Deterministic study of an Eco-epidemiological Model with Prey Refuge and Predator Harvesting

Resumen

This paper focuses on analyzing the dynamical behavior of an eco-epidemiological model
in which the predator population is impacted by disease. The total population is categorized
into three classes: prey, susceptible predators, and infected predators. The model
incorporates two linear prey refuges against both susceptible and infected predators, along
with a Holling type I functional response. Infectious diseases that spread between species
can severely threaten ecosystem stability by reducing biodiversity and driving species toward
extinction. To curb disease transmission, the model includes a strategy of selectively
harvesting infected predators. The study explores the non-negativity and boundedness of
solutions, along with the existence and stability of equilibrium points. Conditions for the
global stability of these equilibrium points are also examined. Furthermore, the occurrence
of transcritical and Hopf bifurcations is investigated theoretically. Finally, numerical simulations,
supported by experimental data, are used to compare and validate the analytical
findings.