Stoichiometry and environmental change drive dynamical complexity and unpredictable switches in an intraguild predation model

Bifurcations and Homoclinic Orbits of a Model Consisting of Vegetation-Prey-Predator Populations

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the dynamics of a three-level vertical food chain model, specifically focusing on the interactions between vegetation, herbivores, and predators in a Snowshoe hare-Canadian lynx system. By simplifying the model through dimensional analysis, we determine conditions for equilibrium existence and identify various types of bifurcations, including Saddle-Node and Hopf bifurcations. Additionally, the study explores codimension-two bifurcations such as Bogdanov-Takens (BT) and zero-Hopf bifurcations. Coefficient formulas of normal forms are derived through the use of center manifold reduction and normal form theory. The study also presents an approximation of homoclinic orbits near a BT bifurcation of the system by computing explicit asymptotics based on regular perturbation methods. Utilizing the MATLAB package MATCONT, a family of limit cycles and their associated bifurcations are computed, including limit point cycles, period-doubling bifurcations, cusp points of cycles, fold-flip bifurcations, and various resonance bifurcations (R1, R2, R3, and R4). The biological implications of the findings are discussed in detail, highlighting how the identified bifurcations and dynamics can impact the population dynamics of vegetation, herbivores, and predators in real-world ecosystems. Numerical experiments validate the theoretical results and provide further support for the conclusions.

Dynamics of a stoichiometric phytoplankton-zooplankton model with season-driven light intensity

Chemical heterogeneity significantly influences the dynamics of phytoplankton and zooplankton interactions through its effects on phytoplankton carrying capacity and zooplankton ingestion rates. Our central objective of this study was to develop and examine a nonautonomous model of phytoplankton-zooplankton growth, which incorporates season-driven variations in light intensity and chemical heterogeneity. The dynamics of the system is characterized by positive invariance, dissipativity, boundary dynamics, and internal dynamics. Subsequently, numerical simulations were conducted to validate the theoretical findings and to elucidate the effects of seasonal light intensity, nutrient availability, and zooplankton loss rates on phytoplankton dynamics. The outcomes of our model and analysis offer a potential explanation for seasonal phytoplankton blooms.

Theory of Stoichiometric Intraguild Predation: Algae, Ciliate, and Daphnia

Consumers respond differently to external nutrient changes than producers, resulting in a mismatch in elemental composition between them and potentially having a significant impact on their interactions. To explore the responses of herbivores and omnivores to changes in elemental composition in producers, we develop a novel stoichiometric model with an intraguild predation structure. The model is validated using experimental data, and the results show that our model can well capture the growth dynamics of these three species. Theoretical and numerical analyses reveal that the model exhibits complex dynamics, including chaotic-like oscillations and multiple types of bifurcations, and undergoes long transients and regime shifts. Under moderate light intensity and phosphate concentration, these three species can coexist. However, when the light intensity is high or the phosphate concentration is low, the energy enrichment paradox occurs, leading to the extinction of ciliate and Daphnia. Furthermore, if phosphate is sufficient, the competitive effect of ciliate and Daphnia on algae will be dominant, leading to competitive exclusion. Notably, when the phosphorus-to-carbon ratio of ciliate is in a suitable range, the energy enrichment paradox can be avoided, thus promoting the coexistence of species. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of species coexistence and biodiversity.

Stoichiometric microplastics models in natural and laboratory environments

Microplastics pose a severe threat to marine ecosystems; however, relevant mathematical modeling and analysis are lacking. This paper formulates two stoichiometric producer-grazer models to investigate the interactive effects of microplastics, nutrients, and light on population dynamics under different settings. One model incorporates optimal microplastic uptake and foraging behavior based on nutrient availability for natural settings, while the other model does not include foraging in laboratory settings. We establish the well-posedness of the models and examine their long-term behaviors. Our results reveal that in natural environments, producers and grazers exhibit higher sensitivity to microplastics, and the system may demonstrate bistability or tristability. Moreover, the influences of microplastics, nutrients, and light intensity are highly intertwined. The presence of microplastics amplifies the constraints on grazer growth related to food quality and quantity imposed by extreme light intensities, while elevated phosphorus input enhances the system's resistance to intense light conditions. Furthermore, higher environmental microplastic levels do not always imply elevated microplastic body burdens in organisms, as organisms are also influenced by nutrients and light. We also find that grazers are more vulnerable to microplastics, compared to producers. If producers can utilize microplastics for growth, the system displays significantly greater resilience to microplastics.