1
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Kath NJ, Gaedke U, van Velzen E. The double-edged sword of inducible defences: costs and benefits of maladaptive switching from the individual to the community level. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10344. [PMID: 35725738 PMCID: PMC9209413 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13895-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity can increase individual fitness when environmental conditions change over time. Inducible defences are a striking example, allowing species to react to fluctuating predation pressure by only expressing their costly defended phenotype under high predation risk. Previous theoretical investigations have focused on how this affects predator–prey dynamics, but the impact on competitive outcomes and broader community dynamics has received less attention. Here we use a small food web model, consisting of two competing plastic autotrophic species exploited by a shared consumer, to study how the speed of inducible defences across three trade-off constellations affects autotroph coexistence, biomasses across trophic levels, and temporal variability. Contrary to the intuitive idea that faster adaptation increases autotroph fitness, we found that higher switching rates reduced individual fitness as it consistently provoked more maladaptive switching towards undefended phenotypes under high predation pressure. This had an unexpected positive impact on the consumer, increasing consumer biomass and lowering total autotroph biomass. Additionally, maladaptive switching strongly reduced autotroph coexistence through an emerging source-sink dynamic between defended and undefended phenotypes. The striking impact of maladaptive switching on species and food web dynamics indicates that this mechanism may be of more critical importance than previously recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja J Kath
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 2, 14469, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Ursula Gaedke
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 2, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ellen van Velzen
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 2, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
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2
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Yamamichi M. How does genetic architecture affect eco-evolutionary dynamics? A theoretical perspective. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200504. [PMID: 35634922 PMCID: PMC9149794 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have revealed the importance of feedbacks between contemporary rapid evolution (i.e. evolution that occurs through changes in allele frequencies) and ecological dynamics. Despite its inherent interdisciplinary nature, however, studies on eco-evolutionary feedbacks have been mostly ecological and tended to focus on adaptation at the phenotypic level without considering the genetic architecture of evolutionary processes. In empirical studies, researchers have often compared ecological dynamics when the focal species under selection has a single genotype with dynamics when it has multiple genotypes. In theoretical studies, common approaches are models of quantitative traits where mean trait values change adaptively along the fitness gradient and Mendelian traits with two alleles at a single locus. On the other hand, it is well known that genetic architecture can affect short-term evolutionary dynamics in population genetics. Indeed, recent theoretical studies have demonstrated that genetic architecture (e.g. the number of loci, linkage disequilibrium and ploidy) matters in eco-evolutionary dynamics (e.g. evolutionary rescue where rapid evolution prevents extinction and population cycles driven by (co)evolution). I propose that theoretical approaches will promote the synthesis of functional genomics and eco-evolutionary dynamics through models that combine population genetics and ecology as well as nonlinear time-series analyses using emerging big data.
This article is part of the theme issue ‘Genetic basis of adaptation and speciation: from loci to causative mutations’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Yamamichi
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Department of International Health and Medical Anthropology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
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3
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Velzen E, Gaedke U, Klauschies T. Quantifying the capacity for contemporary trait changes to drive intermittent predator‐prey cycles. ECOL MONOGR 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Velzen
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 2 Potsdam Germany
| | - Ursula Gaedke
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 2 Potsdam Germany
| | - Toni Klauschies
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 2 Potsdam Germany
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4
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Fey SB, Kremer CT, Layden TJ, Vasseur DA. Resolving the consequences of gradual phenotypic plasticity for populations in variable environments. ECOL MONOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel B. Fey
- Department of Biology Reed College Portland Oregon 97202 USA
| | - Colin T. Kremer
- W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Michigan State University Hickory Corners Michigan 49060 USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles California 90096 USA
| | | | - David A. Vasseur
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University 165 Prospect Street New Haven Connecticut 06520 USA
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5
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Grosklos G, Cortez MH. Evolutionary and Plastic Phenotypic Change Can Be Just as Fast as Changes in Population Densities. Am Nat 2021; 197:47-59. [PMID: 33417519 DOI: 10.1086/711928] [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] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractEvolution and plasticity can drive population-level phenotypic change (e.g., changes in the mean phenotype) on timescales comparable to changes in population densities. However, it is unclear whether phenotypic change has the potential to be just as fast as changes in densities or whether comparable rates of change occur only when densities are changing slow enough for phenotypes to keep pace. Moreover, it is unclear whether this depends on the mode of adaptation. Using scaling theory and fast-slow dynamical systems theory, we develop a method for comparing maximum rates of density and phenotypic change estimated from population-level time-series data. We apply our method to 30 published empirical studies where changes in morphological traits are caused by evolution, plasticity, or an unknown combination. For every study, the maximum rate of phenotypic change was between 0.5 and 2.5 times faster than the maximum rate of change in density. Moreover, there were no systematic differences between systems with different modes of adaptation. Our results show that plasticity and evolution can drive phenotypic change just as fast as changes in densities. We discuss the implications of our results in terms of the strengths of feedbacks between population densities and traits.
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6
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Kasada M, Yoshida T. The timescale of environmental fluctuations determines the competitive advantages of phenotypic plasticity and rapid evolution. POPUL ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/1438-390x.12059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Minoru Kasada
- Graduate School of Life Sciences Tohoku University Sendai Japan
- Department of Experimental Limnology Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Stechlin Germany
| | - Takehito Yoshida
- Research Institute for Humanity and Nature Kyoto Japan
- Department of General Systems Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences The University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
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7
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Hirt MR, Tucker M, Müller T, Rosenbaum B, Brose U. Rethinking trophic niches: Speed and body mass colimit prey space of mammalian predators. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:7094-7105. [PMID: 32760514 PMCID: PMC7391329 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Realized trophic niches of predators are often characterized along a one-dimensional range in predator-prey body mass ratios. This prey range is constrained by an "energy limit" and a "subdue limit" toward small and large prey, respectively. Besides these body mass ratios, maximum speed is an additional key component in most predator-prey interactions.Here, we extend the concept of a one-dimensional prey range to a two-dimensional prey space by incorporating a hump-shaped speed-body mass relation. This new "speed limit" additionally constrains trophic niches of predators toward fast prey.To test this concept of two-dimensional prey spaces for different hunting strategies (pursuit, group, and ambush predation), we synthesized data on 63 terrestrial mammalian predator-prey interactions, their body masses, and maximum speeds.We found that pursuit predators hunt smaller and slower prey, whereas group hunters focus on larger but mostly slower prey and ambushers are more flexible. Group hunters and ambushers have evolved different strategies to occupy a similar trophic niche that avoids competition with pursuit predators. Moreover, our concept suggests energetic optima of these hunting strategies along a body mass axis and thereby provides mechanistic explanations for why there are no small group hunters (referred to as "micro-lions") or mega-carnivores (referred to as "mega-cheetahs").Our results demonstrate that advancing the concept of prey ranges to prey spaces by adding the new dimension of speed will foster a new and mechanistic understanding of predator trophic niches and improve our predictions of predator-prey interactions, food web structure, and ecosystem functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam R. Hirt
- EcoNetLabGerman Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiodiversityFriedrich Schiller University JenaJenaGermany
| | - Marlee Tucker
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK‐F)FrankfurtGermany
- Department of Biological SciencesGoethe‐UniversityFrankfurtGermany
- Department of Environmental ScienceInstitute for Wetland and Water ResearchRadboud UniversityNijmegenthe Netherlands
| | - Thomas Müller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK‐F)FrankfurtGermany
- Department of Biological SciencesGoethe‐UniversityFrankfurtGermany
| | - Benjamin Rosenbaum
- EcoNetLabGerman Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiodiversityFriedrich Schiller University JenaJenaGermany
| | - Ulrich Brose
- EcoNetLabGerman Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiodiversityFriedrich Schiller University JenaJenaGermany
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8
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Karakoç C, Clark AT, Chatzinotas A. Diversity and coexistence are influenced by time-dependent species interactions in a predator-prey system. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:983-993. [PMID: 32243074 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Although numerous studies show that communities are jointly influenced by predation and competitive interactions, few have resolved how temporal variability in these interactions influences community assembly and stability. Here, we addressed this challenge in experimental microbial microcosms by employing empirical dynamic modelling tools to: (1) detect causal interactions between prey species in the absence and presence of a predator; (2) quantify the time-varying strength of these interactions and (3) explore stability in the resulting communities. Our findings show that predators boost the number of causal interactions among community members, and lead to reduced dynamic stability, but higher coexistence among prey species. These results correspond to time-varying changes in species interactions, including emergence of morphological characteristics that appeared to reduce predation, and indirectly facilitate growth of predator-susceptible species. Jointly, our findings suggest that careful consideration of both context and time may be necessary to predict and explain outcomes in multi-trophic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Canan Karakoç
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Adam Thomas Clark
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.,Synthesis Centre for Biodiversity Sciences (sDiv), Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antonis Chatzinotas
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Talstrasse 33, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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9
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Dakos V, Matthews B, Hendry AP, Levine J, Loeuille N, Norberg J, Nosil P, Scheffer M, De Meester L. Ecosystem tipping points in an evolving world. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:355-362. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0797-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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10
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Yamamichi M, Klauschies T, Miner BE, Velzen E. Modelling inducible defences in predator–prey interactions: assumptions and dynamical consequences of three distinct approaches. Ecol Lett 2018; 22:390-404. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Masato Yamamichi
- Department of General Systems Studies University of Tokyo 3‐8‐1 Komaba Meguro Tokyo153‐8902 Japan
| | - Toni Klauschies
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Am Neuen Palais 10 Potsdam 14469 Germany
| | - Brooks E. Miner
- Department of Biology Ithaca College 953 Danby Rd. Ithaca NY14850 USA
| | - Ellen Velzen
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Am Neuen Palais 10 Potsdam 14469 Germany
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11
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van Velzen E, Thieser T, Berendonk T, Weitere M, Gaedke U. Inducible defense destabilizes predator-prey dynamics: the importance of multiple predators. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen van Velzen
- Dept of Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, Inst. of Biochemistry and Biology; Univ. of Potsdam; Maulbeerallee 2 DE-14469 Potsdam Germany
| | - Tamara Thieser
- Dept of Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, Inst. of Biochemistry and Biology; Univ. of Potsdam; Maulbeerallee 2 DE-14469 Potsdam Germany
| | - Thomas Berendonk
- Faculty for Environmental Sciences, Inst. for Hydrobiology; Technische Univ. Dresden; Dresden Germany
| | - Markus Weitere
- Dept of River Ecology; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ); Magdeburg Germany
| | - Ursula Gaedke
- Dept of Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, Inst. of Biochemistry and Biology; Univ. of Potsdam; Maulbeerallee 2 DE-14469 Potsdam Germany
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12
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van Velzen E, Gaedke U. Reversed predator-prey cycles are driven by the amplitude of prey oscillations. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:6317-6329. [PMID: 29988457 PMCID: PMC6024131 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecoevolutionary feedbacks in predator-prey systems have been shown to qualitatively alter predator-prey dynamics. As a striking example, defense-offense coevolution can reverse predator-prey cycles, so predator peaks precede prey peaks rather than vice versa. However, this has only rarely been shown in either model studies or empirical systems. Here, we investigate whether this rarity is a fundamental feature of reversed cycles by exploring under which conditions they should be found. For this, we first identify potential conditions and parameter ranges most likely to result in reversed cycles by developing a new measure, the effective prey biomass, which combines prey biomass with prey and predator traits, and represents the prey biomass as perceived by the predator. We show that predator dynamics always follow the dynamics of the effective prey biomass with a classic ¼-phase lag. From this key insight, it follows that in reversed cycles (i.e., ¾-lag), the dynamics of the actual and the effective prey biomass must be in antiphase with each other, that is, the effective prey biomass must be highest when actual prey biomass is lowest, and vice versa. Based on this, we predict that reversed cycles should be found mainly when oscillations in actual prey biomass are small and thus have limited impact on the dynamics of the effective prey biomass, which are mainly driven by trait changes. We then confirm this prediction using numerical simulations of a coevolutionary predator-prey system, varying the amplitude of the oscillations in prey biomass: Reversed cycles are consistently associated with regions of parameter space leading to small-amplitude prey oscillations, offering a specific and highly testable prediction for conditions under which reversed cycles should occur in natural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen van Velzen
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem ModellingInstitute of Biochemistry and BiologyUniversity of PotsdamPotsdamGermany
| | - Ursula Gaedke
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem ModellingInstitute of Biochemistry and BiologyUniversity of PotsdamPotsdamGermany
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13
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Cortez MH. Genetic variation determines which feedbacks drive and alter predator-prey eco-evolutionary cycles. ECOL MONOGR 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael H. Cortez
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics; Utah State University; Logan Utah 84322 USA
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14
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Branco P, Egas M, Elser JJ, Huisman J. Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics of Ecological Stoichiometry in Plankton Communities. Am Nat 2018; 192:E1-E20. [PMID: 29897797 DOI: 10.1086/697472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) limit primary production in many aquatic ecosystems, with major implications for ecological interactions in plankton communities. Yet it remains unclear how evolution may affect the N∶P stoichiometry of phytoplankton-zooplankton interactions. Here, we address this issue by analyzing an eco-evolutionary model of phytoplankton-zooplankton interactions with explicit nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics. In our model, investment of phytoplankton in nitrogen versus phosphorus uptake is an evolving trait, and zooplankton display selectivity for phytoplankton with N∶P ratios matching their nutritional requirements. We use this model to explore implications of the contrasting N∶P requirements of copepods versus cladocerans. The model predicts that selective zooplankton strongly affect the N∶P ratio of phytoplankton, resulting in deviations from their optimum N∶P ratio. Specifically, selective grazing by nitrogen-demanding copepods favors dominance of phytoplankton with low N∶P ratios, whereas phosphorus-demanding cladocerans favor dominance of phytoplankton with high N∶P ratios. Interestingly, selective grazing by nutritionally balanced zooplankton leads to the occurrence of alternative stable states, where phytoplankton may evolve either low, optimum, or high N∶P ratios, depending on the initial conditions. These results offer a new perspective on commonly observed differences in N∶P stoichiometry between plankton of freshwater and those of marine ecosystems and indicate that selective grazing by zooplankton can have a major impact on the stoichiometric composition of phytoplankton.
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15
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Gangur AN, Smout M, Liddell MJ, Seymour JE, Wilson D, Northfield TD. Changes in predator exposure, but not in diet, induce phenotypic plasticity in scorpion venom. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1364. [PMID: 28931737 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals embedded between trophic levels must simultaneously balance pressures to deter predators and acquire resources. Venomous animals may use venom toxins to mediate both pressures, and thus changes in this balance may alter the composition of venoms. Basic theory suggests that greater exposure to a predator should induce a larger proportion of defensive venom components relative to offensive venom components, while increases in arms races with prey will elicit the reverse. Alternatively, reducing the need for venom expenditure for food acquisition, for example because of an increase in scavenging, may reduce the production of offensive venom components. Here, we investigated changes in scorpion venom composition using a mesocosm experiment where we manipulated scorpions' exposure to a surrogate vertebrate predator and live and dead prey. After six weeks, scorpions exposed to surrogate predators exhibited significantly different venom chemistry compared with naive scorpions. This change included a relative increase in some compounds toxic to vertebrate cells and a relative decrease in some compounds effective against their invertebrate prey. Our findings provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence for adaptive plasticity in venom composition. These changes in venom composition may increase the stability of food webs involving venomous animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex N Gangur
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Studies, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4878, Australia
| | - Michael Smout
- Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, Australian Institute for Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4878, Australia
| | - Michael J Liddell
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Studies, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4878, Australia
| | - Jamie E Seymour
- Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, Australian Institute for Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4878, Australia
| | - David Wilson
- Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, Australian Institute for Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4878, Australia
| | - Tobin D Northfield
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Studies, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4878, Australia
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16
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Disentangling eco-evolutionary dynamics of predator-prey coevolution: the case of antiphase cycles. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17125. [PMID: 29215005 PMCID: PMC5719453 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17019-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of rapid predator-prey coevolution on predator-prey dynamics remains poorly understood, as previous modelling studies have given rise to contradictory conclusions and predictions. Interpreting and reconciling these contradictions has been challenging due to the inherent complexity of model dynamics, defying mathematical analysis and mechanistic understanding. We develop a new approach here, based on the Geber method for deconstructing eco-evolutionary dynamics, for gaining such understanding. We apply this approach to a co-evolutionary predator-prey model to disentangle the processes leading to either antiphase or ¼-lag cycles. Our analysis reveals how the predator-prey phase relationship is driven by the temporal synchronization between prey biomass and defense dynamics. We further show when and how prey biomass and trait dynamics become synchronized, resulting in antiphase cycles, allowing us to explain and reconcile previous modelling and empirical predictions. The successful application of our proposed approach provides an important step towards a comprehensive theory on eco-evolutionary feedbacks in predator-prey systems.
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17
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Griffiths JI, Petchey OL, Pennekamp F, Childs DZ. Linking intraspecific trait variation to community abundance dynamics improves ecological predictability by revealing a growth–defence trade‐off. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jason I. Griffiths
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - Owen L. Petchey
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Frank Pennekamp
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Dylan Z. Childs
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of Sheffield Sheffield UK
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18
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Bryce CM, Wilmers CC, Williams TM. Energetics and evasion dynamics of large predators and prey: pumas vs. hounds. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3701. [PMID: 28828280 PMCID: PMC5563439 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantification of fine-scale movement, performance, and energetics of hunting by large carnivores is critical for understanding the physiological underpinnings of trophic interactions. This is particularly challenging for wide-ranging terrestrial canid and felid predators, which can each affect ecosystem structure through distinct hunting modes. To compare free-ranging pursuit and escape performance from group-hunting and solitary predators in unprecedented detail, we calibrated and deployed accelerometer-GPS collars during predator-prey chase sequences using packs of hound dogs (Canis lupus familiaris, 26 kg, n = 4-5 per chase) pursuing simultaneously instrumented solitary pumas (Puma concolor, 60 kg, n = 2). We then reconstructed chase paths, speed and turning angle profiles, and energy demands for hounds and pumas to examine performance and physiological constraints associated with cursorial and cryptic hunting modes, respectively. Interaction dynamics revealed how pumas successfully utilized terrain (e.g., fleeing up steep, wooded hillsides) as well as evasive maneuvers (e.g., jumping into trees, running in figure-8 patterns) to increase their escape distance from the overall faster hounds (avg. 2.3× faster). These adaptive strategies were essential to evasion in light of the mean 1.6× higher mass-specific energetic costs of the chase for pumas compared to hounds (mean: 0.76 vs. 1.29 kJ kg-1 min-1, respectively). On an instantaneous basis, escapes were more costly for pumas, requiring exercise at ≥90% of predicted [Formula: see text] and consuming as much energy per minute as approximately 5 min of active hunting. Our results demonstrate the marked investment of energy for evasion by a large, solitary carnivore and the advantage of dynamic maneuvers to postpone being overtaken by group-hunting canids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb M. Bryce
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
- Botswana Predator Conservation Trust, Maun, Botswana
| | - Christopher C. Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Terrie M. Williams
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
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19
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Cortez MH, Patel S. The Effects of Predator Evolution and Genetic Variation on Predator–Prey Population-Level Dynamics. Bull Math Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11538-017-0297-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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20
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Eshel G, Carmel Y. Expanded view of ecosystem stability: A grazed grassland case study. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0178235. [PMID: 28591229 PMCID: PMC5462382 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of stability under linearized dynamics is central to ecology. We highlight two key limitations of the widely used traditional analysis. First, we note that while stability at fixed points is often the focus, ecological systems may spend less time near fixed points, and more time responding to stochastic environmental forcing by exhibiting wide zero-mean fluctuations about those states. If non-steady, uniquely precarious states along the nonlinear flow are analyzed instead of fixed points, transient growth is possible and indeed common for ecosystems with stable attractive fixed points. Second, we show that in either steady or non-steady states, eigenvalue based analysis can misleadingly suggest stability while eigenvector geometry arising from the non-self-adjointness of the linearized operator can yield large finite-time instabilities. We offer a simple alternative to eigenvalue based stability analysis that naturally and straightforwardly overcome these limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gidon Eshel
- Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Yohay Carmel
- Dept. of Agricultural Engineering, the Technion, Haifa, Israel
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21
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Gjini E, Madec S. A slow-fast dynamic decomposition links neutral and non-neutral coexistence in interacting multi-strain pathogens. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-016-0320-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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22
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin T. Burghardt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University 165 Prospect Street New Haven Connecticut 06511 USA
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23
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Klauschies T, Vasseur DA, Gaedke U. Trait adaptation promotes species coexistence in diverse predator and prey communities. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:4141-59. [PMID: 27516870 PMCID: PMC4972238 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Revised: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Species can adjust their traits in response to selection which may strongly influence species coexistence. Nevertheless, current theory mainly assumes distinct and time-invariant trait values. We examined the combined effects of the range and the speed of trait adaptation on species coexistence using an innovative multispecies predator-prey model. It allows for temporal trait changes of all predator and prey species and thus simultaneous coadaptation within and among trophic levels. We show that very small or slow trait adaptation did not facilitate coexistence because the stabilizing niche differences were not sufficient to offset the fitness differences. In contrast, sufficiently large and fast trait adaptation jointly promoted stable or neutrally stable species coexistence. Continuous trait adjustments in response to selection enabled a temporally variable convergence and divergence of species traits; that is, species became temporally more similar (neutral theory) or dissimilar (niche theory) depending on the selection pressure, resulting over time in a balance between niche differences stabilizing coexistence and fitness differences promoting competitive exclusion. Furthermore, coadaptation allowed prey and predator species to cluster into different functional groups. This equalized the fitness of similar species while maintaining sufficient niche differences among functionally different species delaying or preventing competitive exclusion. In contrast to previous studies, the emergent feedback between biomass and trait dynamics enabled supersaturated coexistence for a broad range of potential trait adaptation and parameters. We conclude that accounting for trait adaptation may explain stable and supersaturated species coexistence for a broad range of environmental conditions in natural systems when the absence of such adaptive changes would preclude it. Small trait changes, coincident with those that may occur within many natural populations, greatly enlarged the number of coexisting species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni Klauschies
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modeling Institute for Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Am Neuen Palais 10 D-14469 Potsdam Germany
| | - David A Vasseur
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Ursula Gaedke
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modeling Institute for Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Am Neuen Palais 10 D-14469 Potsdam Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) D-14195 Berlin Germany
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24
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Garbutt JS, Little TJ, Hoyle A. Maternal effects on offspring consumption can stabilize fluctuating predator-prey systems. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20152173. [PMID: 26631563 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal effects, where the conditions experienced by mothers affect the phenotype of their offspring, are widespread in nature and have the potential to influence population dynamics. However, they are very rarely included in models of population dynamics. Here, we investigate a recently discovered maternal effect, where maternal food availability affects the feeding rate of offspring so that well-fed mothers produce fast-feeding offspring. To understand how this maternal effect influences population dynamics, we explore novel predator-prey models where the consumption rate of predators is modified by changes in maternal prey availability. We address the 'paradox of enrichment', a theoretical prediction that nutrient enrichment destabilizes populations, leading to cycling behaviour and an increased risk of extinction, which has proved difficult to confirm in the wild. Our models show that enriched populations can be stabilized by maternal effects on feeding rate, thus presenting an intriguing potential explanation for the general absence of 'paradox of enrichment' behaviour in natural populations. This stabilizing influence should also reduce a population's risk of extinction and vulnerability to harvesting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennie S Garbutt
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK
| | - Tom J Little
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK
| | - Andy Hoyle
- Computing Science and Mathematics, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
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25
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Miller SE, Metcalf D, Schluter D. Intraguild predation leads to genetically based character shifts in the threespine stickleback. Evolution 2015; 69:3194-203. [PMID: 26527484 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Revised: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Intraguild predation is a common ecological interaction that occurs when a species preys upon another species with which it competes. The interaction is potentially a mechanism of divergence between intraguild prey (IG-prey) populations, but it is unknown if cases of character shifts in IG-prey are an environmental or evolutionary response. We investigated the genetic basis and inducibility of character shifts in threespine stickleback from lakes with and without prickly sculpin, a benthic intraguild predator (IG-predator). Wild populations of stickleback sympatric with sculpin repeatedly show greater defensive armor and water column height preference. We laboratory-raised stickleback from lakes with and without sculpin, as well as marine stickleback, and found that differences between populations in armor, body shape, and behavior persisted in a common garden. Within the common garden, we raised stickleback half-families from multiple populations in the presence and absence of sculpin. Although the presence of sculpin induced trait changes in the marine stickleback, we did not observe an induced response in the freshwater stickleback. Behavioral and morphological trait differences between freshwater populations thus have a genetic basis and suggest an evolutionary response to intraguild predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Miller
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Daniel Metcalf
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Dolph Schluter
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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26
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Wilson RP, Griffiths IW, Mills MGL, Carbone C, Wilson JW, Scantlebury DM. Mass enhances speed but diminishes turn capacity in terrestrial pursuit predators. eLife 2015; 4. [PMID: 26252515 PMCID: PMC4542338 DOI: 10.7554/elife.06487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 08/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamics of predator-prey pursuit appears complex, making the development of a framework explaining predator and prey strategies problematic. We develop a model for terrestrial, cursorial predators to examine how animal mass modulates predator and prey trajectories and affects best strategies for both parties. We incorporated the maximum speed-mass relationship with an explanation of why larger animals should have greater turn radii; the forces needed to turn scale linearly with mass whereas the maximum forces an animal can exert scale to a 2/3 power law. This clarifies why in a meta-analysis, we found a preponderance of predator/prey mass ratios that minimized the turn radii of predators compared to their prey. It also explained why acceleration data from wild cheetahs pursuing different prey showed different cornering behaviour with prey type. The outcome of predator prey pursuits thus depends critically on mass effects and the ability of animals to time turns precisely. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06487.001 A pursuit between a predator and its prey involves complex strategies. Prey often make sudden sharp turns when running to evade a predator. Any predator that cannot turn quickly enough will have to run further to catch up with the prey again, thus potentially allowing the prey to pull away from the predator. The timing of these turns is crucial; if the prey turns when the predator is too far away, the predator can cut the corner off the turn and catch up with the prey more easily. The speed at which animals can turn depends on the forces involved in cornering, and larger animals need to produce greater forces for any given turn. However, larger animals can apply relatively less force than smaller animals for turns and so cannot turn as rapidly. The effect of the relationship between mass and turning ability on the strategies used during land-based pursuits had not been investigated. Wilson et al. have now created a mathematical model that considers how the mass of a predator and its prey influences the course and strategies used in a land-based pursuit. The model is based in part on a mathematical problem called the ‘homicidal chauffeur game’, where a car driver attempts to run over a pedestrian. Wilson et al.'s model predicts that chases between large predators and smaller prey should feature frequent sharp turns, as the prey try to exploit their superior turning ability. However, when the predators and prey are of similar size, the prey gain little or no advantage from executing high-speed turns. Indeed, as turning slows the prey down, turning may often be disadvantageous, and so fewer turns should be seen during a pursuit. The predictions of the model were compared with the pursuit strategies of wild cheetahs, which were studied using collars equipped with tags to measure acceleration as the predators chased prey of different sizes—from hares to large antelopes called gemsboks. The tracking data confirmed the predictions of the model; thereby revealing that body mass and the ability of animals to choose when best to turn strongly determine the outcome of predator-prey pursuits. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06487.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory P Wilson
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales
| | | | | | - Chris Carbone
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - John W Wilson
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - David M Scantlebury
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
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27
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Coevolution-driven predator-prey cycles: predicting the characteristics of eco-coevolutionary cycles using fast-slow dynamical systems theory. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-015-0256-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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28
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Adaptive defense of pests and switching predation can improve biological control by multiple natural enemies. POPUL ECOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-014-0468-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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29
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Fischer BB, Kwiatkowski M, Ackermann M, Krismer J, Roffler S, Suter MJF, Eggen RIL, Matthews B. Phenotypic plasticity influences the eco-evolutionary dynamics of a predator–prey system. Ecology 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/14-0116.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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30
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Form of an evolutionary tradeoff affects eco-evolutionary dynamics in a predator-prey system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:16035-40. [PMID: 25336757 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1406357111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolution on a time scale similar to ecological dynamics has been increasingly recognized for the last three decades. Selection mediated by ecological interactions can change heritable phenotypic variation (i.e., evolution), and evolution of traits, in turn, can affect ecological interactions. Hence, ecological and evolutionary dynamics can be tightly linked and important to predict future dynamics, but our understanding of eco-evolutionary dynamics is still in its infancy and there is a significant gap between theoretical predictions and empirical tests. Empirical studies have demonstrated that the presence of genetic variation can dramatically change ecological dynamics, whereas theoretical studies predict that eco-evolutionary dynamics depend on the details of the genetic variation, such as the form of a tradeoff among genotypes, which can be more important than the presence or absence of the genetic variation. Using a predator-prey (rotifer-algal) experimental system in laboratory microcosms, we studied how different forms of a tradeoff between prey defense and growth affect eco-evolutionary dynamics. Our experimental results show for the first time to our knowledge that different forms of the tradeoff produce remarkably divergent eco-evolutionary dynamics, including near fixation, near extinction, and coexistence of algal genotypes, with quantitatively different population dynamics. A mathematical model, parameterized from completely independent experiments, explains the observed dynamics. The results suggest that knowing the details of heritable trait variation and covariation within a population is essential for understanding how evolution and ecology will interact and what form of eco-evolutionary dynamics will result.
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31
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Yamamichi M, Yoshida T, Sasaki A. Timing and propagule size of invasion determine its success by a time-varying threshold of demographic regime shift. Ecology 2014; 95:2303-15. [DOI: 10.1890/13-1527.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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32
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Hiltunen T, Hairston NG, Hooker G, Jones LE, Ellner SP. A newly discovered role of evolution in previously published consumer-resource dynamics. Ecol Lett 2014; 17:915-23. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2013] [Revised: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Teppo Hiltunen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
- Department of Food and Environmental Sciences/Microbiology; University of Helsinki; Viikki Biocenter; FIN-00014 Helsinki Finland
| | - Nelson G. Hairston
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Eawag; 8600 Dübendorf Switzerland
| | - Giles Hooker
- Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Laura E. Jones
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Stephen P. Ellner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
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33
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Abstract
A hallmark of Lotka-Volterra models, and other ecological models of predator-prey interactions, is that in predator-prey cycles, peaks in prey abundance precede peaks in predator abundance. Such models typically assume that species life history traits are fixed over ecologically relevant time scales. However, the coevolution of predator and prey traits has been shown to alter the community dynamics of natural systems, leading to novel dynamics including antiphase and cryptic cycles. Here, using an eco-coevolutionary model, we show that predator-prey coevolution can also drive population cycles where the opposite of canonical Lotka-Volterra oscillations occurs: predator peaks precede prey peaks. These reversed cycles arise when selection favors extreme phenotypes, predator offense is costly, and prey defense is effective against low-offense predators. We present multiple datasets from phage-cholera, mink-muskrat, and gyrfalcon-rock ptarmigan systems that exhibit reversed-peak ordering. Our results suggest that such cycles are a potential signature of predator-prey coevolution and reveal unique ways in which predator-prey coevolution can shape, and possibly reverse, community dynamics.
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34
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Phenotypic plasticity with instantaneous but delayed switches. J Theor Biol 2014; 340:60-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2013.08.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2013] [Revised: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 08/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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35
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McGhee KE, Pintor LM, Bell AM. Reciprocal behavioral plasticity and behavioral types during predator-prey interactions. Am Nat 2013; 182:704-17. [PMID: 24231533 DOI: 10.1086/673526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
How predators and prey interact has important consequences for population dynamics and community stability. Here we explored how predator-prey interactions are simultaneously affected by reciprocal behavioral plasticity (i.e., plasticity in prey defenses countered by plasticity in predator offenses and vice versa) and consistent individual behavioral variation (i.e., behavioral types) within both predator and prey populations. We assessed the behavior of a predator species (northern pike) and a prey species (three-spined stickleback) during one-on-one encounters. We also measured additional behavioral and morphological traits in each species. Using structural equation modeling, we found that reciprocal behavioral plasticity as well as predator and prey behavioral types influenced how individuals behaved during an interaction. Thus, the progression and ultimate outcome of predator-prey interactions depend on both the dynamic behavioral feedback occurring during the encounter and the underlying behavioral type of each participant. We also examined whether predator behavioral type is underlain by differences in metabolism and organ size. We provide some of the first evidence that behavioral type is related to resting metabolic rate and size of a sensory organ (the eyes). Understanding the extent to which reciprocal behavioral plasticity and intraspecific behavioral variation influence the outcome of species interactions could provide insight into the maintenance of behavioral variation as well as community dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie E McGhee
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801
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36
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P. Ellner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca; New York; 14853-2701; USA
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37
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Kremer CT, Klausmeier CA. Coexistence in a variable environment: eco-evolutionary perspectives. J Theor Biol 2013; 339:14-25. [PMID: 23702333 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2013.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2013] [Revised: 05/06/2013] [Accepted: 05/08/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
A central question in community ecology is the means by which species coexist. Models of coexistence often assume that species have fixed trait values and consider questions such as how tradeoffs and environmental variation influence coexistence and diversity. However, species traits can be dynamic, varying between populations and individuals and changing over time as species adapt and evolve, at rates that are relevant to ecological processes. Consequently, adding evolution to ecological coexistence models may modify their predictions and stability in complex or unexpected ways. We extend a well-studied coexistence mechanism depending on resource fluctuations by allowing evolution along a tradeoff between maximum growth rate and competitive ability. Interactions between favorable season length and the period of fluctuations constrain coexistence, with two species coexistence favored by intermediate season length and arising through evolutionary branching or non-local invasion. However, these results depend on the relative rates of ecological and evolutionary processes: rapid evolution leads to a complete breakdown of otherwise stable coexistence. Other coexistence mechanisms should be evaluated from an evolutionary perspective to examine how evolutionary forces may alter predicted ecological dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin T Kremer
- W. K. Kellogg Biological Station and Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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38
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Kovach-Orr C, Fussmann GF. Evolutionary and plastic rescue in multitrophic model communities. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20120084. [PMID: 23209166 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Under changing environmental conditions, intraspecific variation can potentially rescue populations from extinction. There are two principal sources of variation that may ultimately lead to population rescue: genetic diversity and phenotypic plasticity. We compared the potential for evolutionary rescue (through genetic diversity) and plastic rescue (through phenotypic plasticity) by analysing their differential ability to produce dynamical stability and persistence in model food webs. We also evaluated how rescue is affected by the trophic location of variation. We tested the following hypotheses: (i) plastic communities are more likely to exhibit stability and persistence than communities in which genetic diversity provides the same range of traits. (ii) Variation at the lowest trophic level promotes stability and persistence more than variation at higher levels. (iii) Communities with variation at two levels have greater probabilities of stability and persistence than communities with variation at only one level. We found that (i) plasticity promotes stability and persistence more than genetic diversity; (ii) variation at the second highest trophic level promotes stability and persistence more than variation at the autotroph level; and (iii) more than variation at two trophic levels. Our study shows that proper evaluation of the rescue potential of intraspecific variation critically depends on its origin and trophic location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caolan Kovach-Orr
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Avenue Docteur-Penfield, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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39
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Tien RJ, Ellner SP. Variable cost of prey defense and coevolution in predator–prey systems. ECOL MONOGR 2012. [DOI: 10.1890/11-2168.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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40
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Unusual predator–prey dynamics under reciprocal phenotypic plasticity. J Theor Biol 2012; 305:96-102. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2012.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2012] [Revised: 04/09/2012] [Accepted: 04/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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