Trade-off between fear level induced by predator and infection rate among prey species (Q2053109)

In this article, the authors study a predator-prey model where the prey populations are in fear induced by the predators and suffering from infection. It is assumed that the fear induced by predators is affecting the reproduction and growth rate of prey species. As a consequence, a fear function has been incorporated in the growth term to unveil the impact of fear on the system dynamics. The well-posedness of the model and the positivity of the solution are established and a stability analysis of the different equilibrium points is performed as well. Hopf-bifurcation analysis with direction around the co-existence equilibrium point is also performed and it is found that the interference competition rate leads the system to Hopf bifurcation and increases the stable co-existence of all the populations. Analytical outcomes of the model system suggest that density of infected prey is directly proportional to the level of fear induced by the predator. Numerical simulations have been carried out to validate all the analytical findings and Hopf-bifurcation curves of co-dimension two are drawn to detect various generalised Hopf-bifurcation and zero Hopf-bifurcation points and stability region of the system.