Behavioral refuges and predator–prey coexistence

Abstract

The effects of a behavioral refuge caused either by the predator optimal foraging or prey adaptive antipredator behavior on the Gause predator–prey model are studied. It is shown that both of these mechanisms promote predator–prey coexistence either at an equilibrium, or along a limit cycle. Adaptive prey refuge use leads to hysteresis in prey antipredator behavior which allows predator–prey coexistence along a limit cycle. Similarly, optimal predator foraging leads to sigmoidal functional responses with a potential to stabilize predator–prey population dynamics at an equilibrium, or along a limit cycle.