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Schnedler‐Meyer NA, Andersen TK. Dining in danger: Resolving adaptive fish behavior increases realism of modeled ecosystem dynamics. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70020. [PMID: 39114166 PMCID: PMC11303985 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals occupying higher trophic levels can have disproportionately large influence on ecosystem structure and functioning, owning to intricate behavioral responses to their environment, but the effects of behavioral adaptations on aquatic ecosystem dynamics are underrepresented, especially in model studies. Here, we explore how adaptive behavior of fish can affect the dynamics of aquatics ecosystems. We frame fish behavior in the context of the central trade-off between feeding and predation, calculating the optimal level of feeding determined by ambient food availability and predation risk. To explore whole-ecosystem consequences of fish behavior, we embed our behavioral model within the Water Ecosystems Tool (WET), a contemporary end-to-end aquatic ecosystem model. The principle of optimality provides a robust and mechanistic framework for representing animal behavior that is relevant for complex models, and can provide a stabilizing effect on model dynamics. The model predicts an emergent functional response similar to Holling type III, but with richer dynamics and a more rigorous theoretical foundation. We show how adaptive fish behavior works to stabilize food web dynamics compared to a control model with no optimal behavior, and how changing the strength of the underlying trade-off has profound effects on trophic control and food web structure. Furthermore, we demonstrate how including fish behavior allows for an overall more realistic response of the model system to environmental perturbation in the form of nutrient enhancement. We discuss the structuring effects of behavioral adaptations in real ecosystems, and how approaches like this one may benefit aquatic ecological modeling. Our study further highlights how a mechanistic approach based on concepts from theoretical ecology can be successfully implemented in complex operational models resulting in improved dynamics and descriptive power.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tobias K. Andersen
- National Institute for Aquatic ResourcesTechnical University of DenmarkLyngbyDenmark
- Institute for EcoscienceAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
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2
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Kawatsu K. Unraveling emergent network indeterminacy in complex ecosystems: A random matrix approach. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2322939121. [PMID: 38935564 PMCID: PMC11228516 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2322939121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Indeterminacy of ecological networks-the unpredictability of ecosystem responses to persistent perturbations-is an emergent property of indirect effects a species has on another through interaction chains. Thus, numerous indirect pathways in large, complex ecological communities could make forecasting the long-term outcomes of environmental changes challenging. However, a comprehensive understanding of ecological structures causing indeterminacy has not yet been reached. Here, using random matrix theory (RMT), we provide mathematical criteria determining whether network indeterminacy emerges across various ecological communities. Our analytical and simulation results show that indeterminacy intricately depends on the characteristics of species interaction. Specifically, contrary to conventional wisdom, network indeterminacy is unlikely to emerge in large competitive and mutualistic communities, while it is a common feature in top-down regulated food webs. Furthermore, we found that predictable and unpredictable perturbations can coexist in the same community and that indeterminate responses to environmental changes arise more frequently in networks where predator-prey relationships predominate than competitive and mutualistic ones. These findings highlight the importance of elucidating direct species relationships and analyzing them with an RMT perspective on two fronts: It aids in 1) determining whether the network's responses to environmental changes are ultimately indeterminate and 2) identifying the types of perturbations causing less predictable outcomes in a complex ecosystem. In addition, our framework should apply to the inverse problem of network identification, i.e., determining whether observed responses to sustained perturbations can reconstruct their proximate causalities, potentially impacting other fields such as microbial and medical sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazutaka Kawatsu
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
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3
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Boldorini GX, Mccary MA, Romero GQ, Mills KL, Sanders NJ, Reich PB, Michalko R, Gonçalves-Souza T. Predators control pests and increase yield across crop types and climates: a meta-analysis. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232522. [PMID: 38444337 PMCID: PMC10915543 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Pesticides have well-documented negative consequences to control crop pests, and natural predators are alternatives and can provide an ecosystem service as biological control agents. However, there remains considerable uncertainty regarding whether such biological control can be a widely applicable solution, especially given ongoing climatic variation and climate change. Here, we performed a meta-analysis focused on field studies with natural predators to explore broadly whether and how predators might control pests and in turn increase yield. We also contrasted across studies pest suppression by a single and multiple predators and how climate influence biological control. Predators reduced pest populations by 73% on average, and increased crop yield by 25% on average. Surprisingly, the impact of predators did not depend on whether there were many or a single predator species. Precipitation seasonality was a key climatic influence on biological control: as seasonality increased, the impact of predators on pest populations increased. Taken together, the positive contribution of predators in controlling pests and increasing yield, and the consistency of such responses in the face of precipitation variability, suggest that biocontrol has the potential to be an important part of pest management and increasing food supplies as the planet precipitation patterns become increasingly variable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel X. Boldorini
- Department of Biology, Ecological Synthesis and Biodiversity Conservation Lab, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Ethnobiology and Nature Conservation, Department of Biology, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | | | - Gustavo Q. Romero
- Department of Animal Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Kirby L. Mills
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nathan J. Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Peter B. Reich
- Institute for Global Change Biology, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Radek Michalko
- Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Thiago Gonçalves-Souza
- Department of Biology, Ecological Synthesis and Biodiversity Conservation Lab, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Ethnobiology and Nature Conservation, Department of Biology, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Institute for Global Change Biology, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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4
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Zwolak R, Clement D, Sih A, Schreiber SJ. Granivore abundance shapes mutualism quality in plant-scatterhoarder interactions. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:1840-1850. [PMID: 38044708 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19443] [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: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Conditional mutualisms involve costs and benefits that vary with environmental factors, but mechanisms driving these dynamics remain poorly understood. Scatterhoarder-plant interactions are a prime example of this phenomenon, as scatterhoarders can either increase or reduce plant recruitment depending on the balance between seed dispersal and predation. We explored factors that drive the magnitude of net benefits for plants in this interaction using a mathematical model, with parameter values based on European beech (Fagus sylvatica) and yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis). We measured benefits as the percentage of germinating seeds, and examined how varying rodent survival (reflecting, e.g. changes in predation pressure), the rate of seed loss to other granivores, the abundance of alternative food resources, and changes in masting patterns affect the quality of mutualism. We found that increasing granivore abundance can degrade the quality of plant-scatterhoarder mutualism due to increased cache pilferage. Scatterhoarders are predicted to respond by increasing immediate consumption of gathered seeds, leading to higher costs and reduced benefits for plants. Thus, biotic changes that are detrimental to rodent populations can be beneficial for tree recruitment due to adaptive behavior of rodents. When scatterhoarder populations decline too drastically (< 5 individuals ha-1 ); however, tree recruitment may also suffer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafał Zwolak
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, Poznań, 61-614, Poland
| | - Dale Clement
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
| | - Andrew Sih
- Center of Population Biology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Sebastian J Schreiber
- Center of Population Biology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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Dulude-de Broin F, Clermont J, Beardsell A, Ouellet LP, Legagneux P, Bêty J, Berteaux D. Predator home range size mediates indirect interactions between prey species in an arctic vertebrate community. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:2373-2385. [PMID: 37814584 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Indirect interactions are widespread among prey species that share a common predator, but the underlying mechanisms driving these interactions are often unclear, and our ability to predict their outcome is limited. Changes in behavioural traits that impact predator space use could be a key proximal mechanism mediating indirect interactions, but there is little empirical evidence of the causes and consequences of such behavioural-numerical response in multispecies systems. Here, we investigate the complex ecological relationships between seven prey species sharing a common predator. We used a path analysis approach on a comprehensive 9-year data set simultaneously tracking predator space use, prey densities and prey mortality rate on key species of a simplified Arctic food web. We show that high availability of a clumped and spatially predictable prey (goose eggs) leads to a twofold reduction in predator (arctic fox) home range size, which increases local predator density and strongly decreases nest survival of an incidental prey (American golden plover). On the contrary, a scattered cyclic prey with potentially lower spatial predictability (lemming) had a weaker effect on fox space use and an overall positive impact on the survival of incidental prey. These contrasting effects underline the importance of studying behavioural responses of predators in multiprey systems and to explicitly integrate behavioural-numerical responses in multispecies predator-prey models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Dulude-de Broin
- Département de Biologie, Centre d'Études Nordiques and Centre de la Science de la Biodiversité du Québec, Université Laval, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jeanne Clermont
- Chaire de Recherche du Canada en Biodiversité Nordique, Centre d'Études Nordiques, and Centre de la Science de la Biodiversité du Québec, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - Andréanne Beardsell
- Chaire de Recherche du Canada en Biodiversité Nordique, Centre d'Études Nordiques, and Centre de la Science de la Biodiversité du Québec, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - Louis-Pierre Ouellet
- Chaire de Recherche du Canada en Biodiversité Nordique, Centre d'Études Nordiques, and Centre de la Science de la Biodiversité du Québec, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - Pierre Legagneux
- Département de Biologie, Centre d'Études Nordiques and Centre de la Science de la Biodiversité du Québec, Université Laval, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Joël Bêty
- Chaire de Recherche du Canada en Biodiversité Nordique, Centre d'Études Nordiques, and Centre de la Science de la Biodiversité du Québec, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - Dominique Berteaux
- Chaire de Recherche du Canada en Biodiversité Nordique, Centre d'Études Nordiques, and Centre de la Science de la Biodiversité du Québec, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
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6
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Leão CF, Lima Ribeiro MS, Moraes K, Gonçalves GSR, Lima MGM. Climate change and carnivores: shifts in the distribution and effectiveness of protected areas in the Amazon. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15887. [PMID: 37744233 PMCID: PMC10516102 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Carnivore mammals are animals vulnerable to human interference, such as climate change and deforestation. Their distribution and persistence are affected by such impacts, mainly in tropical regions such as the Amazon. Due to the importance of carnivores in the maintenance and functioning of the ecosystem, they are extremely important animals for conservation. We evaluated the impact of climate change on the geographic distribution of carnivores in the Amazon using Species Distribution Models (SDMs). Do we seek to answer the following questions: (1) What is the effect of climate change on the distribution of carnivores in the Amazon? (2) Will carnivore species lose or gain representation within the Protected Areas (PAs) of the Amazon in the future? Methods We evaluated the distribution area of 16 species of carnivores mammals in the Amazon, based on two future climate scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) for the year 2070. For the construction of the SDMs we used bioclimatic and vegetation cover variables (land type). Based on these models, we calculated the area loss and climate suitability of the species, as well as the effectiveness of the protected areas inserted in the Amazon. We estimated the effectiveness of PAs on the individual persistence of carnivores in the future, for this, we used the SDMs to perform the gap analysis. Finally, we analyze the effectiveness of PAs in protecting taxonomic richness in future scenarios. Results The SDMs showed satisfactory predictive performance, with Jaccard values above 0.85 and AUC above 0.91 for all species. In the present and for the future climate scenarios, we observe a reduction of potencial distribution in both future scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5), where five species will be negatively affected by climate change in the RCP 4.5 future scenario and eight in the RCP 8.5 scenario. The remaining species stay stable in terms of total area. All species in the study showed a loss of climatic suitability. Some species lost almost all climatic suitability in the RCP 8.5 scenario. According to the GAP analysis, all species are protected within the PAs both in the current scenario and in both future climate scenarios. From the null models, we found that in all climate scenarios, the PAs are not efficient in protecting species richness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Ferreira Leão
- Programa Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
- Laboratório de Biogeografia da Conservação e Macroecologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | | | - Kauê Moraes
- Laboratório de Biogeografia da Conservação e Macroecologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
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7
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Kolbe JJ, Giery ST, Lapiedra O, Lyberger KP, Pita-Aquino JN, Moniz HA, Leal M, Spiller DA, Losos JB, Schoener TW, Piovia-Scott J. Experimentally simulating the evolution-to-ecology connection: Divergent predator morphologies alter natural food webs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2221691120. [PMID: 37276393 PMCID: PMC10268251 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221691120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The idea that changing environmental conditions drive adaptive evolution is a pillar of evolutionary ecology. But, the opposite-that adaptive evolution alters ecological processes-has received far less attention yet is critical for eco-evolutionary dynamics. We assessed the ecological impact of divergent values in a key adaptive trait using 16 populations of the brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei). Mirroring natural variation, we established islands with short- or long-limbed lizards at both low and high densities. We then monitored changes in lower trophic levels, finding that on islands with a high density of short-limbed lizards, web-spider densities decreased and plants grew more via an indirect positive effect, likely through an herbivore-mediated trophic cascade. Our experiment provides strong support for evolution-to-ecology connections in nature, likely closing an otherwise well-characterized eco-evolutionary feedback loop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J. Kolbe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI02881
| | - Sean T. Giery
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16802
| | - Oriol Lapiedra
- Centre for Research in Ecology and Applied Forestry (CREAF), Cerdanyola del Valles, Catalonia08193, Spain
| | - Kelsey P. Lyberger
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | | | - Haley A. Moniz
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV89557
| | - Manuel Leal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO65211
| | - David A. Spiller
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Jonathan B. Losos
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO63130
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO63130
| | - Thomas W. Schoener
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Jonah Piovia-Scott
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA98686
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8
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Måsviken J, Dalén L, Norén K, Dalerum F. The relative importance of abiotic and biotic environmental conditions for taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity of spiders across spatial scales. Oecologia 2023; 202:261-273. [PMID: 37261510 PMCID: PMC10307692 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05383-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Both abiotic and biotic conditions may be important for biodiversity. However, their relative importance may vary among different diversity dimensions as well as across spatial scales. Spiders (Araneae) offer an ecologically relevant system for evaluating variation in the relative strength abiotic and biotic biodiversity regulation. We quantified the relative importance of abiotic and biotic conditions for three diversity dimensions of spider communities quantified across two spatial scales. Spiders were surveyed along elevation gradients in northern Sweden. We focused our analysis on geomorphological and climatic conditions as well as vegetation characteristics, and quantified the relative importance of these conditions for the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity of spider communities sampled across one intermediate (500 m) and one local (25 m) scale. There were stronger relationships among diversity dimensions at the local than the intermediate scale. There were also variation in the relative influence of abiotic and biotic conditions among diversity dimensions, but this variation was not consistent across spatial scales. Across both spatial scales, vegetation was related to all diversity dimensions whereas climate was important for phylogenetic and functional diversity. Our study does not fully support stronger abiotic regulation at coarser scales, and conversely stronger abiotic regulation at more local scales. Instead, our results indicate that community assembly is shaped by interactions between abiotic constrains in species distributions and biotic conditions, and that such interactions may be both scale and context dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Måsviken
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Love Dalén
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Norén
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Dalerum
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Biodiversity Research Institute (University of Oviedo-Principality of Asturias-CSIC), Spanish National Research Council, Research Building, Mieres Campus, 33600, Mieres, Spain.
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa.
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9
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Nicholls CR, Peters KJ, Cagnazzi D, Hanf D, Parra GJ. Incidence of shark-inflicted bite injuries on Australian snubfin ( Orcaella heinsohni) and Australian humpback ( Sousa sahulensis) dolphins in coastal waters off east Queensland, Australia. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10026. [PMID: 37153022 PMCID: PMC10156446 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The ecology and evolution of prey populations are influenced by predation and predation risk. Our understanding of predator-prey relationships between sharks and dolphins is incomplete due to the difficulties in observing predatory events directly. Shark-inflicted wounds are often seen on dolphin bodies, which can provide an indirect measure of predation pressure. We used photographs of Australian humpback and snubfin dolphins from north, central, and south Queensland to assess the incidence of shark-inflicted bite injuries and to examine interspecific differences in bite injuries and their relationship with group sizes, habitat features, and geographical locations characteristic of where these individuals occurred. The incidence of shark-inflicted scarring did not differ between species (χ 2 = 0.133, df = 1, p = .715), with 33.3% of snubfin and 24.1% of humpback dolphins showing evidence of shark bites when data were pooled across all three study sites. Generalized additive models indicated that dolphins closer to the coast, with greater photographic coverage, and in north Queensland were more likely to have a shark-inflicted bite injury. The similar incidence of shark-inflicted wounds found on snubfin and humpback dolphins suggests both are subject to comparable predation pressure from sharks in the study region. Results highlight the importance that habitat features such as distance to the coast and geographical location could have in predation risk of dolphins from sharks, as well as the importance of considering photographic coverage when assessing the incidence of shark-inflicted bites on dolphins or other marine animals. This study serves as a baseline for future studies on shark-dolphin interactions in Queensland and into how predation may influence dolphin habitat usage, group living, and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin R. Nicholls
- Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab, College of Science and EngineeringFlinders UniversityAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Katharina J. Peters
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life SciencesUniversity of WollongongWollongongNew South WalesAustralia
- School of Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
| | - Daniele Cagnazzi
- Marine Ecology Research Centre, Faculty of Science and EngineeringSouthern Cross UniversityLismoreNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Daniella Hanf
- Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab, College of Science and EngineeringFlinders UniversityAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
- O2 MarineBusseltonWestern AustraliaAustralia
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic EcosystemsHarry Butler Institute, Murdoch UniversityMurdochWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Guido J. Parra
- Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab, College of Science and EngineeringFlinders UniversityAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
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10
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Scoleri VP, Ingram J, Johnson CN, Jones ME. Top predator restricts the niche breadth of prey: effects of assisted colonization of Tasmanian devils on a widespread omnivorous prey. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222113. [PMID: 36919429 PMCID: PMC10015323 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Few landscape-scale experiments test the effects of predators on the abundance and distribution of prey across habitat gradients. We use the assisted colonization of a top predator, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), to test the impacts of predation on the abundance, habitat use and temporal activity of a widespread prey species, the omnivorous common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Before introduction of devils to Maria Island, Tasmania, Australia, in 2012, possums were abundant in open grasslands as well as forests. Predation by devils caused high mortality of possums in grasslands, but individuals with access to trees had a higher survival probability. Possum abundance declined across the whole island from 2012-2016, as possums disappeared almost completely from grasslands and declined in drier forests with more open understorey. Abundance remained stable in wet forests, which are not preferred habitat for possums but provide better refuge from devils. Abundance and habitat use of possums remained unchanged at a control site on the adjacent Tasmanian mainland, where the devil population was low and stable. This study demonstrates how spatial variation in predator-caused mortality can limit both abundance and habitat breadth in generalist prey species, excluding them entirely from certain habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent P Scoleri
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay 7005, Australia
| | - Janeane Ingram
- School of Geography, Planning and Spatial Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay 7005, Australia
| | - Christopher N Johnson
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay 7005, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay 7005, Australia
| | - Menna E Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay 7005, Australia
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11
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Richards RL, Elderd BD, Duffy MA. Unhealthy herds and the predator–spreader: Understanding when predation increases disease incidence and prevalence. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9918. [PMID: 36969934 PMCID: PMC10037436 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Disease ecologists now recognize the limitation behind examining host–parasite interactions in isolation: community members—especially predators—dramatically affect host–parasite dynamics. Although the initial paradigm was that predation should reduce disease in prey populations (“healthy herds hypothesis”), researchers have realized that predators sometimes increase disease in their prey. These “predator–spreaders” are now recognized as critical to disease dynamics, but empirical research on the topic remains fragmented. In a narrow sense, a “predator–spreader” would be defined as a predator that mechanically spreads parasites via feeding. However, predators affect their prey and, subsequently, disease transmission in many other ways such as altering prey population structure, behavior, and physiology. We review the existing evidence for these mechanisms and provide heuristics that incorporate features of the host, predator, parasite, and environment to understand whether or not a predator is likely to be a predator–spreader. We also provide guidance for targeted study of each mechanism and quantifying the effects of predators on parasitism in a way that yields more general insights into the factors that promote predator spreading. We aim to offer a better understanding of this important and underappreciated interaction and a path toward being able to predict how changes in predation will influence parasite dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L. Richards
- Department of Biological SciencesLouisiana State UniversityBaton RougeLouisianaUSA
| | - Bret D. Elderd
- Department of Biological SciencesLouisiana State UniversityBaton RougeLouisianaUSA
| | - Meghan A. Duffy
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
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12
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Dawson SJ, Kreplins TL, Kennedy MS, Renwick J, Cowan MA, Fleming PA. Land use and dingo baiting are correlated with the density of kangaroos in rangeland systems. Integr Zool 2023; 18:299-315. [PMID: 36065141 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Rangelands worldwide have been subject to broadscale modification, such as widespread predator control, introduction of permanent livestock water and altered vegetation to improve grazing. In Australia, these landscape changes have resulted in kangaroos (i.e. large macropods) populations increasing over the past 200 years. Kangaroos are a key contributor to total grazing pressure and in conjunction with livestock and feral herbivores have been linked to land degradation. We used 22 years of aerial survey data to investigate whether the density of 3 macropod species in the southern rangelands of Western Australia was associated with: (i) land use, including type of livestock, total livestock, density of feral goats, type of land tenure, and kangaroo commercial harvest effort; (ii) predator management, including permitted dingo control effort, estimated dingo abundance, and presence of the State Barrier Fence (a dingo exclusion fence); and (iii) environmental variables: ruggedness, rainfall, fractional cover, and total standing dry matter. Red kangaroos (Osphranter rufus) were most abundant in flat, open vegetation, on pastoral land, where area permitted for dingo control was high, and numbers were positively associated with antecedent rainfall with a 12-month delay. Western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) were most abundant on flat, agricultural land, but less abundant in areas with high permitted dingo control. Euros (Osphranter robustus) were most abundant in rugged pastoral land with open vegetation, where permitted dingo control was high. While environmental variables are key drivers of landscape productivity and kangaroo populations, anthropogenic factors such as land use and permitted dingo control are strongly associated with kangaroo abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart J Dawson
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia.,Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (present address), South Perth, Australia
| | - Tracey L Kreplins
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Northam, Australia
| | | | - Juanita Renwick
- Queensland Department of Environment and Science, Moggill, Australia
| | - Mark A Cowan
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Woodvale, Australia
| | - Patricia A Fleming
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia
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13
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Zhou Y, Zhang H, Liu D, Khashaveh A, Li Q, Wyckhuys KA, Wu K. Long-term insect censuses capture progressive loss of ecosystem functioning in East Asia. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade9341. [PMID: 36735783 PMCID: PMC9897670 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade9341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Insects provide critical ecosystem services such as biological pest control, in which natural enemies (NE) regulate the populations of crop-feeding herbivores (H). While H-NE dynamics are routinely studied at small spatiotemporal scales, multiyear assessments over entire agrolandscapes are rare. Here, we draw on 18-year radar and searchlight trapping datasets (2003-2020) from eastern Asia to (i) assess temporal population trends of 98 airborne insect species and (ii) characterize the associated H-NE interplay. Although NE consistently constrain interseasonal H population growth, their summer abundance declined by 19.3% over time and prominent agricultural pests abandoned their equilibrium state. Within food webs composed of 124 bitrophic couplets, NE abundance annually fell by 0.7% and network connectance dropped markedly. Our research unveils how a progressive decline in insect numbers debilitates H trophic regulation and ecosystem stability at a macroscale, carrying implications for food security and (agro)ecological resilience during times of global environmental change.
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14
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Estimating population dynamics trajectories of raptors from a multi-species hierarchical distance sampling model. ECOL INFORM 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2023.102024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
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15
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Higashi CHV, Nichols WL, Chevignon G, Patel V, Allison SE, Kim KL, Strand MR, Oliver KM. An aphid symbiont confers protection against a specialized RNA virus, another increases vulnerability to the same pathogen. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:936-950. [PMID: 36458425 PMCID: PMC10107813 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Insects often harbour heritable symbionts that provide defence against specialized natural enemies, yet little is known about symbiont protection when hosts face simultaneous threats. In pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum), the facultative endosymbiont Hamiltonella defensa confers protection against the parasitoid, Aphidius ervi, and Regiella insecticola protects against aphid-specific fungal pathogens, including Pandora neoaphidis. Here, we investigated whether these two common aphid symbionts protect against a specialized virus A. pisum virus (APV), and whether their antifungal and antiparasitoid services are impacted by APV infection. We found that APV imposed large fitness costs on symbiont-free aphids and these costs were elevated in aphids also housing H. defensa. In contrast, APV titres were significantly reduced and costs to APV infection were largely eliminated in aphids with R. insecticola. To our knowledge, R. insecticola is the first aphid symbiont shown to protect against a viral pathogen, and only the second arthropod symbiont reported to do so. In contrast, APV infection did not impact the protective services of either R. insecticola or H. defensa. To better understand APV biology, we produced five genomes and examined transmission routes. We found that moderate rates of vertical transmission, combined with horizontal transfer through food plants, were the major route of APV spread, although lateral transfer by parasitoids also occurred. Transmission was unaffected by facultative symbionts. In summary, the presence and species identity of facultative symbionts resulted in highly divergent outcomes for aphids infected with APV, while not impacting defensive services that target other enemies. These findings add to the diverse phenotypes conferred by aphid symbionts, and to the growing body of work highlighting extensive variation in symbiont-mediated interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William L Nichols
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Georgia, Athens, USA
| | - Germain Chevignon
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Georgia, Athens, USA
| | - Vilas Patel
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Georgia, Athens, USA
| | - Suzanne E Allison
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Georgia, Athens, USA
| | - Kyungsun Lee Kim
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Georgia, Athens, USA
| | - Michael R Strand
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Georgia, Athens, USA
| | - Kerry M Oliver
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Georgia, Athens, USA
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16
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Baral K, Adhikari B, Bhandari S, Kunwar RM, Sharma HP, Aryal A, Ji W. Impact of climate change on distribution of common leopard ( Panthera pardus) and its implication on conservation and conflict in Nepal. Heliyon 2023; 9:e12807. [PMID: 36660456 PMCID: PMC9843263 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e12807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change is projected to create alterations in species distributions over the planet. The common leopard (Panthera pardus) serves an important ecological function as a member of the big carnivore guild, but little is known about how climate change may affect their distribution. In this study, we use MaxEnt to simulate the geographic distributions by illustrating potential present and future ranges of common leopard by utilizing presence records alongside important topographic and bioclimatic variables based on two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) scenarios. The goals of this study was to look into possible distribution ranges of common leopards due to climate change, as well as explore the implications for conservation and potential conflict with humans. At present, 4% of Nepal was found to be highly suitable for common leopards, 43% suitable, 19% marginally suitable, and 34% unsuitable. A large portion of the climatically suitable habitat was confined to non-protected areas, and the majority of the highly suitable habitat was encompassed by forest land, followed by agricultural areas. Elevation, mean temperature of driest quarter, annual precipitation, and precipitation seasonality were the variables influencing habitat suitability for the common leopard. A significant increase in marginally suitable habitat was observed in the high mountain region, indicating a shift of habitat in upper elevation areas due to the effects of climate change. We recommend timely management of these potential habitats to expand the range of this vulnerable species. At the same time, a combination of expanding new habitats and poor management practices could escalate human-leopard conflict. Therefore, further study on the impact of climate change on the distribution of prey species and proper habitat management techniques should be prioritized to mitigate conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kedar Baral
- School of Natural and Computational Science, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand,Division Forest Office, Pokhara, Kaski, Nepal,Corresponding author. School of Natural and Computational Science, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Binaya Adhikari
- Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Kaski, Nepal,Pokhara Zoological Park and Wildlife Rescue Center, Kaski, Nepal
| | | | | | - Hari P. Sharma
- Central Department of Zoology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Achyut Aryal
- Natural Resource Conservation and Research Center, Pokhara, Nepal
| | - Weihong Ji
- School of Natural and Computational Science, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
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17
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Avrin AC, Pekins CE, Wilmers CC, Sperry JH, Allen ML. Can a mesocarnivore fill the functional role of an apex predator? Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra C. Avrin
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois Urbana Illinois USA
| | - Charles E. Pekins
- Fort Hood Natural Resources Management Branch United States Army Garrison Fort Hood Texas USA
| | - Christopher C. Wilmers
- Environmental Studies Department, Center for Integrated Spatial Research University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California USA
| | - Jinelle H. Sperry
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois Urbana Illinois USA
- Engineer Research and Development Center United States Army Corps of Engineers Champaign Illinois USA
| | - Maximilian L. Allen
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois Urbana Illinois USA
- Illinois Natural History Survey University of Illinois Champaign Illinois USA
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18
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Zhong H, Li F, Díaz‐Sacco JJ, Shi K. Dietary and temporal partitioning facilitates coexistence of sympatric carnivores in the Everest region. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9531. [PMID: 36440311 PMCID: PMC9682211 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 09/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Carnivores, especially top predators, are important because they maintain the structure and function of ecosystems by top-down control. Exploring the coexistence between carnivores belonging to different ecological guilds can provide the data needed for the development of effective conservation strategies of endangered species. We used scats and camera traps to molecularly analyze the dietary composition of four predators that inhabit the Everest region and assess their activity patterns. Dietary analysis revealed 22 food Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) of 7 orders and 2 classes. Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and wolf (Canis lupus) had high dietary overlap (Pianka's index = 0.95), as they both mainly preyed on ungulates (%PR = 61%, 50%), while lynx (Lynx lynx) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) mainly consumed small mammals (%PR = 62%, 76%). We observed lower dietary overlaps (Pianka's index = 0.53-0.70) between predators with large body size difference (snow leopard versus lynx, snow leopard versus red fox, wolf versus lynx, wolf versus fox), and dietary difference was significant (p < .01), proving dietary partitioning. In activity pattern analysis, predators exhibited higher temporal overlaps with the more frequently consumed prey species, showing that predator activity can be regulated by prey availability. We observed no obvious temporal avoidance between snow leopard and wolf because they had high activity overlap (Δ = 0.87). Red fox had the lowest coefficients of activity overlap with snow leopard and wolf (Δ = 0.60, 0.59), suggesting that fox tends to avoid snow leopard and wolf temporally. In this study, we revealed how dietary and temporal partitioning facilitates the coexistence of carnivores in Everest. These results will help to increase the understanding of coexistence mechanism of carnivore communities, and provide the scientific foundation for the conservation of wildlife living in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Zhong
- Wildlife Institute, School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Eco‐Bridge ContinentalBeijingChina
| | - Fengjiao Li
- Wildlife Institute, School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Eco‐Bridge ContinentalBeijingChina
| | - Juan José Díaz‐Sacco
- Wildlife Institute, School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Kun Shi
- Wildlife Institute, School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Eco‐Bridge ContinentalBeijingChina
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19
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Huang Y, Schuldt A, Hönig L, Yang B, Liu X, Bruelheide H, Ma K, Schmid B, Niklaus PA. Effects of enemy exclusion on biodiversity-productivity relationships in a subtropical forest experiment. THE JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2022; 110:2167-2178. [PMID: 36250130 PMCID: PMC9544039 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.13940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Interspecific niche complementarity is a key mechanism posited to explain positive species richness-productivity relationships in plant communities. However, the exact nature of the niche dimensions that plant species partition remains poorly known.Species may partition abiotic resources that limit their growth, but species may also be specialized with respect to their set of biotic interactions with other trophic levels, in particular with enemies including pathogens and consumers. The lower host densities present in more species-diverse plant communities may therefore result in smaller populations of specialized enemies, and in a smaller associated negative feedback these enemies exert on plant productivity.To test whether such host density-dependent effects of enemies drive diversity-productivity relationships in young forest stands, we experimentally manipulated leaf fungal pathogens and insect herbivores in a large subtropical forest biodiversity-ecosystem functioning experiment in China (BEF-China).We found that fungicide spraying of tree canopies removed the positive tree-species richness-productivity relationship present in untreated control plots. The tree species that contributed the most to this effect were the ones with the highest fungicide-induced growth increase in monoculture. Insecticide application did not cause comparable effects. Synthesis. Our findings suggest that tree species diversity may not only promote productivity by interspecific resource-niche partitioning but also by trophic niche partitioning. Most likely, partitioning occurred with respect to enemies such as pathogenic fungi. Alternatively, similar effects on tree growth would have occurred if fungicide had eliminated positive effects of a higher diversity of beneficial fungi (e.g. mycorrhizal symbionts) that may have occurred in mixed tree species communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Huang
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiologyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Andreas Schuldt
- Forest Nature ConservationGeorg‐August‐University GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Lydia Hönig
- Institute of Biology, Geobotany and Botanical GardenMartin‐Luther‐University Halle‐WittenbergHalleGermany
| | - Bo Yang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Biodiversity of Jiangxi ProvinceJingdezhen UniversityJingdezhenChina
| | - Xiaojuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of BotanyThe Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Helge Bruelheide
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of Biology, Geobotany and Botanical GardenMartin‐Luther‐University Halle‐WittenbergHalleGermany
| | - Keping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of BotanyThe Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Bernhard Schmid
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
- Department of Geography, Remote Sensing LaboratoriesUniversity of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental SciencesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Pascal A. Niklaus
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
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20
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Jones LR, Johnson SA, Hudson CM, Zollner PA, Swihart RK. Habitat selection in a recovering bobcat (Lynx rufus) population. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269258. [PMID: 35914005 PMCID: PMC9342758 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding habitat selection of top predators is critical to predict their impacts on ecological communities and interactions with humans, particularly in recovering populations. We analyzed habitat selection in a recovering population of bobcats (Lynx rufus) in south-central Indiana using a Random Forest model. We predicted that bobcats would select forest habitat and forest edges but avoid agriculture to maximize encounters with prey species. We also predicted that bobcats would avoid developed areas and roads to minimize potential antagonistic interactions with humans. Results partially supported our predictions and were consistent with bobcats in the early stages of population expansion. Bobcats exhibited elevated use near forest edges, thresholds of avoidance near agriculture, and thresholds of selection for low and intermediate habitat heterogeneity. Bobcats exhibited peak probability of use 1–3 km from major roads, >800 m from minor roads, and <1km from developed areas, suggesting tradeoffs in reward for high-quality hunting areas and mortality risk. Our Random Forest model highlighted complex non-linear patterns and revealed that most shifts in habitat use occurred within 1 km of the edge of each habitat type. These results largely supported previous studies in the Midwest and across North America but also produced refinements of bobcat habitat use in our system, particularly at habitat boundaries. Refined models of habitat selection by carnivores enable improved prediction of the most suitable habitat for recovering populations and provides useful information for conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Landon R. Jones
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Scott A. Johnson
- Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Cassie M. Hudson
- Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Patrick A. Zollner
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Robert K. Swihart
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
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21
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Nauta J, Simoens P, Khaluf Y, Martinez-Garcia R. Foraging behaviour and patch size distribution jointly determine population dynamics in fragmented landscapes. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20220103. [PMID: 35730173 PMCID: PMC9214291 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased fragmentation caused by habitat loss represents a major threat to the persistence of animal populations. How fragmentation affects populations depends on the rate at which individuals move between spatially separated patches. Whereas negative effects of habitat loss on biodiversity are well known, the effects of fragmentation per se on population dynamics and ecosystem stability remain less well understood. Here, we use a spatially explicit predator-prey model to investigate how the interplay between fragmentation and optimal foraging behaviour affects predator-prey interactions and, subsequently, ecosystem stability. We study systems wherein prey occupies isolated patches and are consumed by predators that disperse following Lévy random walks. Our results show that the Lévy exponent and the degree of fragmentation jointly determine coexistence probabilities. In highly fragmented landscapes, Brownian and ballistic predators go extinct and only scale-free predators can coexist with prey. Furthermore, our results confirm that predation causes irreversible habitat loss in fragmented landscapes owing to overexploitation of smaller patches of prey. Moreover, we show that predator dispersal can reduce, but not prevent or minimize, the amount of lost habitat. Our results suggest that integrating optimal foraging theory into population and landscape ecology is crucial to assessing the impact of fragmentation on biodiversity and ecosystem stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Nauta
- Department of Information Technology–IDLab, Ghent University-IMEC, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 126, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Simoens
- Department of Information Technology–IDLab, Ghent University-IMEC, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 126, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yara Khaluf
- Wageningen University and Research, Department of Social Sciences–Information Technology Group, Hollandseweg 1, 6706KN Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ricardo Martinez-Garcia
- ICTP South American Institute for Fundamental Research and Instituto de Física Teórica, Universidade Estadual Paulista–UNESP, Rua Dr Bento Teobaldo Ferraz 271, Bloco 2 – Barra Funda, 01140-070 São Paulo, Brazil
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22
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Redinger JM, Halvorson HM, Gifford ME. Variable stoichiometric and macronutrient responses to lizard predation in Ozark glade grasshopper communities. Oecologia 2022; 199:757-768. [PMID: 35610326 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05185-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The General Stress Paradigm (GSP) predicts that prey body compositions should shift under chronic predation as prey increase body carbon and decrease body nitrogen content through dietary changes, heightened metabolism, reduced dietary efficiency, and the breakdown of nitrogen rich tissues to make labile carbohydrates available. In our study, we explored how the elemental and macronutrient content along with the morphology of three abundant Ozark glade grasshopper species differed between glades with and without predatory collared lizard (Crotaphytus collaris) populations. Our results indicated that lichen grasshoppers (Trimerotropis saxatilis) increased body C:N ratios in response to predators. Scudder's short-wing grasshoppers (Melanoplus scudderi) increased both body %C and %protein content, while the handsome grasshoppers (Syrbula admirabilis) did not significantly respond to the presence of collared lizards. None of the three grasshopper species showed morphological responses to predation. We also found that elemental and macronutrient content of grasshoppers was not always significantly correlated and was not associated with the same environmental factors, indicating a need to incorporate both perspectives in future research and utilize more accurate macromolecular assays. Overall, we found support for some aspects of the GSP in field-active animals and add to the growing body of evidence that predator-induced changes in prey body composition are more complex than predicted by the original GSP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Redinger
- Department of Biology, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR, 72035, USA
| | - Halvor M Halvorson
- Department of Biology, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR, 72035, USA
| | - Matthew E Gifford
- Department of Biology, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR, 72035, USA.
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23
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Koltz AM, Civitello DJ, Becker DJ, Deem SL, Classen AT, Barton B, Brenn-White M, Johnson ZE, Kutz S, Malishev M, Preston DL, Vannatta JT, Penczykowski RM, Ezenwa VO. Sublethal effects of parasitism on ruminants can have cascading consequences for ecosystems. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2117381119. [PMID: 35533278 PMCID: PMC9171767 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117381119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitic infections are common, but how they shape ecosystem-level processes is understudied. Using a mathematical model and meta-analysis, we explored the potential for helminth parasites to trigger trophic cascades through lethal and sublethal effects imposed on herbivorous ruminant hosts after infection. First, using the model, we linked negative effects of parasitic infection on host survival, fecundity, and feeding rate to host and producer biomass. Our model, parameterized with data from a well-documented producer–caribou–helminth system, reveals that even moderate impacts of parasites on host survival, fecundity, or feeding rate can have cascading effects on ruminant host and producer biomass. Second, using meta-analysis, we investigated the links between helminth infections and traits of free-living ruminant hosts in nature. We found that helminth infections tend to exert negative but sublethal effects on ruminant hosts. Specifically, infection significantly reduces host feeding rates, body mass, and body condition but has weak and highly variable effects on survival and fecundity. Together, these findings suggest that while helminth parasites can trigger trophic cascades through multiple mechanisms, overlooked sublethal effects on nonreproductive traits likely dominate their impacts on ecosystems. In particular, by reducing ruminant herbivory, pervasive helminth infections may contribute to a greener world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M. Koltz
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | | | | | - Sharon L. Deem
- Saint Louis Zoo Institute for Conservation Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110
| | - Aimée T. Classen
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Brandon Barton
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Maris Brenn-White
- Saint Louis Zoo Institute for Conservation Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110
| | - Zoë E. Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762
| | - Susan Kutz
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | | | - Daniel L. Preston
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523
| | - J. Trevor Vannatta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | | | - Vanessa O. Ezenwa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
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24
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Fricke U, Steffan-Dewenter I, Zhang J, Tobisch C, Rojas-Botero S, Benjamin CS, Englmeier J, Ganuza C, Haensel M, Riebl R, Uhler J, Uphus L, Ewald J, Kollmann J, Redlich S. Landscape diversity and local temperature, but not climate, affect arthropod predation among habitat types. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264881. [PMID: 35486623 PMCID: PMC9053821 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthropod predators are important for ecosystem functioning by providing top-down regulation of insect herbivores. As predator communities and activity are influenced by biotic and abiotic factors on different spatial scales, the strength of top-down regulation ('arthropod predation') is also likely to vary. Understanding the combined effects of potential drivers on arthropod predation is urgently needed with regard to anthropogenic climate and land-use change. In a large-scale study, we recorded arthropod predation rates using artificial caterpillars on 113 plots of open herbaceous vegetation embedded in contrasting habitat types (forest, grassland, arable field, settlement) along climate and land-use gradients in Bavaria, Germany. As potential drivers we included habitat characteristics (habitat type, plant species richness, local mean temperature and mean relative humidity during artificial caterpillar exposure), landscape diversity (0.5-3.0-km, six scales), climate (multi-annual mean temperature, 'MAT') and interactive effects of habitat type with other drivers. We observed no substantial differences in arthropod predation rates between the studied habitat types, related to plant species richness and across the Bavarian-wide climatic gradient, but predation was limited when local mean temperatures were low and tended to decrease towards higher relative humidity. Arthropod predation rates increased towards more diverse landscapes at a 2-km scale. Interactive effects of habitat type with local weather conditions, plant species richness, landscape diversity and MAT were not observed. We conclude that landscape diversity favours high arthropod predation rates in open herbaceous vegetation independent of the dominant habitat in the vicinity. This finding may be harnessed to improve top-down control of herbivores, e.g. agricultural pests, but further research is needed for more specific recommendations on landscape management. The absence of MAT effects suggests that high predation rates may occur independent of moderate increases of MAT in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ute Fricke
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Cynthia Tobisch
- Institute for Ecology and Landscape, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Freising, Germany
- Restoration Ecology, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Sandra Rojas-Botero
- Restoration Ecology, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Caryl S. Benjamin
- Ecoclimatology, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Jana Englmeier
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Rauhenebrach, Germany
| | - Cristina Ganuza
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Maria Haensel
- Professorship of Ecological Services, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Rebekka Riebl
- Professorship of Ecological Services, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Johannes Uhler
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Rauhenebrach, Germany
| | - Lars Uphus
- Ecoclimatology, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Jörg Ewald
- Institute for Ecology and Landscape, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Freising, Germany
| | - Johannes Kollmann
- Restoration Ecology, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Sarah Redlich
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Szefer P, Molem K, Sau A, Novotny V. Weak effects of birds, bats, and ants on their arthropod prey on pioneering tropical forest gap vegetation. Ecology 2022; 103:e3690. [PMID: 35322403 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3690] [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: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The relative roles of plants competing for resources versus top-down control of vegetation by herbivores, in turn impacted by predators, during early stages of tropical forest succession remain poorly understood. Here we examine the impact of insectivorous birds, bats and ants exclusion on arthropods communities on replicated 5x5 m of pioneering early successional vegetation plots in lowland tropical forest gaps in Papua New Guinea. In plots from which focal taxa of predators were excluded we observed increased biomass of herbivorous and predatory arthropods, and increased density, and decreased diversity of herbivorous insects. However, changes in the biomass of plants, herbivores and arthropod predators were positively correlated or uncorrelated between these three trophic levels and also between individual arthropod orders. Arthropod abundance and biomass correlated strongly with the plant biomass irrespective of the arthropods' trophic position - a signal of bottom-up control. Patterns in herbivore specialization confirm lack of a strong top-down control and were largely unaffected by the exclusion of insectivorous birds, bats and ants. No changes of plant-herbivore interaction networks were detected except for decrease in modularity of the exclosure plots. Our results suggest weak top-down control of herbivores, limited compensation between arthropod and vertebrate predators, and limited intra-guild predation by birds, bats and ants. Possible explanations are strong bottom-up control, a low activity of the higher order predators, especially birds, possibly also bats, in gaps, and continuous influx of herbivores from surrounding mature forest matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Szefer
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1645/31a, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Kenneth Molem
- New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, PO Box 604, Madang 511, Papua New Guinea
| | - Austin Sau
- New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, PO Box 604, Madang 511, Papua New Guinea
| | - Vojtech Novotny
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1645/31a, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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26
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Zhong Z, Li G, Sanders D, Wang D, Holt RD, Zhang Z. A rodent herbivore reduces its predation risk through ecosystem engineering. Curr Biol 2022; 32:1869-1874.e4. [PMID: 35278348 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions are ubiquitous and powerful forces that structure ecological communities.1-3 Habitat complexity has been shown to be particularly important in regulating the strength of predator-prey interactions.4-6 While it is well established that changes in habitat structure can alter the efficacy of predatory and anti-predatory behaviors,7-9 little is known about the consequences of engineering activity by prey species who modify the external environment to reduce their own predation risk. Using field surveys and manipulative experiments, we evaluated how habitat modification by Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) influences predation risk from a principal avian predator (shrike; Lanius spp.) in a steppe grassland, located in Inner Mongolia, China. We found that voles actively modify habitat structure by cutting down a large, unpalatable bunchgrass species (Achnatherum splendens) in the presence of shrikes, a behavior that disappeared when these avian predators were excluded experimentally. The damage activities of these voless dramatically decreased the volume of unpalatable grasses, which in turn reduced visitations by shrikes and thus mortality rates. Our study shows that herbivorous prey that act as ecosystem engineers can directly reduce their own predation risk by modifying habitat structure. Given the ubiquity of predation risks faced by consumers, and the likely ability of many consumers to alter the habitat structure in which they live, the interplay between predation risk and ecosystem engineering may be an important but unappreciated mechanism at play in natural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Science, Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin 130024, China
| | - Guoliang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Dirk Sanders
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Deli Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Science, Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin 130024, China
| | - Robert D Holt
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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27
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Chitwood MC, Baruzzi C, Lashley MA. “Ecology of fear” in ungulates: Opportunities for improving conservation. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8657. [PMID: 35261746 PMCID: PMC8888265 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Because ungulates are important contributors to ecosystem function, understanding the “ecology of fear” could be important to the conservation of ecosystems. Although studying ungulate ecology of fear is common, knowledge from ungulate systems is highly contested among ecologists. Here, we review the available literature on the ecology of fear in ungulates to generalize our current knowledge and how we can leverage it for conservation. Four general focus areas emerged from the 275 papers included in our literature search (and some papers were included in multiple categories): behavioral responses to predation risk (79%), physiological responses to predation risk (15%), trophic cascades resulting from ungulate responses to predation risk (20%), and manipulation of predation risk (1%). Of papers focused on behavior, 75% were about movement and habitat selection. Studies were biased toward North America (53%), tended to be focused on elk (Cervus canadensis; 29%), and were dominated by gray wolves (40%) or humans (39%) as predators of interest. Emerging literature suggests that we can utilize predation risk for conservation with top‐down (i.e., increasing predation risk) and bottom‐up (i.e., manipulating landscape characteristics to increase risk or risk perception) approaches. It is less clear whether fear‐related changes in physiology have population‐level fitness consequences or cascading effects, which could be fruitful avenues for future research. Conflicting evidence of trait‐mediated trophic cascades might be improved with better replication across systems and accounting for confounding effects of ungulate density. Improving our understanding of mechanisms modulating the nature of trophic cascades likely is most important to ensure desirable conservation outcomes. We recommend future work embrace the complexity of natural systems by attempting to link together the focal areas of study identified herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Colter Chitwood
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Oklahoma State University Stillwater Oklahoma USA
| | - Carolina Baruzzi
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Mississippi State University Starkville Mississippi USA
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
| | - Marcus A. Lashley
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Mississippi State University Starkville Mississippi USA
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
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28
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Bellier E. Mixed interactions among life history stages of two harvested related species. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8530. [PMID: 35309747 PMCID: PMC8901886 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change and harvesting can affect the ecosystems' functioning by altering the population dynamics and interactions among species. Knowing how species interact is essential for better understanding potentially unintended consequences of harvest on multiple species in ecosystems. I analyzed how stage-specific interactions between two harvested competitors, the haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), living in the Barents Sea affect the outcome of changes in the harvest of the two species. Using state-space models that account for observation errors and stochasticity in the population dynamics, I run different harvesting scenarios and track population-level responses of both species. The increasing temperature elevated the number of larvae of haddock but did not significantly influence the older age-classes. The nature of the interactions between both species shifted from predator-prey to competition around age-2 to -3. Increased cod fishing mortality, which led to decreasing abundance of cod, was associated with an increasing overall abundance of haddock, which suggests compensatory dynamics of both species. From a stage-specific approach, I show that a change in the abundance in one species may propagate to other species, threatening the exploited species' recovery. Thus, this study demonstrates that considering interactions among life history stages of harvested species is essential to enhance species' co-existence in harvested ecosystems. The approach developed in this study steps forward the analyses of effects of harvest and climate in multi-species systems by considering the comprehension of complex ecological processes to facilitate the sustainable use of natural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwige Bellier
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyThe Arctic University of NorwayTromsøNorway
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29
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Potapov AM, Beaulieu F, Birkhofer K, Bluhm SL, Degtyarev MI, Devetter M, Goncharov AA, Gongalsky KB, Klarner B, Korobushkin DI, Liebke DF, Maraun M, Mc Donnell RJ, Pollierer MM, Schaefer I, Shrubovych J, Semenyuk II, Sendra A, Tuma J, Tůmová M, Vassilieva AB, Chen T, Geisen S, Schmidt O, Tiunov AV, Scheu S. Feeding habits and multifunctional classification of soil‐associated consumers from protists to vertebrates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1057-1117. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anton M. Potapov
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Frédéric Beaulieu
- Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Agriculture and Agri‐Food Canada Ottawa ON K1A 0C6 Canada
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology Brandenburg University of Technology Karl‐Wachsmann‐Allee 6 03046 Cottbus Germany
| | - Sarah L. Bluhm
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Maxim I. Degtyarev
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Miloslav Devetter
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Anton A. Goncharov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Konstantin B. Gongalsky
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Bernhard Klarner
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Daniil I. Korobushkin
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Dana F. Liebke
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Mark Maraun
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Rory J. Mc Donnell
- Department of Crop and Soil Science Oregon State University Corvallis OR 97331 U.S.A
| | - Melanie M. Pollierer
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Ina Schaefer
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Julia Shrubovych
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals PAS Slawkowska 17 Pl 31‐016 Krakow Poland
- State Museum Natural History of NAS of Ukraine Teatralna 18 79008 Lviv Ukraine
| | - Irina I. Semenyuk
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
- Joint Russian‐Vietnamese Tropical Center №3 Street 3 Thang 2, Q10 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
| | - Alberto Sendra
- Colecciones Entomológicas Torres‐Sala, Servei de Patrimoni Històric, Ajuntament de València València Spain
- Departament de Didàctica de les Cièncias Experimentals i Socials, Facultat de Magisteri Universitat de València València Spain
| | - Jiri Tuma
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Entomology Branisovska 1160/31 370 05 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
| | - Michala Tůmová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Anna B. Vassilieva
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Ting‐Wen Chen
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Stefan Geisen
- Department of Nematology Wageningen University & Research 6700ES Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Olaf Schmidt
- UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science University College Dublin Belfield Dublin 4 Ireland
| | - Alexei V. Tiunov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Stefan Scheu
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use Büsgenweg 1 37077 Göttingen Germany
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30
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LaBarge LR, Evans MJ, Miller JRB, Cannataro G, Hunt C, Elbroch LM. Pumas
Puma concolor
as ecological brokers: a review of their biotic relationships. Mamm Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura R. LaBarge
- Program in Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, Department of Environment and Sustainability, The State University of New York University at Buffalo Amherst NY14260USA
- Center for Conservation Innovation Defenders of Wildlife Washington DC20036USA
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Bücklestraße 5 Konstanz DE78467Germany
| | - Michael J. Evans
- Center for Conservation Innovation Defenders of Wildlife Washington DC20036USA
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy George Mason University 4400 University Dr Fairfax VA22030USA
| | - Jennifer R. B. Miller
- Center for Conservation Innovation Defenders of Wildlife Washington DC20036USA
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy George Mason University 4400 University Dr Fairfax VA22030USA
| | - Gillian Cannataro
- Center for Conservation Innovation Defenders of Wildlife Washington DC20036USA
- Conservation, Management and Welfare Sciences Association of Zoos and Aquariums 8403 Colesville Rd., Suite 710 Silver Spring MD20910‐3314USA
| | - Christian Hunt
- Field Conservation Defenders of Wildlife Washington DC20036USA
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31
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Population density estimate of leopards (Panthera pardus) in north-western Mpumalanga, South Africa, determined using spatially explicit capture–recapture methods. Mamm Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-021-00179-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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32
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Hood ASC, Aryawan AAK, Advento AD, Suberkah WR, Ashton‐Butt A, Ps S, Caliman J, Naim M, Foster WA, Turner EC. A whole‐ecosystem method for experimentally suppressing ants on a small scale. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amelia SC Hood
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Anak Agung Ketut Aryawan
- Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology Research Institute (SMARTRI) Jalan Teuku Umar, No. 19 28112 Riau Indonesia
| | - Andreas D Advento
- Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology Research Institute (SMARTRI) Jalan Teuku Umar, No. 19 28112 Riau Indonesia
| | - Wahyu R Suberkah
- PT. Ouzen Anugerah Indonesia Bukit Barisan Street, No. 78 E Medan North Sumatra Indonesia
| | - Adham Ashton‐Butt
- British Trust for Ornithology BTO The Nunnery Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences University of Hull Hull HU6 7RX
| | - Sudharto Ps
- Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology Research Institute (SMARTRI) Jalan Teuku Umar, No. 19 28112 Riau Indonesia
| | - Jean‐Pierre Caliman
- Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology Research Institute (SMARTRI) Jalan Teuku Umar, No. 19 28112 Riau Indonesia
| | - Mohammad Naim
- Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology Research Institute (SMARTRI) Jalan Teuku Umar, No. 19 28112 Riau Indonesia
| | - William A Foster
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Edgar C Turner
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EJ UK
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33
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Bartel SL, Orrock JL. Past agricultural land use affects multiple facets of ungulate antipredator behavior. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Antipredator behavior affects prey fitness, prey demography, and the strength of ecological interactions. Although predator-prey interactions increasingly occur in habitats that experience multiple forms of human-generated disturbance, it is unclear how different forms of disturbance might affect antipredator behavior. Fire is a contemporary disturbance that has dramatic effects on terrestrial habitats. Such habitats may have also experienced past disturbances, like agricultural land use, that leave lasting legacies on habitat structure (e.g., overstory and understory composition). It is unclear how these past and present disturbances affect the use of different antipredator behaviors, like temporal avoidance and vigilance. We examined whether variation in disturbance regimes generates differences in ungulate antipredator behavior by using cameras to measure white-tailed deer vigilance and activity time across 24 longleaf pine woodlands that vary in past land use and contemporary fire regime. Regardless of land-use history, woodlands with high fire frequencies had 4 times less vegetation cover than low-fire woodlands, generating riskier habitats for deer; however, deer responded to fire with different antipredator strategies depending on land-use history. In nonagricultural woodlands, fire affected deer activity time such that activity was nocturnal in low-fire woodlands and crepuscular in high-fire woodlands. In post-agricultural woodlands, fire affected vigilance and not activity time such that deer were more vigilant in high-fire woodlands than in low-fire woodlands. These results suggest that ungulate antipredator behavior may vary spatially depending on past land use and contemporary fire regime, and such disturbances may generate “landscapes of fear” that persist for decades after agricultural use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah L Bartel
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison , 363 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI , USA
| | - John L Orrock
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison , 363 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI , USA
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34
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Global patterns of raptor distribution and protected areas optimal selection to reduce the extinction crises. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2018203118. [PMID: 34462334 PMCID: PMC8449406 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2018203118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Current extinction rates are caused by human activities, including habitat destruction. Here we analyze the global patterns of raptor distribution to determine priority areas for conservation. Raptors are top predators that can be used as umbrella species to help the conservation of other species. Our results provide insights into global strategies for conservation of different proportions of the geographic range of raptor species, minimizing socioeconomic conflict. These findings are fundamental to guide conservation actions that may help avert the massive current extinction crises. Globally, human-caused environmental impacts, such as habitat loss, have seriously impacted raptor species, with some 50% of species having decreasing populations. We analyzed global patterns of distribution of all 557 raptor species, focusing on richness, endemism, geographic range, conservation status, and population trends. Highest species diversity, endemism, species at risk, or restricted species were concentrated in different regions. Patterns of species distribution greatly differed between nocturnal and diurnal species. To test the efficiency of the global protected areas in conserving raptors, we simulated and compared global reserve systems created with strategies aiming at: 1) constraining the existing system into the final solution; and 2) minimizing the socioeconomic cost of reserve selection. We analyzed three targets of species distribution to be protected (10, 20, 30%). The first strategy was more efficient in meeting targets and less efficient in cost and compactness of reserves. Focusing on actions in the existing protected areas is fundamental to consolidate conservation, and politically and economically more viable than creating new reserves. However, creating new reserves is essential to protect more populations throughout the species’ geographic range. Our findings provide a fundamental understanding of reserves to maintain raptor diversity and reduce the global population and species extinction crisis.
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35
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Cruz LR, Muylaert RL, Galetti M, Pires MM. The geography of diet variation in Neotropical Carnivora. Mamm Rev 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lívia R. Cruz
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) Campinas São Paulo Brazil
- Laboratório de Estrutura e Dinâmica da Diversidade (LEDDiv) Departamento de Biologia Animal Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) Campinas São Paulo13083‐970Brazil
| | - Renata L. Muylaert
- Molecular Epidemiology and Public Health Laboratory Hopkirk Research InstituteMassey University Palmerston North Manawatu‐Wanganui New Zealand
| | - Mauro Galetti
- Department of Biology University of Miami Coral Gables FL33146USA
- Departamento de Biodiversidade Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Rio Claro São Paulo13506‐900Brazil
| | - Mathias M. Pires
- Laboratório de Estrutura e Dinâmica da Diversidade (LEDDiv) Departamento de Biologia Animal Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) Campinas São Paulo13083‐970Brazil
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36
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Inferring multilayer interactome networks shaping phenotypic plasticity and evolution. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5304. [PMID: 34489412 PMCID: PMC8421358 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25086-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity represents a capacity by which the organism changes its phenotypes in response to environmental stimuli. Despite its pivotal role in adaptive evolution, how phenotypic plasticity is genetically controlled remains elusive. Here, we develop a unified framework for coalescing all single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) into a quantitative graph. This framework integrates functional genetic mapping, evolutionary game theory, and predator-prey theory to decompose the net genetic effect of each SNP into its independent and dependent components. The independent effect arises from the intrinsic capacity of a SNP, only expressed when it is in isolation, whereas the dependent effect results from the extrinsic influence of other SNPs. The dependent effect is conceptually beyond the traditional definition of epistasis by not only characterizing the strength of epistasis but also capturing the bi-causality of epistasis and the sign of the causality. We implement functional clustering and variable selection to infer multilayer, sparse, and multiplex interactome networks from any dimension of genetic data. We design and conduct two GWAS experiments using Staphylococcus aureus, aimed to test the genetic mechanisms underlying the phenotypic plasticity of this species to vancomycin exposure and Escherichia coli coexistence. We reconstruct the two most comprehensive genetic networks for abiotic and biotic phenotypic plasticity. Pathway analysis shows that SNP-SNP epistasis for phenotypic plasticity can be annotated to protein-protein interactions through coding genes. Our model can unveil the regulatory mechanisms of significant loci and excavate missing heritability from some insignificant loci. Our multilayer genetic networks provide a systems tool for dissecting environment-induced evolution.
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37
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Hines J, Eisenhauer N. Species identity and the functioning of ecosystems: the role of detritivore traits and trophic interactions in connecting of multiple ecosystem responses. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jes Hines
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Inst. of Biology, Leipzig Univ. Leipzig Germany
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater MD USA
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Inst. of Biology, Leipzig Univ. Leipzig Germany
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38
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Insect-mediated apparent competition between mammals in a boreal food web. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2022892118. [PMID: 34282006 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022892118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
While the important role of animal-mediated interactions in the top-down restructuring of plant communities is well documented, less is known of their ensuing repercussions at higher trophic levels. We demonstrate how typically decoupled ecological interactions may become intertwined such that the impact of an insect pest on forest structure and composition alters predator-prey interactions among large mammals. Specifically, we show how irruptions in a common, cyclic insect pest of the boreal forest, the spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana), modulated an indirect trophic interaction by initiating a flush in deciduous vegetation that benefited moose (Alces alces), in turn strengthening apparent competition between moose and threatened boreal caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) via wolf (Canis lupus) predation. Critically, predation on caribou postoutbreak was exacerbated by human activity (salvage logging). We believe our observations of significant, large-scale reverberating consumer-producer-consumer interactions are likely to be common in nature.
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39
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Hsu G, Ou J, Ho C. Pest consumption by generalist arthropod predators increases with crop stage in both organic and conventional farms. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gen‐Chang Hsu
- Department of Life Science National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan
| | - Jia‐Ang Ou
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan
| | - Chuan‐Kai Ho
- Department of Life Science National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan
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40
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Spencer EE, Dickman CR, Greenville A, Crowther MS, Kutt A, Newsome TM. Carcasses attract invasive species and increase artificial nest predation in a desert environment. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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41
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Su H, Feng Y, Chen J, Chen J, Ma S, Fang J, Xie P. Determinants of trophic cascade strength in freshwater ecosystems: a global analysis. Ecology 2021; 102:e03370. [PMID: 33961286 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Top-down cascade effects are among the most important mechanisms underlying community structure and abundance dynamics in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. A current challenge is understanding the factors controlling trophic cascade strength under global environmental changes. Here, we synthesized 161 global sites to analyze how multiple factors influence consumer-resource interactions with fish in freshwater ecosystems. Fish have a profound negative effect on zooplankton and water clarity but positive effects on primary producers and water nutrients. Furthermore, fish trophic levels can modify the strength of trophic cascades, but an even number of food chain length does not have a negative effect on primary producers in real ecosystems. Eutrophication, warming, and predator abundance strengthen the trophic cascade effects on phytoplankton, suggesting that top-down control will be increasingly important under future global environmental changes. We found no influence or even an increasing trophic cascade strength (e.g., phytoplankton) with increasing latitude, which does not support the widespread view that the trophic cascade strength increases closer to the equator. With increasing temporal and spatial scales, the experimental duration has an accumulative effect, whereas the experimental size is not associated with the trophic cascade strength. Taken together, eutrophication, warming, temporal scale, and predator trophic level and abundance are pivotal to understanding the impacts of multiple environmental factors on the trophic cascade strength. Future studies should stress the possible synergistic effect of multiple factors on the food web structure and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haojie Su
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.,Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yuhao Feng
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jianfeng Chen
- Poyang Lake Eco-economy Research Center, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, 332005, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Suhui Ma
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jingyun Fang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Ping Xie
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.,Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
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42
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Schmitt L, Greenberg R, Ibarra-Núñez G, Bichier P, Gordon CE, Perfecto I. Cascading Effects of Birds and Bats in a Shaded Coffee Agroforestry System. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.512998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Volant vertebrate insectivores, including birds and bats, can be important regulators of herbivores in forests and agro-ecosystems. Their effects can be realized directly through predation and indirectly via intraguild predation. This paper examines data from bird and bat exclosures in coffee farms in Chiapas, Mexico in order to determine their effect on herbivores. Arthropods were sampled in 32 exclosures (with 10 coffee plants in each) and their paired controls three times during 6 months. After 3 months, herbivore and spider abundance increased, underscoring the importance of both intertrophic predation between volant vertebrate insectivores and herbivores and intraguild predation between volant vertebrate insectivores and spiders. After 6 months, herbivore abundance increased in the exclosures, which is indicative of a direct negative effect of birds and bats on herbivores. We suggest that intraguild predation is important in this food web and that seasonality may change the relative importance of intraguild vs. intertrophic predation. Results suggest a dissipating trophic cascade and echo the growing body of evidence that finds birds and bats are regulators of herbivores in agro-ecosystems.
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43
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44
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Catalán AM, Büchner-Miranda J, Riedemann B, Chaparro OR, Valdivia N, Scrosati RA. Community-wide consequences of nonconsumptive predator effects on a foundation species. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1307-1316. [PMID: 33630333 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Predators can exert nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) on prey, which often take place through prey behavioural adjustments to minimise predation risk. As NCEs are widespread in nature, interest is growing to determine whether NCEs on a prey species can indirectly influence several other species simultaneously, thus leading to changes in community structure. In this study, we investigate whether a predator can exert NCEs on a foundation species and indirectly affect community structure. Through laboratory experiments, we first tested whether the predatory marine snail Acanthina monodon exerts negative NCEs on larviphagy (consumption of pelagic larvae) and phytoplankton filtration rates of the mussel Perumytilus purpuratus, an intertidal foundation species. These hypotheses stem from the notion that mussels may decrease feeding activities in the presence of predator cues to limit detection by predators. Afterwards, a field experiment tested whether the presence of A. monodon near mussel beds leads to higher colonisation rates of invertebrates that reproduce through pelagic larvae (expected under a lower larviphagy in P. purpuratus) and to a lower algal biomass on P. purpuratus shells (expected under a lower metabolite excretion in the mussels), thereby changing the community structure of the species typically found in P. purpuratus beds. The laboratory experiments revealed that waterborne cues from A. monodon limit the larviphagy and filtration rates of P. purpuratus. In turn, the field experiment showed that A. monodon cues led to greater abundances of barnacles and bivalves and a lower algal biomass in P. purpuratus beds, thus altering community structure. Overall, this study shows that a predator can indirectly affect community structure through NCEs on an invertebrate foundation species. As invertebrate foundation species are ubiquitous worldwide, understanding predator NCEs on these organisms could help to better understand community regulation in systems structured by such species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis M Catalán
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.,Programa de Doctorado en Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | | | - Bárbara Riedemann
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Oscar R Chaparro
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Nelson Valdivia
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.,Centro FONDAP de Investigación de Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL), Valdivia, Chile
| | - Ricardo A Scrosati
- Department of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
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45
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Foster JG, Gervan CA, Coghill MG, Fraser LH. Are arthropod communities in grassland ecosystems affected by the abundance of an invasive plant? Oecologia 2021; 196:1-12. [PMID: 33507399 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04833-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Invasive plants cause changes to native plant communities and nutrient cycling, and by doing so, may alter the amount and quality of habitat available for animals at multiple trophic levels, including arthropods. Arthropods are generally abundant, diverse, and contribute to energy flow and nutrient cycling and are, therefore, an important group to study as a way of determining the effects of changes to ecosystem functioning. Spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe L.), a perennial forb native to Eastern Europe, is considered one of the most ecologically harmful invasive species in Western North America. Here, we test if spotted knapweed alters plant community, ground litter and ground temperature, and arthropod functional group structure and biomass in grassland habitats in British Columbia, Canada. Pitfall traps, installed at 20 sites that differed in spotted knapweed density, were sorted into herbivores, omnivores, predators, detritivores, and parasites. Decreases in herbivore and detritivore biomass was associated with increasing spotted knapweed density. The first two coordinates of a Principle Coordinates Analysis explained a cumulative 60% of the variation, and herbivores were separated from predators on both axes. The results suggest that spotted knapweed density may affect arthropod functional groups through changes in plant community composition, and surface soil temperatures. The results suggest that in terms of relative abundance and biomass, increasing knapweed density had positive effects on some arthropod functional groups, neutral effects on others, and negative effects on others. Thus, not all arthropod functional groups responded equally to knapweed invasion, and knapweed invasion does not necessarily decrease arthropod functional group diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordann G Foster
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada.
| | - Chantalle A Gervan
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - Matthew G Coghill
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - Lauchlan H Fraser
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada
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46
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Yovovich V, Thomsen M, Wilmers CC. Pumas’ fear of humans precipitates changes in plant architecture. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Yovovich
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research Environmental Studies Department University of California 1156 High Street Santa Cruz California95064USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley 145 Mulford Hall Berkeley California94720USA
| | - Meredith Thomsen
- Biology Department and River Studies Center University of Wisconsin 1725 State Street La Crosse Wisconsin54601USA
| | - Christopher C. Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research Environmental Studies Department University of California 1156 High Street Santa Cruz California95064USA
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47
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Rossa M, Lovari S, Ferretti F. Spatiotemporal patterns of wolf, mesocarnivores and prey in a Mediterranean area. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02956-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Spatial and temporal occurrence can mediate behavioural interactions between apex predators, mesocarnivores and herbivores. Predators should adapt their activity to that of prey, whereas predator avoidance would be expected to influence activity patterns and space use of prey and smaller competitors. We evaluated interspecific spatiotemporal relationships in a prey-rich community including an apex predator (the wolf), three wild ungulates and several smaller herbivores/mesocarnivores, through camera trapping. All considered species (i.e. wolves and potential prey/smaller competitors: wild boar, fallow deer, roe deer, crested porcupine, red fox and European badger) were active especially at night and/or twilight. Among wild ungulates, the wolf showed the greatest temporal overlap with the wild boar and the lowest one with the least abundant and used of them, i.e. the roe deer. The main prey (i.e. the fallow deer) showed more diurnal activity and a lower temporal overlap with the predator in sites with high wolf activity than in low-activity ones. Among mesocarnivores, the red fox showed extensive temporal overlap with the wolf: the overlap between the two canids was greater in sites intensively used by this apex predator than in sites with low wolf activity, supporting a concurrent study which suggested a potential for facilitative—rather than competitive—interactions. Spatiotemporal relationships suggest complex interactions between the apex predator, prey and smaller carnivores, for which a substantial temporal or spatial association was often supported.
Significance statement
There is a growing interest in the influence of apex predators on ecosystems through their effects on the behaviour of prey and smaller carnivores, especially in the light of the ongoing recovery of large carnivores in temperate areas. Predators should synchronise their activity to that of prey; conversely, prey and smaller carnivores would be expected to avoid predators. In a rich community including the wolf, three wild ungulates and several mesomammals, we detected (i) a substantial temporal overlap between wolves and wild boar, porcupines and mesocarnivores; (ii) a negative temporal association between the predator and its main prey (i.e. the fallow deer) and (iii) a great temporal overlap between the wolf and the red fox. We provide a baseline to evaluate temporal changes of predator-prey-mesocarnivore behavioural interactions along with variations of carnivore-prey densities.
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48
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Benkendorf DJ, Whiteman HH. Omnivore density affects community structure through multiple trophic cascades. Oecologia 2021; 195:397-407. [PMID: 33392792 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04836-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Omnivores can dampen trophic cascades by feeding at multiple trophic levels, yet few studies have evaluated how intraspecific variation of omnivores influences community structure. The speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus) is a common and omnivorous minnow that consumes algae and invertebrates. We studied effects of size and size structure on top-down control by dace and how effects scaled with density. Dace were manipulated in a mesocosm experiment and changes in invertebrate and algal communities and ecosystem function were monitored. Omnivores affected experimental communities via two distinct trophic pathways (benthic and pelagic). In the benthic pathway, dace reduced macroinvertebrate biomass, thereby causing density-mediated indirect effects that led to increased benthic algal biomass. Dace also reduced pelagic predatory macroinvertebrate biomass (hemipterans), thereby increasing the abundance of emerging insects. The effect of dace and hemipterans on emerging insects was mediated by a non-linear response to dace with peak emergence at intermediate dace density. In contrast with recent studies, omnivore size and size structure had no clear effect, indicating that small and large dace in our experiment shared similar functional roles. Our results support that the degree to which omnivores dampen trophic cascades depends on their relative effect on multiple trophic levels, such that the more omnivorous a predator is, the more likely cascades will be dampened. Availability of abundant macroinvertebrates, and the absence of top predators, may have shifted dace diets from primary to secondary consumption, strengthening density-dependent trophic cascades. Both omnivore density and dietary shifts are important factors influencing omnivore-mediated communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald J Benkendorf
- Watershed Studies Institute, Murray State University, Murray, KY, 42071, USA. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, Murray, KY, 42071, USA. .,High Lonesome Institute, De Beque, CO, 81630, USA. .,Department of Watershed Sciences, Utah State University, 5210 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322-5210, USA.
| | - Howard H Whiteman
- Watershed Studies Institute, Murray State University, Murray, KY, 42071, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, Murray, KY, 42071, USA.,High Lonesome Institute, De Beque, CO, 81630, USA
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49
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Palmer MS, Portales-Reyes C, Potter C, Mech LD, Isbell F. Behaviorally-mediated trophic cascade attenuated by prey use of risky places at safe times. Oecologia 2021; 195:235-248. [PMID: 33389153 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04816-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The mere threat of predation may incite behavioral changes in prey that lead to community-wide impacts on productivity, biodiversity, and nutrient cycling. The paucity of experimental manipulations, however, has contributed to controversy over the strength of this pathway in wide-ranging vertebrate systems. We investigated whether simulated gray wolf (Canis lupus) presence can induce behaviorally-mediated trophic cascades, specifically, whether the 'fear' of wolf olfactory cues alone can change deer foraging behavior in ways that affect plants and soils. Wolves were recently removed from the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (Minnesota, USA), such that consumptively mediated predator effects were negligible. At 32 experimental plots, we crossed two nested treatments: wolf urine application and herbivore exclosures. We deployed camera traps to quantify how white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) adjusted their spatiotemporal habitat use, foraging, and vigilance in response to wolf cues and how these behavioral changes affected plant productivity, plant communities, and soil nutrients. Weekly applications of wolf urine significantly altered deer behavior, but deer responses did not cascade to affect plant or soil properties. Deer substantially reduced crepuscular activity at wolf-simulated sites compared to control locations. As wolves in this area predominantly hunted during mornings and evenings, this response potentially allows deer to maximize landscape use by accessing dangerous areas when temporal threat is low. Our experiment suggests that prey may be sensitive to 'dynamic' predation risk that is structured across both space and time and, consequentially, prey use of risky areas during safe times may attenuate behaviorally-mediated trophic cascades at the predator-prey interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith S Palmer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55104, USA. .,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA.
| | - C Portales-Reyes
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55104, USA
| | - C Potter
- Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, University of Minnesota, East Bethel, MN, USA
| | - L David Mech
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND, USA
| | - Forest Isbell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55104, USA.,Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, University of Minnesota, East Bethel, MN, USA
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50
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Bellier E, Sæther BE, Engen S. Sustainable strategies for harvesting predators and prey in a fluctuating environment. Ecol Modell 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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