Movement, competition and pattern formation in a two prey-one predator food chain model

The complexity of interactions among species remains a captivating phenomenon in the ecology. In this paper, a food chain model characterized by two prey and one predator is analyzed. Unlike previous approaches, our analysis incorporates the velocity of the animals movement into the system, as well as rivalries between prey. We establish a condition for the coexistence of all populations which underscores the importance of the animals' velocities. Indeed, failing to consider the velocities increases the margin of error in the prediction process. We illustrate various patterns caused by the phenomenon of transport-driven instability.