Global Stability of Cycles: Lotka-Volterra Competition Model With Stocking (Q3148757)

The authors consider the system \[ \begin{aligned} x_1(t+1) &= x_1(t)\exp(p_1- q_1(x_1(t)+ x_2(t)))+ \alpha x_1(t),\\ x_1(t+ 1) &= x_2(t)\exp(p_2- q_2(x_1(t)+ x_2(t)))\end{aligned}\tag{1} \] as a mathematical model to describe the growth dynamics of two species (species 1 and 2) in competition. For each species \(i\in \{1,2\}\), \(x_i(t)\) is its population size at generation \(t\) and \(p_i\), \(q_i\) and \(\alpha\) are positive constants and \(\alpha\) in \((0,1)\) is the variable planting coefficient. Denote the vector of population densities \(x(t)= (x_1(t), x_2(t))\) by \(x= (x_1,x_2)\in\mathbb{R}^2_+\) and define the map \(F: \mathbb{R}^2_+\to \mathbb{R}^2_+\) by \[ F(x_1,x_2)= (x_1g_1(x_1+ x_2)+ \alpha x_1, x_2 g_2(x_1+ x_2))\qquad (x_1,x_2)\in \mathbb{R}^2_+, \] where \[ g_i(x_i)= \exp(p_i- q_i x),\quad i\in \{1,2\}. \] Denote by \(F^t\) the map \(F\) composed with itself \(t\) times and \(F^t_j(x)\), \(j\in \{1,2\}\), is the \(j\)th component of \(F^t\) evaluated at the point \(x= (x_1,x_2)\in \mathbb{R}^2_+\). Therefore \(F^t\) gives the population densities in generation \(t\). The set of iterates of the map \(F\) is equivalent to the set of all density sequences generated by system (1). Define the single species, one-dimensional maps \(f_i: \mathbb{R}_+\to \mathbb{R}_+\), \(i\in \{1,2\}\), \[ f_1(x_1)= x_1\exp(p_1- q_1 x_1)+\alpha x_1,\quad f_2(x_2)= x_2\exp(p_2- q_2 x_2) \] for \((x_1,x_2)\in \mathbb{R}^2_+\). The authors study the ultimate life-history evolution of populations under \(F\) iterations using the maps \(f_1\) and \(f_2\). Let \(f: X\to X\) be a continuous map on a metric space \(X\) and \(x_\infty\in X\) is a locally asymptotically stable fixed point of \(f\). The set \[ W^s_f(x_\infty)= \Biggl\{x\in X;\,\lim_{n\to+\infty}\, f^n(x)= x_\infty\Biggr\} \] is the basin of attraction of \(x_\infty\). If \(y_\infty\in X\) is a locally asymptotically stable \(n\)-cycle of \(f\) then its basin of attraction is \[ W^s(y_\infty)= \bigcup^{n-1}_{k=0} W^s_{f^n}(f^k(y_\infty)). \] Finally, the authors prove that if \(X\) is a connected metric space and \(y_\infty\in X\) is a locally asymptotically stable \(n\)-cycle of \(f\) with \(n\geq 2\) then \(W^s(y_\infty)\subset X\) and \(W^s(y_\infty)\neq X\).