Effect of excess food nutrient on producer-grazer model under stoichiometric and toxicological constraints (Q2160557)

The authors argue that a model for studying the dynamics of grazer growth under limited nutrient conditions and contaminant stress developed by \textit{A. Peace} et al. [J. Theor. Biol. 407, 198--211 (2016; Zbl 1344.92186)] does not take into account the consequences of the excess of nutrients. They integrate the stoichiometric tox-mediated producer-grazer model suggested in the cited paper with the non-toxicant stoichiometric knife edge model [\textit{A. Peace} et al., Math. Biosci. 244, No. 2, 107--115 (2013; Zbl 1280.92077)] obtaining thus the first model combining the impact of excess nutrients and a toxicant on the producer-grazer dynamics. The power law is used to represent the relationship between toxicant concentrations and predator mortality and stoichiometric constraints are introduced in the form of minimum functions. To explore the impact of varying phosphorus constraints and MeHg stressors on population dynamics and MeHg bioaccumulation, the general toxicant-mediated stoichiometric knife edged producer-grazer model is parameterized to a system of algal (producer) and \textit{Daphinia} (grazer). To facilitate the analysis, it is assumed that the population metabolism occurs on a faster time scale than population growth dynamics. Using the fast and slow subsystems and a quasi-steady-state assumption, a four-dimensional system is reduced to a two-dimensional one. The boundedness of solutions, existence and local stability of boundary equilibria for the reduced system are proved analytically. Numerical simulations are employed to demonstrate the existence and stability of interior equilibria and limit cycles. It is shown that the dynamics of a new model is similar to that in a model earlier developed by \textit{A. Peace} et al. [J. Theor. Biol. 407, 198--211 (2016; Zbl 1344.92186)] for low values of phosphorus (P) but differs for moderate and high P loads. In particular, the new model captures the impact of excessive P levels on the populations and predicts extinction of the grazer population for high P values.