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Jia J, Qu G, Jia P, Li D, Yao Y. The contest between artificial management and natural environment determines the adaptive strategies of leaf morphogenesis in Sabina chinensis. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 44:tpae060. [PMID: 38832722 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpae060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Sabina chinensis is a typically heteromorphic leaf evergreen tree worldwide with both ornamental and ecological value. However, the shaping mechanism of heteromorphic leaves of S. chinensis and its adaptability to environment are important factors determining its morphology. The morphological change of S. chinensis under different habitats (tree around) and treatments (light, pruning and nutrients) was investigated. Our findings suggested that the prickle leaves proportion was associated with low light intensity and soil nutrient scarcity. Stems and leaves are pruned together to form clusters of large prickle leaves, while only pruning leaves often form alternately growing small prickle leaves and scale leaves, and the length of the prickle leaves is between 0.5 cm and 1 cm. The gene expression of prickle leaves is higher than that of scale leaves under adverse environmental conditions, and the gene expression correlations between small prickle leaf and scale leaf were the highest. Homologous and heterologous mutants of gene structure in prickle leaves were larger than those in scale leaves. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway showed that phenylpropanone and flavonoid biosynthesis were common enrichment pathways, and that the enrichment genes were mainly related to metabolism, genetic information processing and organismal systems. Therefore, we concluded that the occurrence of the heteromorphic leaf phenomenon was related to the changes in photosynthesis, mechanical damage and nutrient supplementation. The organic matter in the S. chinensis prickle leaves was reduced under environmental stresses, and it will be allocated to the expression of prickle leaf or protective cuticles formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Jia
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Minhang district, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Guojuan Qu
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Minhang district, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Peng Jia
- National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Linghe Street 42, Shahekou district, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Dezhi Li
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Minhang district, Shanghai 200241, China
- Key Laboratory of Urbanization and Ecological Restoration of Shanghai, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Minhang district, Shanghai 200241, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), Cuiniao Road 20, Chongming district, Shanghai 202162, China
- Technology Innovation Center for Land Spatial Eco-restoration in Metropolitan Area, Ministry of Natural Resources, Zhongshan Road 3633, Zhongbei district, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Yifei Yao
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Minhang district, Shanghai 200241, China
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Allegue H, Réale D, Picard B, Guinet C. Track and dive-based movement metrics do not predict the number of prey encountered by a marine predator. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:3. [PMID: 36681811 PMCID: PMC9862577 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00361-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studying animal movement in the context of the optimal foraging theory has led to the development of simple movement metrics for inferring feeding activity. Yet, the predictive capacity of these metrics in natural environments has been given little attention, raising serious questions of the validity of these metrics. The aim of this study is to test whether simple continuous movement metrics predict feeding intensity in a marine predator, the southern elephant seal (SES; Mirounga leonine), and investigate potential factors influencing the predictive capacity of these metrics. METHODS We equipped 21 female SES from the Kerguelen Archipelago with loggers and recorded their movements during post-breeding foraging trips at sea. From accelerometry, we estimated the number of prey encounter events (nPEE) and used it as a reference for feeding intensity. We also extracted several track- and dive-based movement metrics and evaluated how well they explain and predict the variance in nPEE. We conducted our analysis at two temporal scales (dive and day), with two dive profile resolutions (high at 1 Hz and low with five dive segments), and two types of models (linear models and regression trees). RESULTS We found that none of the movement metrics predict nPEE with satisfactory power. The vertical transit rates (primarily the ascent rate) during dives had the best predictive performance among all metrics. Dive metrics performed better than track metrics and all metrics performed on average better at the scale of days than the scale of dives. However, the performance of the models at the scale of days showed higher variability among individuals suggesting distinct foraging tactics. Dive-based metrics performed better when computed from high-resolution dive profiles than low-resolution dive profiles. Finally, regression trees produced more accurate predictions than linear models. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals that simple movement metrics do not predict feeding activity in free-ranging marine predators. This could emerge from differences between individuals, temporal scales, and the data resolution used, among many other factors. We conclude that these simple metrics should be avoided or carefully tested a priori with the studied species and the ecological context to account for significant influencing factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassen Allegue
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Baptiste Picard
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Christophe Guinet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers en Bois, France
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3
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Nyirenda VR, Phiri D, Chomba C. Identifying multiple wildlife species-crop interactions using network analysis. J Nat Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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4
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Railsback SF. Suboptimal foraging theory: How inaccurate predictions and approximations can make better models of adaptive behavior. Ecology 2022; 103:e3721. [PMID: 35394652 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Optimal foraging theory (OFT) is based on the ecological concept that organisms select behaviors that convey future fitness, and on the mathematical concept of optimization: finding the alternative that provides the best value of a fitness measure. As implemented in, e.g., state-based dynamic modeling, OFT is powerful for one key problem of modern ecology: modeling behavior as a tradeoff among competing fitness elements such as growth, risk avoidance, and reproductive output. However, OFT is not useful for other modern problems such as representing feedbacks within systems of interacting, unique individuals: when we need to model foraging by each of many individuals that interact competitively or synergistically, optimization is impractical or impossible-there are no optimal behaviors. For such problems we can, however, still use the concept of future fitness to model behavior, by replacing optimization with less precise (but perhaps more realistic) techniques for ranking alternatives. Instead of simplifying the systems we model until we can find "optimal" behavior, we can use theory based on inaccurate predictions, coarse approximations, and updating to produce good behavior in more complex and realistic contexts. This "state- and prediction-based theory" (SPT) can, for example, produce realistic foraging decisions by each of many unique, interacting individuals when growth rates and predation risks vary over space and time. Because SPT lets us address more natural complexity and more realistic problems, it is more easily tested against more kinds of observation and more useful in management ecology. A simple foraging model illustrates how SPT readily accommodates complexities that make optimization intractable. Other models use SPT to represent contingent decisions (whether to feed or hide, in what patch) that are tradeoffs between growth and predation risk, when both growth and risk vary among hundreds of patches, vary unpredictably over time, depend on characteristics of the individuals, are subject to feedbacks from competition, and change over the daily light cycle. Modern ecology demands theory for tradeoff behaviors in complex contexts that produce feedbacks; when optimization is infeasible, we should not be afraid to use approximate fitness-seeking methods instead.
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An L, Grimm V, Sullivan A, Turner II B, Malleson N, Heppenstall A, Vincenot C, Robinson D, Ye X, Liu J, Lindkvist E, Tang W. Challenges, tasks, and opportunities in modeling agent-based complex systems. Ecol Modell 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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6
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Denny KN, Bilodeau KN, Dumont CA, Olson ZH. Separating effects of spatial location and microhabitat density on perceived predation risk in small mammals. Acta Ethol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-021-00365-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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7
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Affiliation(s)
- Celesté Maré
- Department of Zoology Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
| | - Marietjie Landman
- Department of Zoology Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
| | - Graham I. H. Kerley
- Department of Zoology Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
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Railsback SF, Harvey BC, Ayllón D. Contingent trade-off decisions with feedbacks in cyclical environments: testing alternative theories. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Many animals make contingent decisions, such as when and where to feed, as trade-offs between growth and risk when these vary not only with activity and location but also 1) in cycles such as the daily light cycle and 2) with feedbacks due to competition. Theory can assume an individual decides whether and where to feed, at any point in the light cycle and under any new conditions, by predicting future conditions and maximizing an approximate measure of future fitness. We develop four such theories for stream trout and evaluate them by their ability to reproduce, in an individual-based model, seven patterns observed in real trout. The patterns concern how feeding in four circadian phases—dawn, day, dusk, and night—varies with predation risk, food availability, temperature, trout density, physical habitat, day length, and circadian cycles in food availability. We found that theory must consider the full circadian cycle: decisions at one phase must consider what happens in other phases. Three theories that do so could reproduce almost all the patterns, and their ability to let individuals adapt decisions over time produced higher average fitness than any fixed behavior cycle. Because individuals could adapt by selecting among habitat patches as well as activity, multiple behaviors produced similar fitness. Our most successful theories base selection of habitat and activity at each phase on memory of survival probabilities and growth rates experienced 1) in the three previous phases of the current day or 2) in each phase of several previous days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven F Railsback
- Lang Railsback & Associates, Arcata, CA, USA
- Department of Mathematics, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, USA
| | - Bret C Harvey
- U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Arcata, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Ayllón
- Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Faculty of Biology, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain
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9
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Jeltsch F, Grimm V. Editorial: thematic series "Integrating movement ecology with biodiversity research". MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2020; 8:19. [PMID: 32509308 PMCID: PMC7249300 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-020-00210-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Jeltsch
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Am Mühlenberg 3, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Volker Grimm
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Am Mühlenberg 3, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstr 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
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Mestre L, Narimanov N, Menzel F, Entling MH. Non‐consumptive effects between predators depend on the foraging mode of intraguild prey. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1690-1700. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Laia Mestre
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences University of Koblenz‐Landau Landau Germany
| | - Nijat Narimanov
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences University of Koblenz‐Landau Landau Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Biocentre I University of Mainz Mainz Germany
| | - Martin H. Entling
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences University of Koblenz‐Landau Landau Germany
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Dalleau M, Kramer‐Schadt S, Gangat Y, Bourjea J, Lajoie G, Grimm V. Modeling the emergence of migratory corridors and foraging hot spots of the green sea turtle. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:10317-10342. [PMID: 31624552 PMCID: PMC6787826 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental factors shape the spatial distribution and dynamics of populations. Understanding how these factors interact with movement behavior is critical for efficient conservation, in particular for migratory species. Adult female green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, migrate between foraging and nesting sites that are generally separated by thousands of kilometers. As an emblematic endangered species, green turtles have been intensively studied, with a focus on nesting, migration, and foraging. Nevertheless, few attempts integrated these behaviors and their trade-offs by considering the spatial configurations of foraging and nesting grounds as well as environmental heterogeneity like oceanic currents and food distribution. We developed an individual-based model to investigate the impact of local environmental conditions on emerging migratory corridors and reproductive output and to thereby identify conservation priority sites. The model integrates movement, nesting, and foraging behavior. Despite being largely conceptual, the model captured realistic movement patterns which confirm field studies. The spatial distribution of migratory corridors and foraging hot spots was mostly constrained by features of the regional landscape, such as nesting site locations, distribution of feeding patches, and oceanic currents. These constraints also explained the mixing patterns in regional forager communities. By implementing alternative decision strategies of the turtles, we found that foraging site fidelity and nesting investment, two characteristics of green turtles' biology, are favorable strategies under unpredictable environmental conditions affecting their habitats. Based on our results, we propose specific guidelines for the regional conservation of green turtles as well as future research suggestions advancing spatial ecology of sea turtles. Being implemented in an easy to learn open-source software, our model can coevolve with the collection and analysis of new data on energy budget and movement into a generic tool for sea turtle research and conservation. Our modeling approach could also be useful for supporting the conservation of other migratory marine animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayeul Dalleau
- Centre d'Etude et de Découverte des Tortues Marines (CEDTM)Saint Leu/La RéunionFrance
| | - Stephanie Kramer‐Schadt
- Department of Ecological DynamicsLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
- Department of EcologyTechnische Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Yassine Gangat
- LIM‐IREMIA, EA2525University of La Réunion, PTUSainte‐Clotilde/La RéunionFrance
| | - Jérôme Bourjea
- Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la MerMARBECUniversité de MontpellierCNRSIfremerIRDSète CedexFrance
| | - Gilles Lajoie
- UMR Espace‐DevUniversity of La RéunionSaint‐DenisFrance
| | - Volker Grimm
- Department of Ecological ModellingHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZLeipzigGermany
- Department of Plant Ecology and Nature ConservationUniversity of PotsdamPotsdam‐GolmGermany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
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12
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Clark JS, Nuñez CL, Tomasek B. Foodwebs based on unreliable foundations: spatiotemporal masting merged with consumer movement, storage, and diet. ECOL MONOGR 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James S. Clark
- Nicholas School of the Environment Duke University Durham North Carolina 27708 USA
- Department of Statistical Science Duke University Durham North Carolina 27708 USA
| | - Chase L. Nuñez
- Nicholas School of the Environment Duke University Durham North Carolina 27708 USA
| | - Bradley Tomasek
- Nicholas School of the Environment Duke University Durham North Carolina 27708 USA
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13
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Jeltsch F, Grimm V, Reeg J, Schlägel UE. Give chance a chance: from coexistence to coviability in biodiversity theory. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Jeltsch
- Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation University of Potsdam Am Mühlenberg 3 Potsdam‐Golm DE‐14476 Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin DE‐14195 Germany
| | - Volker Grimm
- Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation University of Potsdam Am Mühlenberg 3 Potsdam‐Golm DE‐14476 Germany
- Department of Ecological Modelling Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research‐UFZ Permoserstraße 15 Leipzig 04318 Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e Leipzig 04103 Germany
| | - Jette Reeg
- Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation University of Potsdam Am Mühlenberg 3 Potsdam‐Golm DE‐14476 Germany
| | - Ulrike E. Schlägel
- Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation University of Potsdam Am Mühlenberg 3 Potsdam‐Golm DE‐14476 Germany
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Lorscheid I, Berger U, Grimm V, Meyer M. From cases to general principles: A call for theory development through agent-based modeling. Ecol Modell 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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15
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Jager HI, DeAngelis DL. The confluences of ideas leading to, and the flow of ideas emerging from, individual-based modeling of riverine fishes. Ecol Modell 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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16
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Terry JCD, Morris RJ, Bonsall MB. Trophic interaction modifications: an empirical and theoretical framework. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:1219-1230. [PMID: 28921859 PMCID: PMC6849598 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Consumer-resource interactions are often influenced by other species in the community. At present these 'trophic interaction modifications' are rarely included in ecological models despite demonstrations that they can drive system dynamics. Here, we advocate and extend an approach that has the potential to unite and represent this key group of non-trophic interactions by emphasising the change to trophic interactions induced by modifying species. We highlight the opportunities this approach brings in comparison to frameworks that coerce trophic interaction modifications into pairwise relationships. To establish common frames of reference and explore the value of the approach, we set out a range of metrics for the 'strength' of an interaction modification which incorporate increasing levels of contextual information about the system. Through demonstrations in three-species model systems, we establish that these metrics capture complimentary aspects of interaction modifications. We show how the approach can be used in a range of empirical contexts; we identify as specific gaps in current understanding experiments with multiple levels of modifier species and the distributions of modifications in networks. The trophic interaction modification approach we propose can motivate and unite empirical and theoretical studies of system dynamics, providing a route to confront ecological complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca J. Morris
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordOX1 3PSUK
- Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SouthamptonLife Sciences Building 85Highfield CampusSouthamptonSO17 1BJUK
| | - Michael B. Bonsall
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordOX1 3PSUK
- St. Peter's CollegeNew Inn Hall StreetOxfordOX1 2DLUK
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17
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The role of Dynamic Energy Budget theory in predictive modeling of stressor impacts on ecological systems. Phys Life Rev 2017; 20:43-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2017.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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18
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Selonen V, Wistbacka R. Siberian flying squirrels do not anticipate future resource abundance. BMC Ecol 2016; 16:51. [PMID: 27842537 PMCID: PMC5109687 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-016-0107-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background One way to cope with irregularly occurring resources is to adjust reproduction according to the anticipated future resource availability. In support of this hypothesis, few rodent species have been observed to produce, after the first litter born in spring, summer litters in anticipation of autumn’s seed mast. This kind of behaviour could eliminate or decrease the lag in population density normally present in consumer dynamics. We focus on possible anticipation of future food availability in Siberian flying squirrels, Pteromys volans. We utilise long-term data set on flying squirrel reproduction spanning over 20 years with individuals living in nest-boxes in two study areas located in western Finland. In winter and early spring, flying squirrels depend on catkin mast of deciduous trees. Thus, the temporal availability of food resource for Siberian flying squirrels is similar to other mast-dependent rodent species in which anticipatory reproduction has been observed. Results We show that production of summer litters was not related to food levels in the following autumn and winter. Instead, food levels before reproduction, in the preceding winter and spring, were related to production of summer litters. In addition, the amount of precipitation in the preceding winter was found to be related to the production of summer litters. Conclusions Our results support the conclusion that Siberian flying squirrels do not anticipate the mast. Instead, increased reproductive effort in female flying squirrels is an opportunistic event, seized if the resource situation allows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vesa Selonen
- Department of Biology, Section of Ecology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.
| | - Ralf Wistbacka
- Department of Biology, University of Oulu, 90014, Oulu, Finland
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19
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Grimm V, Ayllón D, Railsback SF. Next-Generation Individual-Based Models Integrate Biodiversity and Ecosystems: Yes We Can, and Yes We Must. Ecosystems 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-016-0071-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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20
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Visscher DR, Merrill EH, Martin PK. Hierarchical trade-offs between risk and reward mediated by behavior. MAMMAL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-016-0290-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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21
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Ayllón D, Railsback SF, Vincenzi S, Groeneveld J, Almodóvar A, Grimm V. InSTREAM-Gen: Modelling eco-evolutionary dynamics of trout populations under anthropogenic environmental change. Ecol Modell 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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22
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Grimm V, Berger U. Structural realism, emergence, and predictions in next-generation ecological modelling: Synthesis from a special issue. Ecol Modell 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2016.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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23
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Eliassen S, Andersen BS, Jørgensen C, Giske J. From sensing to emergent adaptations: Modelling the proximate architecture for decision-making. Ecol Modell 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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24
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Suraci JP, Clinchy M, Dill LM, Roberts D, Zanette LY. Fear of large carnivores causes a trophic cascade. Nat Commun 2016; 7:10698. [PMID: 26906881 PMCID: PMC4766389 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 193] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The fear large carnivores inspire, independent of their direct killing of prey, may itself cause cascading effects down food webs potentially critical for conserving ecosystem function, particularly by affecting large herbivores and mesocarnivores. However, the evidence of this has been repeatedly challenged because it remains experimentally untested. Here we show that experimentally manipulating fear itself in free-living mesocarnivore (raccoon) populations using month-long playbacks of large carnivore vocalizations caused just such cascading effects, reducing mesocarnivore foraging to the benefit of the mesocarnivore's prey, which in turn affected a competitor and prey of the mesocarnivore's prey. We further report that by experimentally restoring the fear of large carnivores in our study system, where most large carnivores have been extirpated, we succeeded in reversing this mesocarnivore's impacts. We suggest that our results reinforce the need to conserve large carnivores given the significant “ecosystem service” the fear of them provides. Top predators may indirectly influence ecological processes through fear-induced behavioural changes in their prey. By experimentally manipulating this ‘landscape of fear', Suraci et al. show that fear of large carnivores in a mesopredator can cause cascading effects down the food web that benefit its prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin P Suraci
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8W 2Y2.,Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada V8L 3Y3.,Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Michael Clinchy
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Lawrence M Dill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Devin Roberts
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8W 2Y2
| | - Liana Y Zanette
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
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Hayward MW, Kamler JF, Montgomery RA, Newlove A, Rostro-García S, Sales LP, Van Valkenburgh B. Prey Preferences of the Jaguar Panthera onca Reflect the Post-Pleistocene Demise of Large Prey. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Gravem SA, Morgan SG. Prey state alters trait‐mediated indirect interactions in rocky tide pools. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A. Gravem
- Bodega Marine Laboratory University of California Davis PO Box 247 Bodega Bay 94923 CaliforniaUSA
- Department of Integrative Biology Oregon State University 3029 Cordley Hall Corvallis 97331 OregonUSA
| | - Steven G. Morgan
- Bodega Marine Laboratory University of California Davis PO Box 247 Bodega Bay 94923 CaliforniaUSA
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Topping CJ, Alrøe HF, Farrell KN, Grimm V. Per Aspera ad Astra: Through Complex Population Modeling to Predictive Theory. Am Nat 2015; 186:669-74. [DOI: 10.1086/683181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Hoffman CR, Sitvarin MI, Rypstra AL. Information from familiar and related conspecifics affects foraging in a solitary wolf spider. Oecologia 2015; 181:359-67. [PMID: 26497123 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3460-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
As neighbours become familiar with one another, they can divert attention away from one another and focus on other activities. Since familiarity is a likely mechanism by which animals recognise relatives, both kinship and prior association with conspecifics should allow individuals to increase foraging. We attempted to determine if the interference observed among conspecific foragers could be mitigated by familiarity and/or kinship. Because Pardosa milvina wolf spiders are sensitive to chemotactile cues deposited on substrates by other spiders, we used cues to manipulate the information available to focal spiders. We first verified that animals could use these cues to differentiate relatives and familiar conspecifics. We then documented foraging in the presence of all combinations of related and familiar animal cues. Test spiders were slower foragers, less likely to capture prey, and consumed less of each prey item when on cues from unfamiliar kin, but were faster and more effective foragers on cues from familiar non-kin. Their reactions to familiar kin and unfamiliar non-kin were intermediate. High foraging intensity on familiar cues is consistent with the idea that animals pay less attention to neighbours after some prior association. Lower foraging effort in the presence of cues from relatives may be an attempt to reduce kin competition by shifting attention toward dispersal or to provide increased access to prey for hungry relatives nearby. These findings reveal that information from conspecifics mediates social interactions among individuals and affects foraging in ways that can influence their role in the food web.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael I Sitvarin
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
| | - Ann L Rypstra
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Hamilton, OH, 45011, USA.
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Sainmont J, Andersen KH, Thygesen UH, Fiksen Ø, Visser AW. An effective algorithm for approximating adaptive behavior in seasonal environments. Ecol Modell 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Smith JA, Wang Y, Wilmers CC. Top carnivores increase their kill rates on prey as a response to human-induced fear. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20142711. [PMID: 25608884 PMCID: PMC4344154 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The fear induced by predators on their prey is well known to cause behavioural adjustments by prey that can ripple through food webs. Little is known, however, about the analogous impacts of humans as perceived top predators on the foraging behaviour of carnivores. Here, we investigate the influence of human-induced fear on puma foraging behaviour using location and prey consumption data from 30 tagged individuals living along a gradient of human development. We observed strong behavioural responses by female pumas to human development, whereby their fidelity to kill sites and overall consumption time of prey declined with increasing housing density by 36 and 42%, respectively. Females responded to this decline in prey consumption time by increasing the number of deer they killed in high housing density areas by 36% over what they killed in areas with little residential development. The loss of food from declines in prey consumption time paired with increases in energetic costs associated with killing more prey may have consequences for puma populations, particularly with regard to reproductive success. In addition, greater carcass availability is likely to alter community dynamics by augmenting food resources for scavengers. In light of the extensive and growing impact of habitat modification, our study emphasizes that knowledge of the indirect effects of human activity on animal behaviour is a necessary component in understanding anthropogenic impacts on community dynamics and food web function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine A Smith
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Yiwei Wang
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Christopher C Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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Stillman RA, Railsback SF, Giske J, Berger U, Grimm V. Making Predictions in a Changing World: The Benefits of Individual-Based Ecology. Bioscience 2014; 65:140-150. [PMID: 26955076 PMCID: PMC4778170 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biu192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecologists urgently need a better ability to predict how environmental change affects biodiversity. We examine individual-based ecology (IBE), a research paradigm that promises better a predictive ability by using individual-based models (IBMs) to represent ecological dynamics as arising from how individuals interact with their environment and with each other. A key advantage of IBMs is that the basis for predictions—fitness maximization by individual organisms—is more general and reliable than the empirical relationships that other models depend on. Case studies illustrate the usefulness and predictive success of long-term IBE programs. The pioneering programs had three phases: conceptualization, implementation, and diversification. Continued validation of models runs throughout these phases. The breakthroughs that make IBE more productive include standards for describing and validating IBMs, improved and standardized theory for individual traits and behavior, software tools, and generalized instead of system-specific IBMs. We provide guidelines for pursuing IBE and a vision for future IBE research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Stillman
- Richard A. Stillman is a professor in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at Bournemouth University, in Dorset, UK. Steven F. Railsback is an environmental scientist with Lang, Railsback, and Associates and an adjunct professor in the Department of Mathematics at Humboldt State University, in Arcata, California. Jarl Giske is a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Bergen and at the Hjort Centre for Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, in Bergen, Norway. Uta Berger is a professor at the Institute of Forest Growth and Forest Computer Sciences at the Dresden University of Technology, in Tharandt, Germany. Volker Grimm is a researcher in the Department of Ecological Modelling at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, in Leipzig, Germany; is a professor at the Institute for Biochemistry and Biology at the University of Potsdam, Germany; and is a member of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig, in Germany
| | - Steven F Railsback
- Richard A. Stillman is a professor in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at Bournemouth University, in Dorset, UK. Steven F. Railsback is an environmental scientist with Lang, Railsback, and Associates and an adjunct professor in the Department of Mathematics at Humboldt State University, in Arcata, California. Jarl Giske is a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Bergen and at the Hjort Centre for Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, in Bergen, Norway. Uta Berger is a professor at the Institute of Forest Growth and Forest Computer Sciences at the Dresden University of Technology, in Tharandt, Germany. Volker Grimm is a researcher in the Department of Ecological Modelling at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, in Leipzig, Germany; is a professor at the Institute for Biochemistry and Biology at the University of Potsdam, Germany; and is a member of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig, in Germany
| | - Jarl Giske
- Richard A. Stillman is a professor in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at Bournemouth University, in Dorset, UK. Steven F. Railsback is an environmental scientist with Lang, Railsback, and Associates and an adjunct professor in the Department of Mathematics at Humboldt State University, in Arcata, California. Jarl Giske is a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Bergen and at the Hjort Centre for Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, in Bergen, Norway. Uta Berger is a professor at the Institute of Forest Growth and Forest Computer Sciences at the Dresden University of Technology, in Tharandt, Germany. Volker Grimm is a researcher in the Department of Ecological Modelling at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, in Leipzig, Germany; is a professor at the Institute for Biochemistry and Biology at the University of Potsdam, Germany; and is a member of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig, in Germany
| | - Uta Berger
- Richard A. Stillman is a professor in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at Bournemouth University, in Dorset, UK. Steven F. Railsback is an environmental scientist with Lang, Railsback, and Associates and an adjunct professor in the Department of Mathematics at Humboldt State University, in Arcata, California. Jarl Giske is a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Bergen and at the Hjort Centre for Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, in Bergen, Norway. Uta Berger is a professor at the Institute of Forest Growth and Forest Computer Sciences at the Dresden University of Technology, in Tharandt, Germany. Volker Grimm is a researcher in the Department of Ecological Modelling at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, in Leipzig, Germany; is a professor at the Institute for Biochemistry and Biology at the University of Potsdam, Germany; and is a member of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig, in Germany
| | - Volker Grimm
- Richard A. Stillman is a professor in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at Bournemouth University, in Dorset, UK. Steven F. Railsback is an environmental scientist with Lang, Railsback, and Associates and an adjunct professor in the Department of Mathematics at Humboldt State University, in Arcata, California. Jarl Giske is a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Bergen and at the Hjort Centre for Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, in Bergen, Norway. Uta Berger is a professor at the Institute of Forest Growth and Forest Computer Sciences at the Dresden University of Technology, in Tharandt, Germany. Volker Grimm is a researcher in the Department of Ecological Modelling at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, in Leipzig, Germany; is a professor at the Institute for Biochemistry and Biology at the University of Potsdam, Germany; and is a member of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig, in Germany
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32
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Immediate or lagged responses of a red squirrel population to pulsed resources. Oecologia 2014; 177:401-11. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3148-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Cameron EK, Cahill JF, Bayne EM. Root foraging influences plant growth responses to earthworm foraging. PLoS One 2014; 9:e108873. [PMID: 25268503 PMCID: PMC4182600 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions among the foraging behaviours of co-occurring animal species can impact population and community dynamics; the consequences of interactions between plant and animal foraging behaviours have received less attention. In North American forests, invasions by European earthworms have led to substantial changes in plant community composition. Changes in leaf litter have been identified as a critical indirect mechanism driving earthworm impacts on plants. However, there has been limited examination of the direct effects of earthworm burrowing on plant growth. Here we show a novel second pathway exists, whereby earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris L.) impact plant root foraging. In a mini-rhizotron experiment, roots occurred more frequently in burrows and soil cracks than in the soil matrix. The roots of Achillea millefolium L. preferentially occupied earthworm burrows, where nutrient availability was presumably higher than in cracks due to earthworm excreta. In contrast, the roots of Campanula rotundifolia L. were less likely to occur in burrows. This shift in root behaviour was associated with a 30% decline in the overall biomass of C. rotundifolia when earthworms were present. Our results indicate earthworm impacts on plant foraging can occur indirectly via physical and chemical changes to the soil and directly via root consumption or abrasion and thus may be one factor influencing plant growth and community change following earthworm invasion. More generally, this work demonstrates the potential for interactions to occur between the foraging behaviours of plants and soil animals and emphasizes the importance of integrating behavioural understanding in foraging studies involving plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin K. Cameron
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - James F. Cahill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Erin M. Bayne
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Kroeker KJ, Sanford E, Jellison BM, Gaylord B. Predicting the effects of ocean acidification on predator-prey interactions: a conceptual framework based on coastal molluscs. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2014; 226:211-222. [PMID: 25070866 DOI: 10.1086/bblv226n3p211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The influence of environmental change on species interactions will affect population dynamics and community structure in the future, but our current understanding of the outcomes of species interactions in a high-CO2 world is limited. Here, we draw upon emerging experimental research examining the effects of ocean acidification on coastal molluscs to provide hypotheses of the potential impacts of high-CO2 on predator-prey interactions. Coastal molluscs, such as oysters, mussels, and snails, allocate energy among defenses, growth, and reproduction. Ocean acidification increases the energetic costs of physiological processes such as acid-base regulation and calcification. Impacted molluscs can display complex and divergent patterns of energy allocation to defenses and growth that may influence predator-prey interactions; these include changes in shell properties, body size, tissue mass, immune function, or reproductive output. Ocean acidification has also been shown to induce complex changes in chemoreception, behavior, and inducible defenses, including altered cue detection and predator avoidance behaviors. Each of these responses may ultimately alter the susceptibility of coastal molluscs to predation through effects on predator handling time, satiation, and search time. While many of these effects may manifest as increases in per capita predation rates on coastal molluscs, the ultimate outcome of predator-prey interactions will also depend on how ocean acidification affects the specified predators, which also exhibit complex responses to ocean acidification. Changes in predator-prey interactions could have profound and unexplored consequences for the population dynamics of coastal molluscs in a high-CO2 ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristy J Kroeker
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California Davis, Bodega Bay, California 94923; and
| | - Eric Sanford
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California Davis, Bodega Bay, California 94923; and Department of Evolution & Ecology, University of California Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, California 95616
| | - Brittany M Jellison
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California Davis, Bodega Bay, California 94923; and Department of Evolution & Ecology, University of California Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, California 95616
| | - Brian Gaylord
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California Davis, Bodega Bay, California 94923; and Department of Evolution & Ecology, University of California Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, California 95616
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Moleón M, Sánchez-Zapata JA, Selva N, Donázar JA, Owen-Smith N. Inter-specific interactions linking predation and scavenging in terrestrial vertebrate assemblages. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2014; 89:1042-54. [PMID: 24602047 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Revised: 01/30/2014] [Accepted: 02/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Predation and scavenging have been classically understood as independent processes, with predator-prey interactions and scavenger-carrion relationships occurring separately. However, the mere recognition that most predators also scavenge at variable rates, which has been traditionally ignored in food-web and community ecology, leads to a number of emergent interaction routes linking predation and scavenging. The general goal of this review is to draw attention to the main inter-specific interactions connecting predators (particularly, large mammalian carnivores), their live prey (mainly ungulates), vultures and carrion production in terrestrial assemblages of vertebrates. Overall, we report an intricate network of both direct (competition, facilitation) and indirect (hyperpredation, hypopredation) processes, and provide a conceptual framework for the future development of this promising topic in ecological, evolutionary and biodiversity conservation research. The classic view that scavenging does not affect the population dynamics of consumed organisms is questioned, as multiple indirect top-down effects emerge when considering carrion and its facultative consumption by predators as fundamental and dynamic components of food webs. Stimulating although challenging research opportunities arise from the study of the interactions among living and detrital or non-living resource pools in food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Moleón
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa; Departamento de Biología Aplicada, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Ctra. Beniel Km 3.2, 03312, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain
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Grimm V, Martin BT. Mechanistic effect modeling for ecological risk assessment: where to go from here? INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2013; 9:e58-e63. [PMID: 23564619 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.1423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Revised: 03/15/2013] [Accepted: 04/02/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Mechanistic effect models (MEMs) consider the mechanisms of how chemicals affect individuals and ecological systems such as populations and communities. There is an increasing awareness that MEMs have high potential to make risk assessment of chemicals more ecologically relevant than current standard practice. Here we discuss what kinds of MEMs are needed to improve scientific and regulatory aspects of risk assessment. To make valid predictions for a wide range of environmental conditions, MEMs need to include a sufficient amount of emergence, for example, population dynamics emerging from what individual organisms do. We present 1 example where the life cycle of individuals is described using Dynamic Energy Budget theory. The resulting individual-based population model is thus parameterized at the individual level but correctly predicts multiple patterns at the population level. This is the case for both control and treated populations. We conclude that the state-of-the-art in mechanistic effect modeling has reached a level where MEMs are robust and predictive enough to be used in regulatory risk assessment. Mechanistic effect models will thus be used to advance the scientific basis of current standard practice and will, if their development follows Good Modeling Practice, be included in a standardized way in future regulatory risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Grimm
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Department of Ecological Modelling, Leipzig, Germany.
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Bauer S, Klaassen M. Mechanistic models of animal migration behaviour--their diversity, structure and use. J Anim Ecol 2013; 82:498-508. [PMID: 23373515 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2012] [Accepted: 12/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
1. Migration is a widespread phenomenon in the animal kingdom, including many taxonomic groups and modes of locomotion. Developing an understanding of the proximate and ultimate causes for this behaviour not only addresses fundamental ecological questions but has relevance to many other fields, for example in relation to the spread of emerging zoonotic diseases, the proliferation of invasive species, aeronautical safety as well as the conservation of migrants. 2. Theoretical methods can make important contributions to our understanding of migration, by allowing us to integrate findings on this complex behaviour, identify caveats in our understanding and to guide future empirical research efforts. Various mechanistic models exist to date, but their applications seem to be scattered and far from evenly distributed across taxonomic units. 3. Therefore, we provide an overview of the major mechanistic modelling approaches used in the study of migration behaviour and characterize their fundamental features, assumptions and limitations and discuss their typical data requirements both for model parameterization and for scrutinizing model predictions. 4. Furthermore, we review 155 studies that have used mechanistic models to study animal migration and analyse them with regard to the approaches used and the focal species, and also explore their contribution to advancing current knowledge within six broad migration ecology research themes. 5. This identifies important gaps in our present knowledge, which should be tackled in future research using existing and to-be developed theoretical approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Bauer
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
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Traugott M, Kamenova S, Ruess L, Seeber J, Plantegenest M. Empirically Characterising Trophic Networks. ADV ECOL RES 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-420002-9.00003-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
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