Dynamics of a generalist predator–prey system with harvesting and hunting cooperation in deterministic/stochastic environment

Abstract

In this investigation, we explore a predator–prey system characterized by generalist predators exhibiting cooperative behavior during hunting, subject to nonlinear harvesting rate. Employing a Beverton–Holt type functional response to capture the impact of additional food sources on predator growth, our numerical findings affirm the destabilizing influence of hunting cooperation, excessive predation, and supplementary food sources. Conversely, the system demonstrates stabilization in response to increased prey species growth. We unveil the occurrence of both forward and backward bifurcations in the system due to the predator growth attributed to additional food sources, contingent on the degree of hunting cooperation. To broaden the scope, we extend our proposed model to its stochastic counterpart, introducing environmental white noises. Our numerical results anticipate that higher intensities of white noises lead to fluctuations of greater amplitude, while smaller intensities exhibit a more modest impact. Additionally, we elucidate the dynamics of prey and predator populations through histogram plots. The theoretical and numerical insights derived from this study provide a deeper understanding of the intricate dynamics within predator–prey systems of ecological communities, emphasizing the significance of additional food sources for cooperative predators subject to harvesting in both constant and fluctuating environments.