Influence of consumer mutual interference on the stabilization of a three‐level trophic system

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, we present a three‐level (food–prey–predator) trophic food chain which includes consumer mutual interference (MIF). In contrast with other analyses, we consider the effect of both prey and predator MIF on the dynamics of a three‐level trophic system. MIF is generally considered to exert a stabilizing effect on population dynamics based on the predator–prey model. However, results from analytical and numerical simulations utilizing a simple three‐species food chain model suggest that while the addition of prey MIF to the model provides a stabilizing influence, as the chaotic dynamics collapse to a stable steady state, adding only predator MIF to the model can only stabilize the system at intermediate MIF values. The three‐species trophic food chain is also stabilized when combination of both prey and predator MIF is added to the model. Our work serves to provide insight into the effects of MIF in the real world.