The impact of constant effort harvesting on the dynamics of a discrete-time contest competition model

In this paper, we study a general discrete-time model representing the dynamics of a contest competition species with constant effort exploitation. In particular, we consider the difference equation xn+1=xnf(xn-k)-hxn where h>0, k∈(0,1), and the density dependent function f satisfies certain conditions that are typical of a contest competition. The harvesting parameter h is considered as the main parameter, and its effect on the general dynamics of the model is investigated. In the absence of delay in the recruitment (k=0), we show the effect of h on the stability, the maximum sustainable yield, the persistence of solutions, and how the intraspecific competition change from contest to scramble competition. When the delay in recruitment is 1 (k=1), we show that a Neimark-Sacker bifurcation occurs, and the obtained invariant curve is supercritical. Furthermore, we give a characterization of the persistent set. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.