Food Quality in Producer-Grazer Models: A Generalized Analysis

Stoichiometric constraints play a role in the dynamics of natural populations, but are not explicitly considered in most mathematical models. Recent theoretical works suggest that these constraints can have a significant impact and should not be neglected. However, it is not yet resolved how stoichiometry should be integrated in population dynamical models, as different modeling approaches are found to yield qualitatively different results. Here we investigate a unifying framework that reveals the differences and commonalities between previously proposed models for producer-grazer systems. Our analysis reveals that stoichiometric constraints affect the dynamics mainly by increasing the intraspecific competition between producers and by introducing a variable biomass conversion efficiency. The intraspecific competition has a strongly stabilizing effect on the system, whereas the variable conversion efficiency resulting from a variable food quality is the main determinant for the nature of the instability once destabilization occurs. Only if the food quality is high an oscillatory instability, as in the classical paradox of enrichment, can occur. While the generalized model reveals that the generic insights remain valid in a large class of models, we show that other details such as the specific sequence of bifurcations encountered in enrichment scenarios can depend sensitively on assumptions made in modeling stoichiometric constraints.Comment: Online appendixes include

Hopf Bifurcation in a Modified Leslie-Gower Two Preys One Predator Model and Holling Type II Functional Response with Harvesting and Time-Delay

In this paper, a modified Leslie-Gower two preys one predator model and Holling type II functional response with harvesting and time-delay were discussed. Model analysis is carried out by determining fixed points, then analyzing the stability of the fixed points and discussing the existence of the Hopf bifurcation. In some conditions that occur in nature indicate the occurrence of hunting of prey and predator species by humans. Therefore, this model is modified by adding the assumption that prey and predators are being harvested. Another modification given to the model is the use of time delays.The delay time term is for taking into account the case that the members of the predator species need time from birth to predation for being active predators. The first case is a model without time delay, it is obtained that 3 fixed points are unstable and 7 fixed points are stable. One of them is the interior fixed point tested with the Routh-Hurwitz criteria. The second case is a model with a delay time, the critical delay value is obained. Hopf bifurcation occurs when the delay time value is equal to the critical delay value and also fulfills the transversality condition. Observations on the model simulation are carried out by varying the value of the delay time. When the Hopf bifurcation occurs, the graph on the solution plane shows a constant oscillatory movement. If the value of the delay time given is less than the critical value of the delay, the controlled system solution goes to a balanced state. Then when the delay time value is greater than the critical delay value, the system solution continues to fluctuate causing an unstable system condition

Modelling the Dynamics of a Renewable Resource under Harvesting with Taxation as a Control Variable

The present paper describes a model of resource biomass and population with a non-linear catch rate function on resource biomass. The harvesting effort is assumed to be a dynamical variable. Tax on per unit harvested resource biomass is used as a tool to control exploitation of the resource. Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle is used to find the optimal control to maintain the resource biomass and population at an optimal level. A numerical simulation is also carried out to support the analytical results

A prey-predator fishery model with endogenous switching of harvesting strategy

We propose a dynamic model to describe a fishery where both preys and predators are harvested by a population of fishermen who are allowed to catch only one of the two species at a time. According to the strategy currently employed by each agent, i.e. the harvested variety, at each time period the population of fishermen is partitioned into two groups, and an evolutionary mechanism regulates how agents dynamically switch from one strategy to the other in order to improve their profits. Among the various dynamic models proposed, the most realistic is a hybrid system formed by two ordinary differential equations, describing the dynamics of the interacting species under fishing pressure, and an impulsive variable that evolves in a discrete time scale, in order to describe the changes of the fraction of fishermen that harvest a given stock. The aim of the paper is to analyze the economic consequences of this kind of self-regulating fishery, as well as its biological sustainability, in comparison with other regulatory policies. Our analytic and numerical results give evidence that in some cases this kind of myopic, evolutionary self-regulation might ensure a satisfactory trade-off between profit maximization and resource conservation

Numerical Continuation and Bifurcation Analysis in a Harvested Predator-Prey Model with Time Delay using DDE-Biftool

Time delay has been incorporated in models to reflect certain physical or biological meaning. The theory of delay differential equations (DDEs), which has seen extensive growth in the last seventy years or so, can be used to examine the effects of time delay in the dynamical behavior of systems being considered. Numerical tools to study DDEs have played a significant role not only in illustrating theoretical results but also in discovering interesting dynamics of the model. DDE-Biftool, which is a Matlab package for numerical continuation and numerical bifurcation analysis of DDEs, is one of the most utilized and popular numerical tools for DDEs. In this paper, we present a guide to using the latest version of DDE-Biftool targeted to researchers who are new to the study of time delay systems. A short discussion of an example application, which is a harvested predator-prey model with a single discrete time delay, will be presented first. We then implement this example model in DDE-Biftool, pointing out features where beginners need to be cautious. We end with a comparison of our theoretical and numerical results

Controllability of an eco-epidemiological system with disease transmission delay: A theoretical study

This paper deals with the qualitative analysis of a disease transmission delay induced prey preda-tor system in which disease spreads among the predator species only. The growth of the preda-tors’ susceptible and infected subpopulations is assumed as modified Leslie–Gower type. Suffi-cient conditions for the persistence, permanence, existence and stability of equilibrium points are obtained. Global asymptotic stability of the system is investigated around the coexisting equilib-rium using a geometric approach. The existence of Hopf bifurcation phenomenon is also exam-ined with respect to some important parameters of the system. The criterion for disease a trans-mission delay the induced Hopf bifurcation phenomenon is obtained and subsequently, we use a normal form method and the center manifold theorem to examine the nature of the Hopf bifurca-tion. It is clearly observed that competition among predators can drive the system to a stable from an unstable state. Also the infection and competition among predator population enhance the availability of prey for harvesting when their values are high. Finally, some numerical simu-lations are carried out to illustrate the analytical results

Predator Harvesting in Systems with One Predator and Two Prey Habitats

Harvesting of the predator in systems consisting of one predator and two preys where the preys live in two different habitats is considered. It is assumed that the prey species have resources in abundance and the predator specie is able to switch to the most abundant prey specie. We consider two types of predator harvesting. One is when we harvest a fixed amount of predators (constant harvest quota) and the other is when we harvest a fixed percentage of the predators (constant harvest effort). Stability analysis is carried out and hypothetical cases are used to support our analysis

Hopf bifurcation and optimal control in a diffusive predator-prey system with time delay and prey harvesting

In this paper, we investigated the dynamics of a diffusive delayed predator-prey system with Holling type II functional response and nozero constant prey harvesting on no-flux boundary condition. At first, we obtain the existence and the stability of the equilibria by analyzing the distribution of the roots of associated characteristic equation. Using the time delay as the bifurcation parameter and the harvesting term as the control parameter, we get the existence and the stability of Hopf bifurcation at the positive constant steady state. Applying the normal form theory and the center manifold argument for partial functional differential equations, we derive an explicit formula for determining the direction and the stability of Hopf bifurcation. Finally, an optimal control problem has been considered