Cross-diffusion mediated Spatiotemporal patterns in a predator–prey system with hunting cooperation and fear effect

Abstract

Cooperation during hunting is a common predation plan of action among several large predators to increase their biomass raising capturing potential which can also produce fear in the prey and dispersal-influenced pattern creation is also relevant from both a fundamental and an applied standpoint. Considering these, we present a modified Leslie–Gower predator–prey model incorporating fear, intra-specific competition and hunting cooperation of predators following Berec’s encounter-driven functional response in presence of cross-diffusion. In the non-spatial system, biologically feasible equilibria and their stability conditions are derived. Taking the level of fear as bifurcation parameter, occurrence of limit cycle via Hopf bifurcation and the stability of limit cycle computing Lyapunov coefficient are discussed. In diffusive model, spacial focus on Turing instability conditions and to determine the relevant intervals at which various patterns will begin to appear. In the two dimensional spatial domain, under Neumann boundary condition, various Turing patterns such as spot, stripe, mixture of spot and stripe, labyrinth patterns are emerged varying fear, hunting cooperation and cross-diffusion coefficient. Hopf–Turing region is also a centre for several complex patterns. The numerical simulations indicate that the patterns are in same or opposite phase according to the sign of cross-diffusion coefficient. Intra-specific competition among predators tend the system towards stability. Cross-diffusion causes a paradox to population density with raising fear and hunting cooperation.