Global behavior of solutions in a Lotka–Volterra predator–prey model with prey-stage structure

Abstract

In this paper, the global behavior of solutions is investigated for a Lotka–Volterra predator–prey system with prey-stage structure. First, we can see that the stability properties of nonnegative equilibria for the weakly coupled reaction–diffusion system are similar to that for the corresponding ODE system, that is, linear self-diffusions do not drive instability. Second, using Sobolev embedding theorems and bootstrap arguments, the existence and uniqueness of nonnegative global classical solution for the strongly coupled cross-diffusion system are proved when the space dimension is less than 10. Finally, the existence and uniform boundedness of global solutions and the stability of the positive equilibrium point for the cross-diffusion system are studied when the space dimension is one. It is found that the cross-diffusion system is dissipative if the diffusion matrix is positive definite. Furthermore, cross diffusions cannot induce pattern formation if the linear diffusion rates are sufficiently large.