Multiscale Effects of Predator–Prey Systems with Holling-III Functional Response

Abstract

In this paper, we proposed a Holling-III predator–prey model considering the perturbation of slow-varying, carrying capacity parameters. The study aims to address how the slow changes in carrying capacity influence the dynamics of the model. Based on the bifurcation theory and the slow–fast analysis method, the existence and the equilibrium of the autonomous system are explored, and then, the critical condition of Hopf bifurcation and transcritical bifurcation is established for the autonomous system. The slow–fast coupled nonautonomous system has quasiperiodic oscillations, single Hopf bursting oscillations, and transcritical–Hopf bursting oscillations within a certain range of perturbation amplitude variation if the carrying capacity perturbation amplitude crosses some critical values, such that the predator–prey management is challenging for the extinction of predator populations under the critical value. The motion pattern of the nonautonomous system is closely related to the transcritical bifurcation, Hopf bifurcation and attractor type of the autonomous system. Finally, the effects of changes in parameters related to predator aggressiveness on system behavior are investigated. These results show how crucial the predator–prey control is for varying carrying capacities.