1
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Gross CP, Stachowicz JJ. Extending trait dispersion across trophic levels: Predator assemblages act as top-down filters on prey communities. Ecology 2024:e4320. [PMID: 38768562 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Studies of community assembly typically focus on the effects of abiotic environmental filters and stabilizing competition on functional trait dispersion within single trophic levels. Predation is a well-known driver of community diversity and composition, yet the role of functionally diverse predator communities in filtering prey community traits has received less attention. We examined functionally diverse communities of predators (fishes) and prey (epifaunal crustaceans) in eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds in two northern California estuaries to evaluate the filtering effects of predator traits on community assembly and how filters acting on predators influence their ability to mediate prey community assembly. Fish traits related to bottom orientation were correlated with more clustered epifauna communities, and epifauna were generally overdispersed while fishes were clustered, suggesting prey may be pushed to disparate areas of trait space to avoid capture by benthic sit-and-wait predators. We also found correlations between the trait dispersions of predator and prey communities that strengthened after accounting for the effects of habitat filters on predator dispersion, suggesting that habitat filtering effects on predator species pools may hinder their ability to affect prey community assembly. Our results present compelling observational evidence that specific predator traits have measurable impacts on the community assembly of prey, inviting experimental tests of predator trait means on community assembly and explicit comparisons of how the relative effects of habitat filters and intraguild competition on predators impact their ability to affect prey community assembly. Integrating our understanding of traits at multiple trophic levels can help us better predict the impacts of community composition on food web dynamics as regional species pools shift with climate change and anthropogenic introductions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin P Gross
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - John J Stachowicz
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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2
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Li X, Zhu N, Ming M, Li LL, Bu F, Wu XD, Yuan S, Fu HP. The Spatial Niche and Influencing Factors of Desert Rodents. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:734. [PMID: 38473118 DOI: 10.3390/ani14050734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Resource partitioning may allow species coexistence. Sand dunes in the typical steppe of Alxa Desert Inner Mongolia, China, consisting of desert, shrub, and grass habitats, provide an appropriate system for studies of spatial niche partitioning among small mammals. In this study, the spatial niche characteristics of four rodents, Orientallactaga sibirica, Meriones meridianus, Dipus sagitta, and Phodopus roborovskii, and their responses to environmental changes in the Alxa Desert were studied from 2017 to 2021. Using the capture-mark-recapture method, we tested if desert rodents with different biological characteristics and life history strategies under heterogeneous environmental conditions allocate resources in spatial niches to achieve sympatric coexistence. We investigated the influence of environmental factors on the spatial niche breadth of rodents using random forest and redundancy analyses. We observed that the spatial niche overlap between O. sibirica and other rodents is extremely low (overlap index ≤ 0.14). P. roborovskii had the smallest spatial niche breadth. Spatial niche overlap was observed in two distinct species pairs, M. meridianus and D. sagitta, and P. roborovskii and D. sagitta. The Pielou evenness index of rodent communities is closely related to the spatial distribution of rodents, and the concealment of habitats is a key factor affecting the spatial occupation of rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 29 Erdos East Street, Saihan District, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Rodent Pest Control, Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, 29 Erdos East Street, Hohhot 010011, China
| | - Na Zhu
- College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 29 Erdos East Street, Saihan District, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Rodent Pest Control, Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, 29 Erdos East Street, Hohhot 010011, China
| | - Ming Ming
- College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 29 Erdos East Street, Saihan District, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Rodent Pest Control, Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, 29 Erdos East Street, Hohhot 010011, China
| | - Lin-Lin Li
- College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 29 Erdos East Street, Saihan District, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Rodent Pest Control, Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, 29 Erdos East Street, Hohhot 010011, China
| | - Fan Bu
- College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 29 Erdos East Street, Saihan District, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Rodent Pest Control, Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, 29 Erdos East Street, Hohhot 010011, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Wu
- College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 29 Erdos East Street, Saihan District, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Rodent Pest Control, Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, 29 Erdos East Street, Hohhot 010011, China
| | - Shuai Yuan
- College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 29 Erdos East Street, Saihan District, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Rodent Pest Control, Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, 29 Erdos East Street, Hohhot 010011, China
| | - He-Ping Fu
- College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 29 Erdos East Street, Saihan District, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Rodent Pest Control, Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot 010011, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, 29 Erdos East Street, Hohhot 010011, China
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3
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van den Bosch M, Kellner KF, Mkasanga I, Mwampeta SB, Fyumagwa R, Gantchoff MG, Patterson BR, Belant JL. Spatial and temporal niche overlap of aardwolves and aardvarks in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10718. [PMID: 38020690 PMCID: PMC10630155 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10718] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Species interactions can influence species distributions, but mechanisms mitigating competition or facilitating positive interactions between ecologically similar species are often poorly understood. Aardwolves (Proteles cristata) and aardvarks (Orycteropus afer) are nocturnal, insectivorous mammals that co-occur in eastern and southern Africa, and knowledge of these species is largely limited to their nutritional biology. We used aardwolf and aardvark detections from 105 remote cameras during 2016-2018 to assess their spatial and temporal niche overlap in the grasslands of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Using a multispecies occupancy model, we identified a positive interaction between occupancy probabilities for aardwolves and aardvarks. Slope, proportion of grassland and termite mound density did not affect the occupancy probabilities of either species. The probability of aardwolf, but not aardvark, occupancy increased with distance to permanent water sources, which may relate to predation risk avoidance. Diel activity overlap between aardwolves and aardvarks was high during wet and dry seasons, with both species being largely nocturnal. Aardwolves and aardvarks have an important ecological role as termite consumers, and aardvarks are suggested to be ecosystem engineers. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the spatial and temporal niche of insectivores like aardwolves and aardvarks, suggesting high spatial and temporal niche overlap in which commensalism occurs, whereby aardwolves benefit from aardvark presence through increased food accessibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merijn van den Bosch
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
| | - Kenneth F. Kellner
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
| | - Imani Mkasanga
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
| | - Stanslaus B. Mwampeta
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
| | | | | | - Brent R. Patterson
- Ontario Ministry of Natural ResourcesTrent UniversityPeterboroughOntarioCanada
| | - Jerrold L. Belant
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
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4
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Wang ZN, Wang H, Shen YZ, Li FK, Xiao JX, Yang Y, Lv SJ. Behavioural and physiological responses of Small Tail Han sheep to predators. Animal 2023; 17:100884. [PMID: 37437473 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.100884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Prey animals modify their behaviour and physiology in the presence of predators. Domestic animals differ from wild animals in having less exposure to wild predators, but whether they still retain an antipredator instinct is frequently unknown. In this study, we used domesticated Small Tail Han sheep as a model prey animal to gauge their response to the presence of predators, in the form of odours from the faeces of lion, tiger, and leopard. The faeces of male sheep and male rabbit (as a heterogeneous non-predator) were used as control. We found that the frequency and time of feeding, exploration, moving, watching, and lying down behaviours were significantly affected by predator odour, and that there was an interaction between odour sources and sex. When exposed to predator odour, sheep reduced their frequency and time of feeding, and increased their exploratory, moving, and watching behaviours. Female sheep showed greater motivation towards frequent and lengthy exploration, moving, watching, and lying down behaviours than male sheep, and less motivation towards feeding and drinking behaviours. Serum cortisol levels were lowest in response to tiger stimuli. These results illustrated that Small Tail Han sheep could recognise predator odour and adjust their behaviour to display antipredator strategies, and displayed some physiological responses, although only changing in serum cortisol could be significantly attributed to the odour of predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z N Wang
- College of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Linyi University, 276000 Linyi, China
| | - H Wang
- College of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Linyi University, 276000 Linyi, China
| | - Y Z Shen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Hebei Agricultural University, 071000 Baoding, China
| | - F K Li
- College of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Linyi University, 276000 Linyi, China
| | - J X Xiao
- Linyi Zoological and Botanical Garden, 276000 Linyi, China
| | - Y Yang
- Linyi Academy of Agricultural Science, 276000 Linyi, China
| | - S J Lv
- College of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Linyi University, 276000 Linyi, China.
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5
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Swinkels C, van der Wal JEM, Stinn C, Monteza-Moreno CM, Jansen PA. Prey tracking and predator avoidance in a Neotropical moist forest: a camera-trapping approach. J Mammal 2022; 104:137-145. [PMID: 37077314 PMCID: PMC10107427 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Whether prey species avoid predators and predator species track prey is a poorly understood aspect of predator–prey interactions, given measuring prey tracking by predators and predator avoidance by prey is challenging. A common approach to study these interactions among mammals in field situations is to monitor the spatial proximity of animals at fixed times, using GPS tags fitted to individuals. However, this method is invasive and only allows tracking of a subset of individuals. Here, we use an alternative, noninvasive camera-trapping approach to monitor temporal proximity of predator and prey animals. We deployed camera traps at fixed locations on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, where the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is the principal mammalian predator, and tested two hypotheses: (1) prey animals avoid ocelots; and (2) ocelots track prey. We quantified temporal proximity of predators and prey by fitting parametric survival models to the time intervals between subsequent prey and predator captures by camera traps, and then compared the observed intervals to random permutations that retained the spatiotemporal distribution of animal activity. We found that time until a prey animal appeared at a location was significantly longer than expected by chance if an ocelot had passed, and that the time until an ocelot appeared at a location was significantly shorter than expected by chance after prey passage. These findings are indirect evidence for both predator avoidance and prey tracking in this system. Our results show that predator avoidance and prey tracking influence predator and prey distribution over time in a field setting. Moreover, this study demonstrates that camera trapping is a viable and noninvasive alternative to GPS tracking for studying certain predator–prey interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constant Swinkels
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University , 6708 PB Wageningen , The Netherlands
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute , Balboa, Ancón 0843-03092 , Republic of Panama
- Plant Ecology and Physiology, Radboud University , 6525 AW Nijmegen , The Netherlands
| | - Jessica E M van der Wal
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town , Cape Town 7701 , South Africa
| | - Christina Stinn
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute , Balboa, Ancón 0843-03092 , Republic of Panama
- Department of Conservation Biology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen , 37073 Göttingen , Germany
| | - Claudio M Monteza-Moreno
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute , Balboa, Ancón 0843-03092 , Republic of Panama
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior , 78315 Konstanz , Germany
| | - Patrick A Jansen
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University , 6708 PB Wageningen , The Netherlands
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute , Balboa, Ancón 0843-03092 , Republic of Panama
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6
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Mérő TO, Žuljević A, Kolykhanova O, Lengyel S. Reuse of nests in the Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus: A behavior to save time and energy and to deter nest parasites? Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9452. [PMID: 36311413 PMCID: PMC9608790 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9452] [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: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproductive period in animals is a demanding part in their life history. In birds, environmental factors, such as adverse weather, predation, or brood parasitism; and/or anthropogenic disturbance, can limit breeding success, resulting in failure of clutches. The nest loss in open‐cup nesting passerines is usually replaced with a new nest with a new clutch, however, in some cases the clutch replacement may occur in unusual forms. In this study, we report on three cases of within‐season nest reuse in the Great Reed Warbler. In the first case, a nest was reused for two times in the same season after unsuccessful nesting attempts (two‐time nest reuse). After the nest was depredated the first time, the female laid new eggs that were depredated again, then again the female laid new eggs that produced four fledglings. In the second case, the first clutch was depredated, after which the female laid a new clutch in the same nest that was again depredated. In the third case, the female laid new eggs among the eggs that failed to hatch previously. Our observations tend not to be consistent with the predator avoidance hypothesis because the depredated nests were reused by the parents. The time/energy saving hypothesis or possible deterrence of nest parasitism could explain nest reuse in this study, but because of low number of nests reused compared to the total number of nests found, this phenomenon needs further clarification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Oliver Mérő
- Department of Tisza ResearchCentre for Ecological Research, Institute of Aquatic EcologyDebrecenHungary,Nature Protection and Study Society – NATURASomborSerbia
| | - Antun Žuljević
- Nature Protection and Study Society – NATURASomborSerbia
| | | | - Szabolcs Lengyel
- Department of Tisza ResearchCentre for Ecological Research, Institute of Aquatic EcologyDebrecenHungary
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7
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Hawlena H. Coexistence research requires more interdisciplinary communication. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8914. [PMID: 35592068 PMCID: PMC9101577 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8914] [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: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Coexistence theories develop rapidly at the ecology forefront, outpacing their experimental testing. I discuss the reasons for this gap, call on interdisciplinary researchers to construct a road map for coexistence research, and recommend the actions that should be implemented therein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadas Hawlena
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research Ben‐Gurion University of the Negev Midreshet Ben‐Gurion Israel
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8
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Quach KT, Chalasani SH. Flexible reprogramming of Pristionchus pacificus motivation for attacking Caenorhabditis elegans in predator-prey competition. Curr Biol 2022; 32:1675-1688.e7. [PMID: 35259340 PMCID: PMC9050875 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Animals with diverse diets must adapt their food priorities to a wide variety of environmental conditions. This diet optimization problem is especially complex for predators that compete with prey for food. Although predator-prey competition is widespread and ecologically critical, it remains difficult to disentangle predatory and competitive motivations for attacking competing prey. Here, we dissect the foraging decisions of the omnivorous nematode Pristionchus pacificus to reveal that its seemingly failed predatory attempts against Caenorhabditis elegans are actually motivated acts of efficacious territorial aggression. While P. pacificus easily kills and eats larval C. elegans with a single bite, adult C. elegans typically survives and escapes bites. However, non-fatal biting can provide competitive benefits by reducing access of adult C. elegans and its progeny to bacterial food that P. pacificus also eats. We show that the costs and benefits of both predatory and territorial outcomes influence how P. pacificus decides which food goal, prey or bacteria, should guide its motivation for biting. These predatory and territorial motivations impose different sets of rules for adjusting willingness to bite in response to changes in bacterial abundance. In addition to biting, predatory and territorial motivations also influence which search tactic P. pacificus uses to increase encounters with C. elegans. When treated with an octopamine receptor antagonist, P. pacificus switches from territorial to predatory motivation for both biting and search. Overall, we demonstrate that P. pacificus assesses alternate outcomes of attacking C. elegans and flexibly reprograms its foraging strategy to prioritize either prey or bacterial food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen T. Quach
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.,Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Sreekanth H. Chalasani
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.,Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.,Lead Contact,Correspondence: , Twitter: @shreklab
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9
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Spatiotemporal patterns of a diffusive prey-predator model with spatial memory and pregnancy period in an intimidatory environment. J Math Biol 2022; 84:12. [DOI: 10.1007/s00285-022-01716-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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10
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Dellinger JA, Shores CR, Craig AD, Kachel SM, Heithaus MR, Ripple WJ, Wirsing AJ. Predators reduce niche overlap between sympatric prey. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin A. Dellinger
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
- Wildlife Investigations Lab, California Dept of Fish and Wildlife Rancho Cordova CA USA
| | - Carolyn R. Shores
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
- British Columbia Fish and Wildlife, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Williams Lake BC Canada
| | - Apryle D. Craig
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Shannon M. Kachel
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
- Panthera New York NY USA
| | - Michael R. Heithaus
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Florida International Univ. North Miami FL USA
- Institute of Environment, Florida International Univ. FL USA
| | - William J. Ripple
- Global Trophic Cascades Program, Dept of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State Univ. Corvallis OR USA
| | - Aaron J. Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
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11
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Terry JCD, Chen J, Lewis OT. Natural enemies have inconsistent impacts on the coexistence of competing species. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2277-2288. [PMID: 34013519 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The role of natural enemies in promoting coexistence of competing species has generated substantial debate. Modern coexistence theory provides a detailed framework to investigate this topic, but there have been remarkably few empirical applications to the impact of natural enemies. We tested experimentally the capacity for a generalist enemy to promote coexistence of competing insect species, and the extent to which any impact can be predicted by trade-offs between reproductive rate and susceptibility to natural enemies. We used experimental mesocosms to conduct a fully factorial pairwise competition experiment for six rainforest Drosophila species, with and without a generalist pupal parasitoid. We then parameterised models of competition and examined the coexistence of each pair of Drosophila species within the framework of modern coexistence theory. We found idiosyncratic impacts of parasitism on pairwise coexistence, mediated through changes in fitness differences, not niche differences. There was no evidence of an overall reproductive rate-susceptibility trade-off. Pairwise reproductive rate-susceptibility relationships were not useful shortcuts for predicting the impact of parasitism on coexistence. Our results exemplify the value of modern coexistence theory in multi-trophic contexts and the importance of contextualising the impact of generalist natural enemies to determine their impact. In the set of species investigated, competition was affected by the higher trophic level, but the overall impact on coexistence cannot be easily predicted just from knowledge of relative susceptibility. Methodologically, our Bayesian approach highlights issues with the separability of model parameters within modern coexistence theory and shows how using the full posterior parameter distribution improves inferences. This method should be widely applicable for understanding species coexistence in a range of systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Christopher D Terry
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Jinlin Chen
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Owen T Lewis
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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12
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ANDERSON BRITTC, HVENEGAARD GLENT. Purple Martin Nest House Selection in Central Alberta, Canada. WILDLIFE SOC B 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1161] [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]
Affiliation(s)
- BRITT C. ANDERSON
- University of Alberta—Augustana Campus, 4901‐46 Avenue Camrose AB T4V 2R3 Canada
| | - GLEN T. HVENEGAARD
- University of Alberta—Augustana Campus, 4901‐46 Avenue Camrose AB T4V 2R3 Canada
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13
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Quach KT, Chalasani SH. Intraguild predation between Pristionchus pacificus and Caenorhabditis elegans: a complex interaction with the potential for aggressive behaviour. J Neurogenet 2020; 34:404-419. [PMID: 33054476 PMCID: PMC7836027 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2020.1833004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The related nematodes Pristionchus pacificus and Caenorhabditis elegans both eat bacteria for nutrition and are therefore competitors when they exploit the same bacterial resource. In addition to competing with each other, P. pacificus is a predator of C. elegans larval prey. These two relationships together form intraguild predation, which is the killing and sometimes eating of potential competitors. In killing C. elegans, the intraguild predator P. pacificus may achieve dual benefits of immediate nutrition and reduced competition for bacteria. Recent studies of P. pacificus have characterized many aspects of its predatory biting behaviour as well as underlying molecular and genetic mechanisms. However, little has been explored regarding the potentially competitive aspect of P. pacificus biting C. elegans. Moreover, aggression may also be implicated if P. pacificus intentionally bites C. elegans with the goal of reducing competition for bacteria. The aim of this review is to broadly outline how aggression, predation, and intraguild predation relate to each other, as well as how these concepts may be applied to future studies of P. pacificus in its interactions with C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen T. Quach
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Sreekanth H. Chalasani
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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14
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Shoemaker LG, Barner AK, Bittleston LS, Teufel AI. Quantifying the relative importance of variation in predation and the environment for species coexistence. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:939-950. [PMID: 32255558 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Coexistence and food web theory are two cornerstones of the long-standing effort to understand how species coexist. Although competition and predation are known to act simultaneously in communities, theory and empirical study of these processes continue to be developed largely independently. Here, we integrate modern coexistence theory and food web theory to simultaneously quantify the relative importance of predation and environmental fluctuations for species coexistence. We first examine coexistence in a theoretical, multitrophic model, adding complexity to the food web using machine learning approaches. We then apply our framework to a stochastic model of the rocky intertidal food web, partitioning empirical coexistence dynamics. We find the main effects of both environmental fluctuations and variation in predator abundances contribute substantially to species coexistence. Unexpectedly, their interaction tends to destabilise coexistence, leading to new insights about the role of bottom-up vs. top-down forces in both theory and the rocky intertidal ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Allison K Barner
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.,Department of Biology, Colby College, Waterville, ME, 04901, USA
| | - Leonora S Bittleston
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, 83725, USA
| | - Ashley I Teufel
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, 87501, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
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15
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Siepielski AM, Hasik AZ, Ping T, Serrano M, Strayhorn K, Tye SP. Predators weaken prey intraspecific competition through phenotypic selection. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:951-961. [PMID: 32227439 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Predators have a key role shaping competitor dynamics in food webs. Perhaps the most obvious way this occurs is when predators reduce competitor densities. However, consumption could also generate phenotypic selection on prey that determines the strength of competition, thus coupling consumptive and trait-based effects of predators. In a mesocosm experiment simulating fish predation on damselflies, we found that selection against high damselfly activity rates - a phenotype mediating predation and competition - weakened the strength of density dependence in damselfly growth rates. A field experiment corroborated this finding and showed that increasing damselfly densities in lakes with high fish densities had limited effects on damselfly growth rates but generated a precipitous growth rate decline where fish densities were lower - a pattern expected because of spatial variation in selection imposed by predation. These results suggest that accounting for both consumption and selection is necessary to determine how predators regulate prey competitive interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Siepielski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Adam Z Hasik
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Taylor Ping
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Mabel Serrano
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Koby Strayhorn
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Simon P Tye
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
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16
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Mayer M, Fog Bjerre DH, Sunde P. Better safe than sorry: The response to a simulated predator and unfamiliar scent by the European hare. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Mayer
- Department of Bioscience Aarhus University Rønde Denmark
| | | | - Peter Sunde
- Department of Bioscience Aarhus University Rønde Denmark
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17
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Ousterhout BH, Serrano M, Bried JT, Siepielski AM. A framework for linking competitor ecological differences to coexistence. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1534-1548. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mabel Serrano
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Arkansas Fayetteville Arkansas
| | - Jason T. Bried
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Arkansas Fayetteville Arkansas
| | - Adam M. Siepielski
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Arkansas Fayetteville Arkansas
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18
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19
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Pringle RM, Kartzinel TR, Palmer TM, Thurman TJ, Fox-Dobbs K, Xu CCY, Hutchinson MC, Coverdale TC, Daskin JH, Evangelista DA, Gotanda KM, A Man In 't Veld N, Wegener JE, Kolbe JJ, Schoener TW, Spiller DA, Losos JB, Barrett RDH. Predator-induced collapse of niche structure and species coexistence. Nature 2019; 570:58-64. [PMID: 31168105 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1264-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Biological invasions are both a pressing environmental challenge and an opportunity to investigate fundamental ecological processes, such as the role of top predators in regulating biodiversity and food-web structure. In whole-ecosystem manipulations of small Caribbean islands on which brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei) were the native top predator, we experimentally staged invasions by competitors (green anoles, Anolis smaragdinus) and/or new top predators (curly-tailed lizards, Leiocephalus carinatus). We show that curly-tailed lizards destabilized the coexistence of competing prey species, contrary to the classic idea of keystone predation. Fear-driven avoidance of predators collapsed the spatial and dietary niche structure that otherwise stabilized coexistence, which intensified interspecific competition within predator-free refuges and contributed to the extinction of green-anole populations on two islands. Moreover, whereas adding either green anoles or curly-tailed lizards lengthened food chains on the islands, adding both species reversed this effect-in part because the apex predators were trophic omnivores. Our results underscore the importance of top-down control in ecological communities, but show that its outcomes depend on prey behaviour, spatial structure, and omnivory. Diversity-enhancing effects of top predators cannot be assumed, and non-consumptive effects of predation risk may be a widespread constraint on species coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Pringle
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Tyler R Kartzinel
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Todd M Palmer
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Timothy J Thurman
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama.,Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Kena Fox-Dobbs
- Department of Geology, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA, USA
| | - Charles C Y Xu
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Matthew C Hutchinson
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Tyler C Coverdale
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Joshua H Daskin
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dominic A Evangelista
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Kiyoko M Gotanda
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Johanna E Wegener
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Jason J Kolbe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Thomas W Schoener
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - David A Spiller
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan B Losos
- Department of Biology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rowan D H Barrett
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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