The periodic predator-prey Lotka-Volterra model

Abstract

In this paper we characterize the existence of coexistence states for the classical Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model with periodic coefficients and analyze the dynamics of positive solutions of such models. Among other results we show that if some trivial or semi-trivial positive state is linearly stable, then it is globally asymptotically stable with respect to the positive solutions. In fact, the model possesses a coexistence state if, and only if, any of the semi-trivial states is unstable. Some permanence and uniqueness results are also found. An example exhibiting a unique coexistence state that is unstable is given.