Nonsmooth dynamics of a Filippov predator–prey ecological model with antipredator behavior

This article proposes a class of nonsmooth Filippov pest–predator ecosystems with intermittent control strategies based on the pest’s antipredator behavior. aiming to investigate the influence of control strategies and switching thresholds on pest control. First, a comprehensive theoretical analysis of various equilibria within the Filippov system is undertaken, emphasizing the presence and stability of sliding mode dynamics and pseudoequilibrium. Secondly, through numerical simulations, the article discusses boundary-focus, boundary-node, and boundary-saddle bifurcation. Finally, the nonexistence of limit cycles in the Filippov system is theoretically studied. The research indicates that the solution trajectories of the model ultimately stabilize either at the real equilibria or at pseudoequilibrium on the model’s switching surface. Moreover, when the model has multiple coexisting real equilibrium and pseudoequilibrium, the pest-control strategy is correlated with the initial density of both the pest and the predator population.