Existence and bifurcation of stable equilibrium in two-prey, one-predator communities

In this paper, stability of two-prey, one-predator communities is investigated by Lyapunov's direct method and Hopf's bifurcation theory. Three patterns of three-species coexistence are possible. A globally stable non-negative equilibrium exists for the system even if two competing prey species without a predator cannot coexist. The stable equilibrium bifurcates to a periodic motion with a small amplitude when the predation rate increases. It is also shown that a chaotic motion emerges from the periodic motion when one of two prey has greater competitive abilities than the other. This predator-mediated coexistence can be realized by the intimate relationship between preferences of a predator and competitive abilities of two prey.

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