Ecological balance in the native population dynamics may cause the paradox of pest control with harvesting

Matsuoka Tsutomu

Seno Hiromi

Journal of Theoretical Biology

We analyze a time-discrete mathematical model of host–parasite population dynamics with harvesting, in which the host can be regarded as a pest. We harvest a portion of the host population at a moment in each parasitism season. The principal target of the harvesting is the host; however, the parasite population may also be affected and reduced by a portion. Our model involves the Beverton–Holt type density effect on the host population. We investigate the condition in which the harvesting of the host results in an eventual increase of its equilibrium population size, analytically proving that the paradoxical increase could occur even when the harvesting does not directly affect the parasite population at all. We show that the paradox of pest control could be caused essentially by the interspecific relationship and the intraspecific density effect.

mathematical model

resurgence

host-parasite

difference equations

Mathematics [ 410 ]

Biology [ 460 ]

eng

Elsevier Ltd

Copyright (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd

[ISSN] 0022-5193

[DOI] 10.1016/j.jtbi.2008.01.024

[NCID] AA00708258

[DOI] http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2008.01.024 isVersionOf