Final answer:
In Lotka-Volterra models, the growth rate of the prey population is represented by 'rN - cNP', where 'r' is the intrinsic growth rate, 'N' the prey population size, 'c' the predation rate coefficient, and 'P' the predator population size.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the Lotka-Volterra models of predator-prey interactions, the growth rate of the prey population can be represented as rN where 'r' is the intrinsic rate of increase of the prey population and 'N' is the prey population size.
This rate is affected negatively by the presence of predators, and this interaction is often represented with a term such as '-cNP', where 'c' is the predation rate coefficient and 'P' is the predator population size.
Thus, the complete representation of the prey's growth rate in the presence of predators is rN - cNP.
This formula combines the logistic growth model with the direct impact of predators on the prey population.