An investigation of the global properties of a two-dimensional competing species model

In this paper we demonstrate how the global dynamics of a biological model can be analysed. In particular, as an example, we consider a competing species population model based on the discretisation of the original Lotka-Volterra equations. We analyse the local and global dynamic properties of the resulting two-dimensional noninvertible dynamical system in the cases when the interspecific competition is considered to be "weak", "strong" and "mixed". The main results of this paper are derived from the study of some global bifurcations that change the structure of the attractors and their basins. These bifurcations are investigated by the use of critical curves, a powerful tool for the analysis of the global properties of noninvertible two-dimensional maps.