Unveiling the dynamics of canard cycles and global behaviour in a singularly perturbed predator-prey system with Allee effect in predator

In this article, we have considered a planar slow-fast modified Leslie-Gower predator-prey model with a weak Allee effect in the predator, based on the natural assumption that the prey reproduces far more quickly than the predator. We present a thorough mathematical analysis demonstrating the existence of homoclinic orbits, heteroclinic orbits, singular Hopf bifurcation, canard limit cycles, relaxation oscillations, the birth of canard explosion by combining the normal form theory of slow-fast systems, Fenichel's theorem and blow-up technique near non-hyperbolic point. We have obtained very rich dynamical phenomena of the model, including the saddle-node, Hopf, transcritical bifurcation, generalized Hopf, cusp point, homoclinic orbit, heteroclinic orbit, and Bogdanov-Takens bifurcations. Moreover, we have investigated the global stability of the unique positive equilibrium, as well as bistability, which shows that the system can display either 'prey extinction', 'stable coexistence', or 'oscillating coexistence' depending on the initial population size and values of the system parameters. The theoretical findings are verified by numerical simulations.Comment: 26 pages, 13 figure

Evolutionary Suicide of Prey : Matsuda and Abrams' Model Revisited

Under the threat of predation, a species of prey can evolve to its own extinction. Matsuda and Abrams (Theor Popul Biol 45:76-91, 1994a) found the earliest example of evolutionary suicide by demonstrating that the foraging effort of prey can evolve until its population dynamics cross a fold bifurcation, whereupon the prey crashes to extinction. We extend this model in three directions. First, we use critical function analysis to show that extinction cannot happen via increasing foraging effort. Second, we extend the model to non-equilibrium systems and demonstrate evolutionary suicide at a fold bifurcation of limit cycles. Third, we relax a crucial assumption of the original model. To find evolutionary suicide, Matsuda and Abrams assumed a generalist predator, whose population size is fixed independently of the focal prey. We embed the original model into a three-species community of the focal prey, the predator and an alternative prey that can support the predator also alone, and investigate the effect of increasingly strong coupling between the focal prey and the predator's population dynamics. Our three-species model exhibits (1) evolutionary suicide via a subcritical Hopf bifurcation and (2) indirect evolutionary suicide, where the evolution of the focal prey first makes the community open to the invasion of the alternative prey, which in turn makes evolutionary suicide of the focal prey possible. These new phenomena highlight the importance of studying evolution in a broader community context.Peer reviewe

Evolution of pathogen virulence under selective predation : A construction method to find eco-evolutionary cycles

Peer reviewe

Fear effect in a three-species food chain model with generalist predator

Within the framework of a food web, the foraging behavior of meso-carnivorous species is influenced by fear responses elicited by higher trophic level species, consequently diminishing the fecundity of these species. In this study, we investigate a three-species food chain model comprising of prey, an intermediate predator, and a top predator. We assume that both the birth rate and intraspecies competition of prey are impacted by fear induced by the intermediate predator. Additionally, the foraging behavior of the intermediate predator is constrained due to the presence of the top predator. It is essential to note that the top predators exhibit a generalist feeding behavior, encompassing food sources beyond the intermediate predators. The study systematically determines all feasible equilibria of the proposed model and conducts a comprehensive stability analysis of these equilibria. The investigation reveals that the system undergoes Hopf bifurcation concerning various model parameters. Notably, when other food sources significantly contribute to the growth of the top predators, the system exhibits stable behavior around the interior equilibrium. Our findings indicate that the dynamic influence of fear plays a robust role in stabilizing the system. Furthermore, a cascading effect within the system, stemming from the fear instigated by top predators, is observed and analyzed. Overall, this research sheds light on the intricate dynamics of fear-induced responses in shaping the stability and behavior of multi-species food web systems, highlighting the profound cascading effects triggered by fear mechanisms in the ecosystem

Attractors and long transients in a spatio-temporal slow-fast Bazykin's model

Spatio-temporal complexity of ecological dynamics has been a major focus of research for a few decades. Pattern formation, chaos, regime shifts and long transients are frequently observed in field data but specific factors and mechanisms responsible for the complex dynamics often remain obscure. An elementary building block of ecological population dynamics is a prey-predator system. In spite of its apparent simplicity, it has been demonstrated that a considerable part of ecological dynamical complexity may originate in this elementary system. A considerable progress in understanding of the prey-predator system's potential complexity has been made over the last few years; however, there are yet many questions remaining. In this paper, we focus on the effect of intraspecific competition in the predator population. In mathematical terms, such competition can be described by an additional quadratic term in the equation for the predator population, hence resulting in the variant of prey-predator system that is often referred to as Bazykin's model. We pay a particular attention to the case (often observed in real population communities) where the inherent prey and predator timescales are significantly different: the property known as a `slow-fast' dynamics. Using an array of analytical methods along with numerical simulations, we provide comprehensive investigation into the spatio-temporal dynamics of this system. In doing that, we apply a novel approach to quantify the system solution by calculating its norm in two different metrics such as $C^0$ and $L^2$. We show that the slow-fast Bazykin's system exhibits a rich spatio-temporal dynamics, including a variety of long exotic transient regimes that can last for hundreds and thousands of generations

Normal form for singular Bautin bifurcation in a slow-fast system with Holling type III functional response

Over the last few decades, complex oscillations of slow-fast systems have been a key area of research. In the theory of slow-fast systems, the location of singular Hopf bifurcation and maximal canard is determined by computing the first Lyapunov coefficient. In particular, the analysis of canards is based on the genericity condition that the first Lyapunov coefficient must be non-zero. This manuscript aims to further extend the results to the case where the first Lyapunov coefficient vanishes. For that, the analytic expression of the second Lyapunov coefficient and the investigation of the normal form for codimension-2 singular Bautin bifurcation in a predator-prey system is done by explicitly identifying the locally invertible parameter-dependent transformations. A planar slow-fast predator-prey model with Holling type III functional response is considered here, where the prey population growth is affected by the weak Allee effect, and the prey reproduces much faster than the predator. Using geometric singular perturbation theory, normal form theory of slow-fast systems, and blow-up technique, we provide a detailed mathematical investigation of the system to show a variety of rich and complex nonlinear dynamics including but not limited to the existence of canards, relaxation oscillations, canard phenomena, singular Hopf bifurcation, and singular Bautin bifurcation. Additionally, numerical simulations are conducted to support the theoretical findings

Dynamics of a two prey and one predator system with indirect effect

none3We study a population model with two preys and one predator, considering a Holling type II functional response for the interaction between first prey and predator and taking into account indirect effect of predation. We perform the stability analysis of equilibria and study the possibility of Hopf bifurcation. We also include a detailed discussion on the problem of persistence. Several numerical simulations are provided in order to illustrate the theoretical results of the paper.openColucci R.; Diz-Pita E.; Otero-Espinar M.V.Colucci, R.; Diz-Pita, E.; Otero-Espinar, M. V

Dynamics of a two prey and one predator system with indirect effect

Altres ajuts: Consellería de Educación, Universidade e Formación Profesional (Xunta de Galicia), grant ED431C 2019/10We study a population model with two preys and one predator, considering a Holling type II functional response for the interaction between first prey and predator and taking into account indirect effect of predation. We perform the stability analysis of equilibria and study the possibility of Hopf bifurcation. We also include a detailed discussion on the problem of persistence. Several numerical simulations are provided in order to illustrate the theoretical results of the paper

Discontinuous harvesting policy in a Filippov system involving prey refuge

In this article, a non-smooth predator-prey dynamical system is considered. Here, we discuss about sustainable harvesting in a Filippov predator-prey system, which can produce yield and at the same time prevent over-exploitation of bioresources. The local and global stability analysis of the two subsystems, with and without harvesting, are studied. Furthermore, for the Filippov system, we have performed bifurcation analysis for several key parameters like predation rate, threshold quantity and prey refuge. Some local sliding bifurcations are also observed for the system. Numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the dynamical behaviour of the system