Modeling the effects of trait–mediated dispersal on coexistence of two species: Competition and non–consumptive predator–prey

Ananta Acharya; Emily Cosgrove; James T. Cronin; Jerome Goddard Ⅱ; Eddie Lindsey; Amila Muthunayake; Dustin Nichols; Ratnasingham Shivaji; Ananta Acharya; Emily Cosgrove; James T. Cronin; Jerome Goddard Ⅱ; Eddie Lindsey; Amila Muthunayake; Dustin Nichols; Ratnasingham Shivaji

doi:10.3934/mbe.2026054

Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering

2026, Volume 23, Issue 5: 1461-1500. doi: 10.3934/mbe.2026054

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Research article

Modeling the effects of trait–mediated dispersal on coexistence of two species: Competition and non–consumptive predator–prey

1.
Department of Mathematical Sciences, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, NM 88130, USA
2.
Department of Mathematics, Auburn University Montgomery, Montgomery, AL 36124, USA
3.
Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
4.
Department of Mathematics, Weber State University, Ogden, UT 84408, USA
5.
Department of Mathematical Sciences, High Point University, High Point, NC 27262, USA
6.
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA

Received: 05 December 2025 Revised: 18 February 2026 Accepted: 09 March 2026 Published: 14 April 2026

Fragmentation and loss of habitat owing to increased human activity are major drivers of species extinctions and declining global biodiversity. In ecological communities, trait–mediated indirect effects are frequently observed and can influence population dynamics as strongly, possibly even more strongly, than direct effects. However, few studies have focused on trait–mediated behavior such as trait–mediated dispersal, in which the dispersal patterns are altered by the presence of an interacting species. Moreover, little is known about how trait–mediated dispersal interacts with habitat fragmentation and loss to affect the coexistence of interacting species. Here, we explore the consequences of both trait–mediated dispersal and fragmentation/loss on coexistence in a system consisting of two competing species or a predator and its prey. By assuming that the density–mediated effects are negligible, we isolate the role of trait–mediated effects. Our results show that the combined influence of fragmentation and trait–mediated dispersal can substantially reshape the population dynamics and species coexistence outcomes.
- habitat fragmentation,
- trait–mediated dispersal,
- reaction diffusion model,
- competition,
- predator–prey,
- dead zone,
- founder control
Citation: Ananta Acharya, Emily Cosgrove, James T. Cronin, Jerome Goddard Ⅱ, Eddie Lindsey, Amila Muthunayake, Dustin Nichols, Ratnasingham Shivaji. Modeling the effects of trait–mediated dispersal on coexistence of two species: Competition and non–consumptive predator–prey[J]. Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering, 2026, 23(5): 1461-1500. doi: 10.3934/mbe.2026054

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Abstract

Fragmentation and loss of habitat owing to increased human activity are major drivers of species extinctions and declining global biodiversity. In ecological communities, trait–mediated indirect effects are frequently observed and can influence population dynamics as strongly, possibly even more strongly, than direct effects. However, few studies have focused on trait–mediated behavior such as trait–mediated dispersal, in which the dispersal patterns are altered by the presence of an interacting species. Moreover, little is known about how trait–mediated dispersal interacts with habitat fragmentation and loss to affect the coexistence of interacting species. Here, we explore the consequences of both trait–mediated dispersal and fragmentation/loss on coexistence in a system consisting of two competing species or a predator and its prey. By assuming that the density–mediated effects are negligible, we isolate the role of trait–mediated effects. Our results show that the combined influence of fragmentation and trait–mediated dispersal can substantially reshape the population dynamics and species coexistence outcomes.

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