A Leslie-Gower predator-prey model with a free boundary

Abstract

In this paper, we consider a Leslie-Gower predator-prey model in one-dimensional environment. We study the asymptotic behavior of two species evolving in a domain with a free boundary. Sufficient conditions for spreading success and spreading failure are obtained. We also derive sharp criteria for spreading and vanishing of the two species. Finally, when spreading is successful, we show that the spreading speed is between the minimal speed of traveling wavefront solutions for the predator-prey model on the whole real line (without a free boundary) and an elliptic problem that follows from the original model.