  This paper studies scenarios of cyclic dominance in a coevolutionary spatial
model in which game strategies and links between agents adaptively evolve over
time. The Optional Prisoner's Dilemma (OPD) game is employed. The OPD is an
extended version of the traditional Prisoner's Dilemma where players have a
third option to abstain from playing the game. We adopt an agent-based
simulation approach and use Monte Carlo methods to perform the OPD with
coevolutionary rules. The necessary conditions to break the scenarios of cyclic
dominance are also investigated. This work highlights that cyclic dominance is
essential in the sustenance of biodiversity. Moreover, we also discuss the
importance of a spatial coevolutionary model in maintaining cyclic dominance in
adverse conditions.
