Stability Analysis of a Diffusive Three-Species Ecological System with Time Delays

Abstract

In this study, the dynamics of a diffusive Lotka–Volterra three-species system with delays were explored. By employing the Galerkin Method, which generates semi-analytical solutions, a partial differential equation system was approximated through mathematical modeling with delay differential equations. Steady-state curves and Hopf bifurcation maps were created and discussed in detail. The effects of the growth rate of prey and the mortality rate of the predator and top predator on the system’s stability were demonstrated. Increase in the growth rate of prey destabilised the system, whilst increase in the mortality rate of predator and top predator stabilised it. The increase in the growth rate of prey likely allowed the occurrence of chaotic solutions in the system. Additionally, the effects of hunting and maturation delays of the species were examined. Small delay responses stabilised the system, whilst great delays destabilised it. Moreover, the effects of the diffusion coefficients of the species were investigated. Alteration of the diffusion coefficients rendered the system permanent or extinct.

Keywords

• reaction–diffusion equations
• prey-predator system
• Hopf bifurcation
• semi-analytical models
• chaotic dynamics