The effect of diffusion on the time varying logistic population growth (Q1806575)

The authors study the effect of diffusion on biological systems of the type \[ \dot{x_{i}} = x_{i}(b_{i}(t) - a_{i}(t)x_{i}) + \displaystyle \sum_{j=1}^{n} D_{ij}(t)(x_{j}-x_{i}),\quad i,j = 1,...n, \] where the functions \(b_{i}(t), a_{i}(t), D_{ij}(t)\) are supposed to be continuous and \(\omega\)-periodic. Moreover, \(a_{i}(t) > 0, \;D_{ij}(t) > 0, \text{ if } i \neq j,\) and \(D_{ii}(t) = 0\). It is proved, under some additional assumptions on the intrinsic growth rates for the species \(b_{i}(t)\) and on the diffusion coefficients \(D_{ij}\), that the system can be made either permanent or extinct. Moreover, it is shown that if the system is permanent, then it has a unique globally asymptotically stable positive periodic solution. The paper finishes with discussing the biological meaning of the obtained results.