highest density of prey. It is well known to have an important role in biological control and the maintenance of biodiversity. To model the coexistence and spatial distributions of predator and prey species, this paper concerns nonconstant positive steady states of a wide class of prey-taxis systems with general functional responses over 1D domain. Linearized stability of the positive equilibrium is analyzed to show that prey-taxis destabilizes prey–predator homogeneity when prey repulsion (e.g., due to volume-filling effect in predator species or group defense in prey species) is present, and prey-taxis stabilizes the homogeneity otherwise. Then, we investigate the existence and stability of nonconstant positive steady states to the system through rigorous bifurcation analysis. Moreover, we provide detailed and thorough calculations to determine properties such as pitchfork and turning direction of the local branches. Our stability results also provide a stable wave mode selection mechanism for thee reaction–advection–diffusion systems including prey-taxis models considered in this paper. Finally, we provide numerical studies of prey-taxis systems with Holling–Tanner kinetics to illustrate and support our theoretical findings. Our numerical simulations demonstrate that the \(2\times 2\) prey-taxis system is able to model the formation and evolution of various striking patterns, such as spikes, periodic oscillations, and coarsening even when the domain is one-dimensional. These dynamics can model the coexistence and spatial distributions of interacting prey and predator species. We also give some insights on how system parameters influence pattern formation in these models.