https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-026-07670-0
Regular Article
Bifurcation-induced regime shift phenomenon in a tri-trophic food chain model with commensalistic prey
Department of Applied Mathematics and Scientific Computing, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, 247667, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India
a
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Received:
15
January
2026
Accepted:
8
April
2026
Published online:
18
April
2026
Abstract
Regime shifts in ecological systems often arise from gradual or sudden transitions in ecological states that can occur by bifurcations in the underlying dynamical structure. This study examines how variability in significant system parameters triggers the regime shift phenomenon in a tri-trophic food chain model comprising a generalist predator and its two prey species, which engage in a commensalistic interaction. Analytical studies ensure boundedness, persistence, and system permanence, whereas bifurcation diagrams show how ecological parameter variations may shift regimes. Analytical and numerical results demonstrate that commensalistic interactions can substantially alter the bifurcation structure and can stimulate or inhibit significant shifts in ecological regimes, thereby influencing species coexistence and ecosystem resilience. A catastrophic shift has been identified, in which a minor alteration in the predator’s intraspecific competition rate unexpectedly lead one prey species to extinction via a saddle-node bifurcation. This study offers a thorough analytical framework for comprehending how bifurcation-driven regime shifts in intricate ecological networks are mediated by species interactions.
In the original version of this article, Fig. 13 was missing from the PDF version, although it was correctly displayed in the online version. Fig. 13 should have appeared in the PDF as shown below. The original article has been corrected.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2026
modified publication 2026
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
