Cooperation-conflict dynamics and ecological resilience under environmental disturbances

Article Type

Research Article

Publication Title

Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering

Abstract

Ecosystem stability is increasingly threatened by rapid environmental fluctuations that alter species interactions and survival strategies. Traditional steady-state analyses often overlook transient dynamics that govern ecosystem responses to accelerating change. This study explored rate-induced tipping (R-tipping), a phenomenon where environmental change rates outpace species’ adaptive capacity, triggering abrupt shifts between ecological states. Our findings demonstrate that species persistence depends on a delicate balance between cooperation-associated costs, population densities, and environmental variation rates. Under moderate fluctuations, species can track unstable states before reaching new equilibria, enhancing resilience. However, beyond critical thresholds, homoclinic and saddle-node bifurcations destabilize coexistence induced with increasing cooperation strength, leading to extinction cascades. By integrating time-dependent basin stability analysis, we uncovered mechanisms driving ecological transitions and identified key factors influencing long-term persistence. This research highlights the need for dynamic models to predict tipping events and informs conservation strategies for mitigating biodiversity loss in rapidly changing environments.

First Page

2120

Last Page

2151

DOI

10.3934/mbe.2025078

Publication Date

1-1-2025

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