Combined effects of antipredator behaviors and cooperative hunting in a stage-structured predator-prey model

Ankur Jyoti Kashyap; Fengde Chen; Fanitsha Mohan; Anuradha Devi; Hemanta Kumar Sarmah; Ankur Jyoti Kashyap; Fengde Chen; Fanitsha Mohan; Anuradha Devi; Hemanta Kumar Sarmah

doi:10.3934/mmc.2025023

Mathematical Modelling and Control

2025, Volume 5, Issue 4: 338-354. doi: 10.3934/mmc.2025023

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Research article

Combined effects of antipredator behaviors and cooperative hunting in a stage-structured predator-prey model

1.
Department of Mathematics, Girijananda Chowdhury University, Guwahati, 781017, India
2.
School of Mathematics and Statistics, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
3.
Department of Mathematics, The Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati, 781035, India
4.
Department of Mathematics, Gauhati University, Guwahati, 781014, India
5.
Center for Wildlife and Environmental Studies, Girijananda Chowdhury University, Guwahati, 781017, India

Received: 19 October 2023 Revised: 30 August 2024 Accepted: 24 October 2024 Published: 15 October 2025

Collaborative hunting among predators is a common strategy that significantly improves the efficiency of the hunting process by increasing prey fear, consequently impacting their reproduction rate. This work investigated a predator-prey interaction system with a stage-structured prey population. The conversion from juvenile to matured prey was assumed to be density-dependent. We also assumed that predators benefit from hunting cooperation and that mature prey are capable of defending in groups against predators. All possible biologically feasible equilibrium states of the model were determined, and their stabilities were analyzed. The role of various important factors, e.g., hunting cooperation rate, predation rate, and rate of fear, on the system dynamics were discussed. Populations within the ecosystem exhibit chaotic dynamics with varying predator mortality rates. In addition, a stable stock of predator population was observed with its increasing mortality rate, showing a positive hydra effect.
- hunting cooperation,
- stage structure,
- Hopf bifurcation,
- hydra effect,
- numerical simulation
Citation: Ankur Jyoti Kashyap, Fengde Chen, Fanitsha Mohan, Anuradha Devi, Hemanta Kumar Sarmah. Combined effects of antipredator behaviors and cooperative hunting in a stage-structured predator-prey model[J]. Mathematical Modelling and Control, 2025, 5(4): 338-354. doi: 10.3934/mmc.2025023

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Abstract

Collaborative hunting among predators is a common strategy that significantly improves the efficiency of the hunting process by increasing prey fear, consequently impacting their reproduction rate. This work investigated a predator-prey interaction system with a stage-structured prey population. The conversion from juvenile to matured prey was assumed to be density-dependent. We also assumed that predators benefit from hunting cooperation and that mature prey are capable of defending in groups against predators. All possible biologically feasible equilibrium states of the model were determined, and their stabilities were analyzed. The role of various important factors, e.g., hunting cooperation rate, predation rate, and rate of fear, on the system dynamics were discussed. Populations within the ecosystem exhibit chaotic dynamics with varying predator mortality rates. In addition, a stable stock of predator population was observed with its increasing mortality rate, showing a positive hydra effect.

References

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