A Ricker–type predator–prey system with hunting cooperation in discrete time

Abstract

A predator–prey system in discrete-time for which the predators engage in cooperative hunting and the prey population is subject to scramble intra-specific competition is developed and analyzed. We prove that the number of positive equilibrium points depends not only on the predator’s basic reproduction number but also on the intensity of predator cooperation. The model exhibits a discrete Hopf bifurcation when the unique positive equilibrium point loses its stability. Two-parameter bifurcation diagrams using MATLAB conclude that hunting cooperation can increase the likelihood of predator persistence but may destabilize the predator–prey interaction and drive the predator to extinction.