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Abstract: In this paper, we propose a tritrophic predator–prey model with harvesting where the top-predator population is partially supported with alternative food. We report the consequences of providing alternative food to the top-predator in a top-predator harvested model. The extinction criterion for top-predator population, local stability of equilibrium points and persistence conditions are discussed theoretically. Pontryagins maximum principle is used to characterize the optimal control of harvesting. We have derived the condition of Hopf bifurcation by varying harvesting effort. The bifurcation diagrams of the system with respect to harvesting effort in presence of alternative food are given. Our analysis show that alternative food can prevent top-predator extinction risk at higher harvesting effort and plays a vital role for biological conservation of species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper describes a prey–predator model with stage structure for predator and selective harvesting effort on predator population. The Holling type II functional response function is taken into consideration. All the equilibria of the proposed system are determined and the behavior of the system is investigated near them. Local stability of the system is analyzed. Geometric approach is used to derive the sufficient conditions for global stability of the system. The occurrence of Hopf bifurcation of the model system in the neighborhood of the co-existing equilibrium point is shown through considering maximal relative increase of predation as bifurcation parameter. Fishing effort used to harvest predator population is considered as a control to develop a dynamic framework to investigate the optimal utilization of the resource, sustainability properties of the stock and the resource rent earned from the resource. Pontryagin’s maximum principle is used to characterize the optimal control. The optimal system is derived and then solved numerically using an iterative method with Runge–Kutta fourth-order scheme. Simulation results show that the optimal control scheme can achieve sustainable ecosystem. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]