Emergence of Limit Cycles in Nonlinear Predator-Prey Models: Analysis and Implications for Ecological Dynamics

Abstract

Predator-Prey models are highly studied dynamical systems in the field of Population Biology, due to their significance in understanding the mechanisms of species interactions, predicting population fluctuations and exploring the conditions for coexistence and stability in ecosystems. The classical Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model describes the relationship between two interacting populations, a predator and its prey. However, it fails to serve as a realistic model, as it relies on simplified assumptions and does not capture oscillatory behavior in the interacting populations as observed in nature. This project studies the emergence of limit cycles in modified nonlinear predator-prey models, obtained through a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles from the Scopus database, to analyze and investigate their effect on population dynamics. The results reveal how the modified nonlinear terms influence the dynamical behavior of predator–prey models. Understanding these relations is essential to clarify complex ecological interactions and predict changes in predator-prey settings.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	American English
Supervisor	Mo'Tassem Al Arydah (Supervisor)