Search

Recognizing surrounding situations, such as enemy attacks, which can be realized by predator–prey relationships, is one of the common behaviors of the population in ecosystems. In this paper, we explore the relationship between such species' behavior and biodiversity in the spatial rock–paper–scissors game by employing the ecological concept "vigilance." In order to describe the vigilance process, we adopt a multiplex structure where two distinct layers describe virtual and physical interactions. By investigating the process of evolution in species, we also found that species with different vigilance go together. In addition, by utilizing the dynamic time warping method, we found that species with the same vigilance have consistent behavior, but species with different vigilance have diverse behavior. Our findings may lead to broader interpretations of mechanisms promoting biodiversity via vigilance in species ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate evolving dynamics of cyclically competing species on spatially extended systems with considering a specific region, which is called the "wildlife refuge," one of the institutional ways to preserve species biodiversity. Through Monte-Carlo simulations, we found that the refuge can play not groundbreaking but an important role in species survival. Species coexistence is maintained at a moderate mobility regime, which traditionally leads to the collapse of coexistence, and eventually, the extinction is postponed depending on the competition rate rather than the portion of the refuge. Incorporating the extinction probability and Fourier transform supported our results in both stochastic and analogous ways. Our findings may provide valuable evidence to assist fields of ecological/biological sciences in understanding the presence and construction of refuges for wildlife with associated effects on species biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maintenance of biological diversity has perpetually remained a central focus in the field of ecology. In the pursuit of enhanced survival rates, species have begun to explore cooperation with one another. However, the consequences of such collaboration remain largely unexplored. To delve into this matter, we introduce intraspecific cooperation within the framework of the classic rock-paper-scissors (RPS) game. In this model, the competition rate is intricately tied to interactions among individuals of the same species. A greater population of individuals from the same species tends to lead to an increased predation rate and a decreased prey rate. Through extensive simulations, we observe that (i) in the case of homogeneous intraspecific cooperation (all three species have intraspecific cooperation), increased cooperation between predators tends to increase the likelihood of species coexistence. In contrast, high levels of cooperation between prey appeared to decrease the favorability of species coexistence. Measurements of the characteristic length of spiral structures revealed that the characteristic length of spirals became longer when the intensity of prey cooperation increased. (ii) In the case of heterogeneous intraspecific cooperation (two species or only one species with intraspecific cooperation), neither an increase in the intensity of intraspecific cooperation of the predator nor an increase in the intensity of intraspecific cooperation of the prey is favorable for species coexistence. Our work underscores the critical role of intraspecific cooperation in maintaining biodiversity. • In rock-paper-scissors games, intraspecific cooperation promotes and jeopardizes biodiversity. • Under homogeneous intraspecific cooperation, predator cooperation promotes coexistence. • Under heterogeneous intraspecific cooperation, both predator and prey cooperation jeopardize coexistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]