Semi-global persistence and stability for a class of forced discrete-time population models

We consider persistence and stability properties for a class of forced discrete-time difference equations with three defining properties: the solution is constrained to evolve in the non-negative orthant, the forcing acts multiplicatively, and the dynamics are described by so-called Lur'e systems, containing both linear and non-linear terms. Many discrete-time biological models encountered in the literature may be expressed in the form of a Lur'e system and, in this context, the multiplicative forcing may correspond to harvesting, culling or time-varying (such as seasonal) vital rates or environmental conditions. Drawing upon techniques from systems and control theory, and assuming that the forcing is bounded, we provide conditions under which persistence occurs and, further, that a unique non-zero equilibrium is stable with respect to the forcing in a sense which is reminiscent of input-to-state stability, a concept well-known in nonlinear control theory. The theoretical results are illustrated with several examples. In particular, we discuss how our results relate to previous literature on stabilization of chaotic systems by so-called proportional feedback control.