Stability of a stage-structure Rosenzweig-MacArthur model incorporating Holling type-II functional response

Abstract

The local stability of the Rosenzweig-MacArthur predator-prey system with Holling type-II functional response and stage-structure for prey is studied in this paper. It is shown that the model has three equilibrium points. The trivial equilibrium point is always unstable while two other equilibrium points, i.e., the predator extinction point and the coexistence point, are conditionally stable. When the predation process on prey increases, the number of predator increases. If the predation rate is less than or equal to the reduction rate of the predator, then the predator will go to extinct. By using the Routh-Hurwitz criterion, the local stability of the interior equilibrium point is investigated. It is also shown that the model undergoes a Hopf-bifurcation around the coexisting equilibrium point. The dynamics of the system are confirmed by some numerical simulations.