Impact of fear on delayed three species food-web model with Holling type-II functional response

Abstract

This paper deals with the investigation of the three species food-web model. This model includes two logistically growing interaction species, namely [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], and the third species [Formula: see text] behaves as the predator and also host for [Formula: see text]. The species [Formula: see text] predating on the species [Formula: see text] with the Holling type-II functional response, while the first species [Formula: see text] is benefited from the third species [Formula: see text]. Further, the effect of fear is incorporated in the growth rate of species [Formula: see text] due to the predator [Formula: see text] and time lag in [Formula: see text] due to the gestation process. We explore all the biologically possible equilibrium points, and their local stability is analyzed based on the sample parameters. Next, we investigate the occurrence of Hopf-bifurcation around the interior equilibrium point by taking the value of the fear parameter as a bifurcation parameter for the non-delayed system. Moreover, we verify the local stability and existence of Hopf-bifurcation for the corresponding delayed system. Also, the direction and stability of the bifurcating periodic solutions are determined using the normal form theory and the center manifold theorem. Finally, we perform extensive numerical simulations to support the evidence of our analytical findings.