Competitive–cooperative models with various diffusion strategies

Abstract

The paper is concerned with different types of dispersal chosen by competing species. We introduce a model with the diffusion-type term ∇⋅[a∇(u/P)] which includes some previously studied systems as special cases, where a positive space-dependent function P can be interpreted as a chosen dispersal strategy. The well-known result that if the first species chooses P proportional to the carrying capacity while the second does not then the first species will bring the second one to extinction, is also valid for this type of dispersal. However, we focus on the case when the ideal free distribution is attained as a combination of the two strategies adopted by the two species. Then there is a globally stable coexistence equilibrium, its uniqueness is justified. If both species choose the same dispersal strategy, non-proportional to the carrying capacity, then the influence of higher diffusion rates is negative, while of higher intrinsic growth rates is positive for survival in a competition. This extends the result of Dockery et al. (1998) for the regular diffusion to a more general type of dispersal.