Mathematical analysis of coral reef models

It is acknowledged that coral reefs are globally threatened. P.J. Mumby et al. [10] constructed a mathematical model with ordinary differential equations to investigate the dynamics of coral reefs. In this paper, we first provide a detailed global analysis of the coral reef ODE model in [10]. Next we incorporate the inherent time delay to obtain a mathematical model with delay differential equations. We consider the grazing intensity and the time delay as focused parameters and perform local stability analysis for the coral reef DDE model. If the time delay is sufficiently small, the stability results remain the same. However, if the time delay is large enough, macroalgae only state and coral only state are both unstable, while they are both stable in the ODE model. Meanwhile, if the grazing intensity and the time delay are endowed some suitable values, the DDE model possesses a nontrivial periodic solution, whereas the ODE model has no nontrivial periodic solutions for any grazing rate. We study the existence and property of the Hopf bifurcation points and the corresponding stability switching directions.     

Dynamics of coral reef models in the presence of parrotfish

The decline of coral reefs characterized by macroalgae increase has been a global threat. We consider a slightly modified version of an ordinary differential equation (ODE) model proposed in Blackwood, Hastings, and Mumby [Theor. Ecol. 5 (2012), pp. 105–114] that explicitly considers the role of parrotfish grazing on coral reef dynamics. We perform complete stability, bifurcation, and persistence analysis for this model. If the fishing effort (f) is in between two critical values and , then the system has a unique interior equilibrium, which is stable if and unstable if . If is less (more) than these critical values, then the system has up to two (zero) interior equilibria. Also, we develop a more realistic delay differential equation (DDE) model to incorporate the time delay and treating it as the bifurcation parameter, and we prove that Hopf bifurcation about the interior equilibria could occur at critical time delays, which illustrate the potential importance of the inherent time delay in a coral reef ecosystem. Recommendations for Resource Managers

• One serious threat to coral reefs is overfishing of grazing species, including high level of algal abundance. Fishing alters the entire dynamics of a reef (Hughes, Baird, & Bellwood, 2003), for which the coral cover was predicted to decline rapidly (Mumby, 2006). One major issue is to reverse and develop appropriate management to increase or maintain coral resilience.
• We have provided a detailed local and global analysis of model (Blackwood, Hastings, & Mumby, 2012) and obtained an ecologically meaningful attracting region, for which there is a chance of stable coexistence of coral–algal–fish state.
• The healthy reefs switch to unhealthy state, and the macroalgae–parrotfish state becomes stable as the fishing effort increases through some critical values. Also, for some critical time delays, a switch between healthy and unhealthy reef states occurs through a Hopf bifurcation, which can only appear in the delay differential equation (DDE) model. Eventually, for large enough time delay, oscillations appear and an unhealthy state occurs.

     

Coexistence of periods in a bifurcation

A particular type of order-to-chaos transition mediated by an infinite set of coexisting neutrally stable limit cycles of different periods is studied in the Varley–Gradwell–Hassell population model. We prove by an algebraic method that this kind of transition can only happen for a particular bifurcation parameter value. Previous results on the structure of the attractor at the transition point are here simplified and extended.     

松弛模型中的液气共存平衡态

对密闭的一维有限长管道里的等温相变．研究了松弛模型中液气共存平衡态的稳定性．使用匹配渐近展开形式上推出了一阶扰动满足的线性系统．理论分析发现．初始小扰动通常会被耗散掉,然而在一些特殊情况下,它们会维持在一定的水平上．数值计算也表明了松弛机制对相变演化具有稳定作用．     

Coexistence and asymptotic periodicity in a competitor-competitor-mutualist model

In this paper, the competitor-competitor-mutualist three-species Lotka-Volterra model is discussed. Firstly, by Schauder fixed point theory, the coexistence state of the strongly coupled system is given. Applying the method of upper and lower solutions and its associated monotone iterations, the true solutions are constructed. Our results show that this system possesses at least one coexistence state if cross-diffusions and cross-reactions are weak. Secondly, the existence and asymptotic behavior of T-periodic solutions for the periodic reaction-diffusion system under homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions are investigated. Sufficient conditions which guarantee the existence of T-periodic solution are also obtained.     

Coexistence for species sharing a predator

A class of equations describing the dynamics of two prey sharing a common predator are considered. Even though the boundary and internal dynamics can exhibit oscillatory behavior, it is shown these equations are permanent if only if they admit a positive equilibrium. Going beyond permanence, a subclass of equations are constructed that are almost surely permanent but not permanent; there exists an attractor in the positive orthant that attracts Lebesgue almost every (but not every) initial condition.     

Coexistence in a discrete competition model with dispersal

We propose a discrete-time competition model between two populations to study the effects of dispersal upon population interactions. It is assumed that dispersal occurs after reproduction and in synchrony. We first analyse a two-patch single species population model with no interspecific competition. Based on these results, we derive sufficient conditions for population coexistence. It is proved that the system is uniformly persistent and possesses a unique coexisting equilibrium.     

一类带有交叉扩散的捕食模型的共存问题

研究带有齐次Dirichlet边界条件的捕食-食饵模型,得到了平凡解存在的条件,并给出半平凡解存在的充分条件以及解的先验估计,最后利用Shauder不动点定理,得到问题至少有一个正解存在的充分条件.该结果说明只要捕获率足够小,物种的交叉扩散相对弱,问题就至少存在一个正解.     

Coexistence in the design of a series of two chemostats

We revisit the design problem of series of two chemostats, when more than one species are present for a single resource. We give precise conditions under which coexistence of two species is possible for such configurations. Furthermore, we show that for a broad class of growth functions, the optimal design cannot sustain coexistence of more than one species (either a new species is rejected or it invades the whole system).     

Coexistence of two species in a strongly coupled cooperative model

In this paper, the cooperative two-species Lotka–Volterra model is discussed. We study the existence of solutions to a elliptic system with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions. Our results show that this problem possesses at least one coexistence state if the birth rates are big and self-diffusions and the intra-specific competitions are strong.     

Co-existence of competing prey with a shared predator

This paper deals with a complex prey?–?predator system, consisting of two competing prey species and one predator. We derive conditions for persistence. In the presence of a delay, we estimate the length of delay to maintain persistence of the system.     

Coexistence in a strongly coupled system describing a two-species cooperative model

This paper is concerned with a cooperative two-species Lotka–Volterra model. Using the fixed point theorem, the existence results of solutions to a strongly coupled elliptic system with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions are obtained. Our results show that this model possesses at least one coexistence state if the birth rates are big and cross-diffusions are suitably weak.     

一类具有扩散的捕食模型的共存解

该文讨论了具有扩散的捕食模型.利用上下解方法和分支理论,得到了椭圆系统的共存解的存在性,并且讨论了共存解的稳定性.     

Coexistence states of a Holling type-II predator-prey system

This paper characterize the existence of coexistence states to a reaction-diffusion predator-prey model with Holling type-II functional response subject to Dirichlet boundary conditions. We find the necessary and sufficient conditions for existence of coexistence states by fixed point index theory and bifurcation theory.     

Approximations of some hazard rate estimators in a competing risks model

A general model involving k competing risks is studied and the hazard rates of these risks are simultaneously estimated. The estimators are strongly approximated by Gaussian processes and the limiting distribution of certain statistics are obtained.     

Dynamics of species in a model with two predators and one prey

In this paper, we study a predator-prey model which has one prey and two predators with Beddington-DeAngelis functional responses. Firstly, we establish a set of sufficient conditions for the permanence and extinction of species. Secondly, the periodicity of positive solutions is studied. Thirdly, by using Liapunov functions and the continuation theorem in coincidence degree theory, we show the global asymptotic stability of such solutions. Finally, we give some numerical examples to illustrate the behavior of the model.     

Coordinating a three-stage supply chain with competing manufacturers

It is common for multiple manufacturers to compete in one common market. This paper considers a three-stage supply chain consisting of two competing manufacturers, one distributor, and one retailer. The two manufacturers’ products are substitutable with each other, and both manufacturers sell their products through the common distributor and the common retailer. In this supply chain, three contract mechanisms are discussed. The first one is wholesale-price (WP) contracts. The second one is pairwise revenue-sharing (PRS) contracts indicating that the revenues are shared by all pairs of adjacent entities. The third one is spanning revenue-sharing (SRS) contract indicating that the retailer simultaneously shares his revenues with all supply chain members. First, we discuss the effects of competition between manufacturers on both decentralized and centralized supply chains under the WP contracts. Second, we discuss the coordination mechanisms. The PRS and SRS contracts are used to coordinate the entire supply chain. We present the drawbacks of the PRS contracts in coordinating this competing supply chain and suggest using the SRS contract instead. After an SRS contract is adopted, it is evaluated using the WP contracts as a benchmark. The conditions necessary for an SRS contract to achieve a win–win outcome are then presented. Finally, some numerical examples are provided.     

一类未搅拌恒化器中食物网的共存态

本文讨论了一类在单种营养物输入的未搅拌恒化器中的简单食物网模型,该模型除了营养物以外,还包含有一个捕食者种群和两个竞争的食饵种群.应用Dancer不动点指数和度理论的知识,给出了该系统共存态存在的充分必要条件.