The effect of intraspecific cooperation in a three-species cyclic predator-prey model

The maintenance of biological diversity has perpetually remained a central focus in the field of ecology. In the pursuit of enhanced survival rates, species have begun to explore cooperation with one another. However, the consequences of such collaboration remain largely unexplored. To delve into this matter, we introduce intraspecific cooperation within the framework of the classic rock-paper-scissors (RPS) game. In this model, the competition rate is intricately tied to interactions among individuals of the same species. A greater population of individuals from the same species tends to lead to an increased predation rate and a decreased prey rate. Through extensive simulations, we observe that (i) in the case of homogeneous intraspecific cooperation (all three species have intraspecific cooperation), increased cooperation between predators tends to increase the likelihood of species coexistence. In contrast, high levels of cooperation between prey appeared to decrease the favorability of species coexistence. Measurements of the characteristic length of spiral structures revealed that the characteristic length of spirals became longer when the intensity of prey cooperation increased. (ii) In the case of heterogeneous intraspecific cooperation (two species or only one species with intraspecific cooperation), neither an increase in the intensity of intraspecific cooperation of the predator nor an increase in the intensity of intraspecific cooperation of the prey is favorable for species coexistence. Our work underscores the critical role of intraspecific cooperation in maintaining biodiversity.