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Lienau JR, Schmitz OJ. Functional traits of predators and decomposer prey determine context dependency in trophic control over ecosystems. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:654-658. [PMID: 38708817 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14091] [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: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Research Highlight: Piccoli, G. C. d. O., Antiqueira, P. A. P., Srivastava, D. S., & Romero, G. Q. (2024). Trophic cascades within and across ecosystems: The role of anti-predatory defences, predator type and detritus quality. Journal of Animal Ecology, 00, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.14063. Ecosystem functioning is controlled by the interplay between bottom-up supply of limiting nutrients and top-down animal feedback effects. However, the degree of animal versus nutrient control is context-dependent. A key challenge lies in characterizing this context dependency which is hypothesized to depend on differences in animal functional traits. Reporting on an important experiment, Piccoli et al. (2014) evaluate how interactions among functionally different predators and decomposer prey create context dependency in top-down control of a model system-tropical bromeliad tank ecosystems. Bromeliad plants hold water in their tanks supporting microcosm ecosystems containing terrestrial and aquatic insect larvae and arachnids. The ecosystems are supported by nutrients in plant litter that rains down from forest canopies into the tanks. Nutrients are released after litter is decomposed by a functionally diverse community of larval insect decomposers that differ in feeding mode and antipredator defence strategy. This decomposer community is preyed upon by an exclusively narrowly ranging aquatic insect larval predator and widely ranging spider predator that crosses between the aquatic and surrounding terrestrial ecosystems. Experimental manipulation of the animal community to test for the degree of control by predators mediated by the functionally diverse prey community included four treatments: (i) a control with the detritivores composing different function groups but without predators, (ii) the cross-ecosystem spider predator added, (iii) the purely aquatic damselfly larvae predator added and (iv) both predator types added to capture their interacting effect on ecosystem function (decomposition, nutrient release, and plant growth). Notably, the study resolved the causal pathways and strengths of direct and indirect control using structural equation modelling. These findings reveal how context dependency arises due to different capacities of the predators alone and together to overcome prey defences and control their abundances, with attendant cascading effects that diminished as well as enhanced decomposition and nutrient release to support bromeliad plant production. The study reveals that predators have a decided, albeit qualitatively and quantitatively different, hand in shaping the degree of bottom-up control through feedback effect on the release of limiting nutrients. This ground-breaking study provides a way forward in understanding the mechanisms determining context dependency in the control over ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janey R Lienau
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Oswald J Schmitz
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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2
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Orrick K, Sommer N, Rowland F, Ferraro K. Predator-prey interactions across hunting mode, spatial domain size, and habitat complexities. Ecology 2024; 105:e4316. [PMID: 38693704 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions are a fundamental part of community ecology, yet the relative importance of consumptive and nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) (defined as a risk-induced response that alters prey fitness) has not been resolved. Theory suggests that the emergence and subsequent predominance of consumptive or NCEs depend on the given habitat's complexity as well as predator hunting mode and spatial domain sizes of both predator and prey, but their relative influence on the outcome of predator-prey interactions is unknown. We built agent-based models in NetLogo to simulate predator-prey interactions for three hunting modes-sit-and-wait, sit-and-pursue, and active-while concurrently simulating large versus small spatial domain sizes for both predators and prey. We studied (1) how hunting mode and spatial domain size interact to influence the emergence of consumptive or NCEs and (2) how, when NCEs do dominate, hunting mode and spatial domain separately or additively determine prey shifts in time, space, and habitat use. Our results indicate consumptive effects only dominate for active predators when prey habitat domains overlap completely with the predator's spatial domain and when sit-and-wait and sit-and-pursue predators and their prey both have large spatial domains. Prey are most likely to survive when they shift their time but most frequently shift their habitat. Our paper helps to better understand the underlying mechanisms that drive consumptive or NCEs to be most dominant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaggie Orrick
- Yale University School of the Environment, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Nathalie Sommer
- Yale University School of the Environment, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Freya Rowland
- Yale University School of the Environment, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Kristy Ferraro
- Yale University School of the Environment, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Satheesh S, El-Sherbiny MM. Toxicity assays and in silico approach to assess the impacts of chlorine dioxide on survival, respiration and some biochemical markers of marine zooplankton. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 197:106469. [PMID: 38531260 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Chlorination is the common antifouling method in desalination and power plant water intake structures to control microbial and macrofouling growth. In this study, the impacts of chlorine dioxide on toxicity, metabolic activity and biochemical markers like glutathione S-transferase and catalase enzyme activity were tested using four zooplankton species (Centropages sp., Acartia sp., Oncaea sp., and Calanus sp.) collected from the Red Sea. The zooplankton species were treated with different concentrations (0.02, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 mg L-1) of chlorine dioxide. Further, chlorite, the main decomposition product of chlorine dioxide, was used for molecular docking studies against glutathione S-transferase and catalase enzymes. The results indicated the LC50 range of 0.552-1.643 mg L-1 for the studied zooplankton species. The respiration rate of the zooplankton increased due to the chlorine dioxide treatment with a maximum of 0.562 μg O2 copepod h-1 in Acartia. The glutathione S-transferase and catalase enzyme activities showed elevated values in zooplankton treated with chlorine dioxide. Molecular docking of chlorite with enzymes involved in antioxidant defense activity, such as glutathione S-transferase and catalase enzyme showed weak interactions. Overall, this study yielded significant insights for understanding the effects of chlorine dioxide on the survival, metabolism, and biochemical composition of marine zooplankton.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Satheesh
- Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
| | - M M El-Sherbiny
- Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Department of Marine Sciences, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt
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4
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Gong L, Wu H, Wang Z, Wu H, Feng J, Jiang T. Do nocturnal birds use acoustic and visual cues to avoid predation by bats? Integr Zool 2024; 19:524-537. [PMID: 37427486 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Anti-predation strategies are critical to animal survival and are fundamental to deciphering predator-prey interactions. As an important defense strategy, sensory predator detection (such as through acoustic and visual cues) enables animals to assess predation risk and execute predator-avoidance behavior; however, there are limited studies on the anti-predation behavior of nocturnal animals. The prey of bats provides an excellent representative system for examining the anti-predation behavior of nocturnal animals. Here, we broadcasted different types of echolocation calls of the bird-eating bat Ia io to two wild passerine birds, namely, Zosterops japonicus and Sinosuthora webbiana, that are preyed upon by I. io, and presented the birds with individual bats under different light intensities. The results showed that both bird species were able to perceive the low-frequency audible portion of the bats' echolocation calls; however, they did not exhibit escape responses to the acoustic stimuli. In the dark and under moonlit conditions, both bird species were unable to respond to active bats at close range and the birds only exhibited evasive flight behavior when bats approached or touched them. These results suggest that nocturnal passerine birds may not be able to use acoustic or visual cues to detect bats and adopt evasive maneuvers to avoid predation. This work suggests that bat predation pressure may not elicit primary predator-avoidance responses in nocturnal passerine birds. The results provide new insights into the anti-predation behavior of nocturnal animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixin Gong
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Huan Wu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Hui Wu
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Jiang Feng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Tinglei Jiang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
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Lichtenstein JLL, McEwen BL, Primavera SD, Lenihan T, Wood ZM, Carson WP, Costa-Pereira R. Top-down effects of intraspeciflic predator behavioral variation. Oecologia 2024; 205:203-214. [PMID: 38789814 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05564-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Among-individual variation in predator traits is ubiquitous in nature. However, variation among populations in this trait variation has been seldom considered in trophic dynamics. This has left unexplored (a) to what degree does among-individual variation in predator traits regulate prey populations and (b) to what degree do these effects vary spatially. We address these questions by examining how predator among-individual variation in functional traits shapes communities across habitats of varying structural complexity, in field conditions. We manipulated Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis) density (six or twelve individuals) and behavioral trait variability (activity level by movement on an open field) in experimental patches of old fields with varying habitat complexity (density of plant material). Then, we quantified their impacts on lower trophic levels, specifically prey (arthropods > 4 mm) and plant biomass. Predator behavioral variability only altered prey biomass in structurally complex plots, and this effect depended on mantis density. In the plots with the highest habitat complexity and mantis density, behaviorally variable groups decreased prey biomass by 40.3%. In complex plots with low mantis densities, low levels of behavioral variability decreased prey biomass by 32.2%. Behavioral variability and low habitat complexity also changed prey community composition, namely by increasing ant biomass by 881%. Our results demonstrate that among-individual trait variation can shape species-rich prey communities. Moreover, these effects depend on both predator density and habitat complexity. Incorporating this important facet of ecological diversity revealed normally unnoticed effects of functional traits on the structure and function of food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- James L L Lichtenstein
- Department of Biology, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT, 06825, USA.
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA.
| | - Brendan L McEwen
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Skylar D Primavera
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
| | - Thomas Lenihan
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
| | - Zoe M Wood
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Walter P Carson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Raul Costa-Pereira
- Department of Animal Biology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp), Campinas, SP, 13083-865, Brazil
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Liu X, Wen J, Geng X, Xiao L, Zou Y, Shan Z, Lu X, Fu Y, Fu Y, Cao F. The Impact of Predation Risks on the Development and Fecundity of Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel. INSECTS 2024; 15:322. [PMID: 38786878 PMCID: PMC11122621 DOI: 10.3390/insects15050322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Predators are dependent on the capture of prey to meet their energetic and nutritive requirements, which brings the risk of predation to prey. The predation risk is divided into consumptive and non-consumptive effects. Non-consumptive effects may manifest through altered growth and ontogenetic trajectories in prey species, a dynamic modulated by olfactory or other sensory cues from predators. Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel represents a major invasive threat to global horticulture. While earlier research was primarily centered on the consumptive interactions between B. dorsalis and its natural enemies, the potential consequences of non-consumptive interactions on the development of B. dorsalis have been overlooked. In this study, we investigated the impact of predation risk effects, induced by both visual exposure to the predatory mantis Hierodula patellifera Serville and its associated odor, on the life history traits of B. dorsalis. Female B. dorsalis demonstrated a reduced developmental time in the presence of a caged predator (H. patellifera) or predator odors, but showed significantly increased fecundity. Conversely, males displayed no significant change in developmental time. Additionally, neither the female nor male body weight at death was significantly influenced by the predation risk from the caged predator or predator odors. This study investigated the effects of predation risk on the development and reproduction of B. dorsalis, emphasizing the potential importance of odor risk in biological and pest control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Fengqin Cao
- School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.L.); (J.W.); (X.G.); (L.X.); (Y.Z.); (Z.S.); (X.L.); (Y.F.); (Y.F.)
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Li J, Yu Z, Zheng Q, Chen W, Lin X. How antibiotic exposure affect predator-prey interactions by population dynamics in ciliates? AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2024; 267:106814. [PMID: 38160499 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2023.106814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Biodiversity loss resulting from environmental pollution is a global concern. While interspecific interactions are central to ecology, the impact of environmental pollution on predator-prey interactions and its ecological consequences, such as extinction and biodiversity loss, remain unclear. To investigate the effects of antibiotic exposure on predation strength and the resulting ecological consequence, the Didinium-Paramecium was utilized as a predator-prey model and exposed to nitrofurazone or erythromycin, two common pollutants, respectively. Initially, we determined prey population growth dynamics, body size, and predator numerical-functional responses. Subsequently, these above parameters were integrated into a mathematical model of predator-prey predation. Then both the long time-series data and phase portraits obtained through model simulation were used to estimate interaction strength and to predict the outcome of predator-prey coexistence. Our results revealed that exposure to either antibiotic significantly reduced prey population growth parameters (e.g., μmax and K) while increasing individual body size. The combined effects of antibiotic exposure and predation pressure on population growth inhibition or body size promotion were variable, mostly additive, with a few cases of synergy and extremely rare antagonism, depending on antibiotic exposure concentration. As antibiotic exposure concentration increased, the predator rmax generally declined, while functional responses varied depending on specific parameters, implying a decrease in predator-prey interaction strength. Analyses of phase portrait features showed that the population oscillation amplitude decreased with increasing antibiotic exposure concentrations, the cycle length of adjacent peaks increased, and prey extinction occurred earlier. In conclusion, antibiotic exposure reduced both predator and prey fitness, underlying the reason antibiotics reduces the strength of predator-prey interaction. Despite the indirect benefits of prey gain from this, the presence of predators can expedite the process of prey extinction caused by antibiotic exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiqiu Li
- College of the Environment and Ecology, State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystem, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Ziyue Yu
- College of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Qinyun Zheng
- College of the Environment and Ecology, State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystem, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Weihuang Chen
- College of the Environment and Ecology, State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystem, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Xiaofeng Lin
- College of the Environment and Ecology, State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystem, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.
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Tan M, Chan JYO, Yu L, Tan EJ, Li D. Background matching can reduce responsiveness of jumping spiders to stimuli in motion. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246092. [PMID: 38054359 PMCID: PMC10906486 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Motion and camouflage were previously considered to be mutually exclusive, as sudden movements can be easily detected. Background matching, for instance, is a well-known, effective camouflage strategy where the colour and pattern of a stationary animal match its surrounding background. However, background matching may lose its efficacy when the animal moves, as the boundaries of the animal become more defined against its background. Recent evidence shows otherwise, as camouflaged objects can be less detectable than uncamouflaged objects even while in motion. Here, we explored whether the detectability of computer-generated stimuli varies with the speed of motion, background (matching and unmatching) and size of stimuli in six species of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae). Our results showed that, in general, the responsiveness of all six salticid species tested decreased with increasing stimulus speed regardless of whether the stimuli were conspicuous or camouflaged. Importantly, salticid responses to camouflaged stimuli were significantly lower compared with those to conspicuous stimuli. There were significant differences in motion detectability across species when the stimuli were conspicuous, suggesting differences in visual acuity in closely related species of jumping spiders. Furthermore, small stimuli elicited significantly lower responses than large stimuli across species and speeds. Our results thus suggest that background matching is effective even when stimuli are in motion, reducing the detectability of moving stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Tan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore117543
| | - Jeremiah Y. O. Chan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore117543
| | - Long Yu
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology & Evolution, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China
| | - Eunice J. Tan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore117543
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, 16 College Avenue West, Singapore138527
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore117543
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology & Evolution, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China
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Esnaola A, Larrañaga A, González-Esteban J, Elosegi A, Aihartza J. Using biological traits to assess diet selection: the case of the Pyrenean Desman. J Mammal 2023; 104:1205-1215. [PMID: 38059010 PMCID: PMC10697428 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyad061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditionally, researchers have assessed diet selection by comparing consumed versus available taxa. However, taxonomic assignment is probably irrelevant for predators, who likely base their selection on characteristics including prey size, habitat, or behavior. Here, we use an aquatic insectivore, the threatened Pyrenean Desman (Galemys pyrenaicus), as a model species to assess whether biological traits help unravel the criteria driving food and habitat preferences. We reanalyzed data from a previous taxonomy-based study of prey selection in two contrasting streams, one with excellent conservation status and the other affected by diversion for hydropower and forestry. Available and consumed prey were characterized according to nine biological traits, and diet selection was estimated by comparing availability-measured from Surber net samples, and consumption-analyzed by metabarcoding desman feces. Traits offered a biologically coherent image of diet and almost identical selection patterns in both streams, depicting a highly specialized rheophilic predator. Desmans positively selected prey with a preference for fast flow and boulder substrate, indicating their preferred riffle habitat. On the other hand, they positively selected prey with larger but not the largest potential size, living in the water column or the litter, and not inside sediments. They also chose agile prey, swimmers or prey attached to the substrate, prey with high body flexibility, and prey living exposed and clustered in groups. Overall, our results offer a picture of desman diet preference and point to biological traits as being better than taxonomic identity to describe the diet preference of consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaiur Esnaola
- Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, the Basque Country 48940, Spain
- EKOLUR Asesoría Ambiental – Ingurumen Aholkularitza S.L.L., Oiartzun, the Basque Country 20180, Spain
| | - Aitor Larrañaga
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, the Basque Country 48940, Spain
| | | | - Arturo Elosegi
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, the Basque Country 48940, Spain
| | - Joxerra Aihartza
- Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, the Basque Country 48940, Spain
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Dominguez JS, Hauber ME, Tarwater CE, Williams E, MacDonald S, Strejc B, Pollock HS. Following the feeder: A global synthesis of disturbance-based foraging associations of birds. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:2263-2279. [PMID: 37916462 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Species interactions link animal behaviour to community structure and macroecological patterns of biodiversity. One common type of trophic species interaction is disturbance foraging-the act of obtaining food at a disturbance created by another organism. Disturbance foraging is widespread across the animal kingdom, especially among birds, yet previous research has been largely anecdotal and we still lack a synthetic understanding of how this behaviour varies geographically, phylogenetically and ecologically. To address these gaps, we conducted a comprehensive literature review to test focal hypotheses about disturbance foraging behaviour in birds. We found that avian disturbance foraging was geographically ubiquitous, occurring in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats across six continents and four oceans. Consistent with predictions based on established species diversity gradients in different habitat types, the majority of terrestrial observations occurred at tropical latitudes, whereas aquatic observations took place most frequently in temperate marine waters. Although disturbance foraging was widespread across the avian phylogeny, contrary to our prediction, the behaviour was also conserved phylogenetically (Pagel's λ = 0.7) and clustered within suboscine landbirds in terrestrial environments and seabirds in aquatic environments. Similarly, although disturbers were taxonomically diverse as we predicted, interactions were unexpectedly dominated by swarm-raiding ants in terrestrial environments and cetaceans in aquatic environments. Diet and body mass were also important predictors of disturbance foraging associations: Responders followed disturbers with similar diets and larger body sizes. Overall, our hypothesis-testing framework provides insight into the importance of geography, phylogeny and ecology as predictors of disturbance foraging behaviour. We anticipate that this comprehensive assessment of disturbance foraging will serve to generate additional hypotheses and spark future research and management considerations about this fascinating but poorly studied suite of species interactions, especially as biotic interactions face unprecedented risks in our rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonah S Dominguez
- Department of Evolution, Ecology & Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology & Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Advanced Science Research Center and Program in Psychology, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Corey E Tarwater
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Emily Williams
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Bridget Strejc
- Department of Evolution, Ecology & Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Henry S Pollock
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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Porretta D, Canestrelli D. The ecological importance of hybridization. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:1097-1108. [PMID: 37620217 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Hybridization as an evolutionary process has been studied in depth over the past few decades. Research has focused on its role in shaping reproductive barriers, its adaptive value, and its genomic consequences. In contrast, our knowledge of ecological dimensions of hybridization is still in its infancy, despite hybridization being an inherently ecological interaction. Using examples from various organisms, we show that hybridization can affect and be affected by non-reproductive interactions, including predation, competition, parasitism, mutualism, commensalism, and organism-environment interactions, with significant implications for community structure and ecosystem functioning. However, since these dimensions of hybridization have mostly been revealed from studies designed to decipher other evolutionary processes, we argue that much of the eco-evolutionary importance of hybridization is yet to be discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Porretta
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
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12
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Ortiz E, Ramos-Jiliberto R, Arim M. Prey selection along a predators' body size gradient evidences the role of different trait-based mechanisms in food web organization. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292374. [PMID: 37797081 PMCID: PMC10553361 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
An increase in prey richness, prey size and predator trophic position with predator body size has been consistently reported as prime features of food web organization. These trends have been explained by non-exclusive mechanisms. First, the increase in energy demand with body size determines that larger predators must reduce prey selectivity for achieving the required number of resources, being consumption relationships independent of prey traits. Second, when consumption is restricted by gape limitation, small predators are constrained to select among small prey. However, this selection weakens over large predators, which progressively consume more and larger prey. Finally, the optimal foraging mechanism predicts that larger predators optimize their diet by selecting only large prey with high energy reward. Each one of these mechanisms can individually explain the increase in prey richness, prey size and predator trophic position with predator body size but their relative importance or the direct evidence for their combined role was seldom considered. Here we use the community assembly by trait selection (CATS) theory for evaluating the support for each one of these mechanisms based on the prey selection patterns that they predict. We analyzed how prey body size and trophic guild determine prey selection by predators of increasing body size in a killifish guild from a temporary pond system. Results support the combination of the three mechanisms to explain the structural trends in our food web, although their strength is contingent on prey trophic group. Overall, high energy prey are preferred by larger predators, and small predators select small prey of all trophic status. However, large predators prefer large primary producers and avoid large carnivorous prey, probably because of the inherent risk of consuming other carnivorous. Our study provides a mechanistic understanding of how predator traits determine the selection of prey traits affecting food web assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Ortiz
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental-Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
| | | | - Matías Arim
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental-Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
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13
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Haak CR, Power M, Wilson ADM, Danylchuk AJ. Stable isotopes and foraging behaviors support the role of antipredator benefits in driving the association between two marine fishes. Oecologia 2023:10.1007/s00442-023-05390-1. [PMID: 37291257 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05390-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Research from terrestrial communities shows that diminished predation risk is a principal driver of heterospecific grouping behavior, with foraging ecology predicting the roles that species play in groups, as more vulnerable foragers preferentially join more vigilant ones from whom they can benefit. Meanwhile, field studies examining the adaptive significance of heterospecific shoaling among marine fish have focused disproportionately on feeding advantages such as scrounging or prey-flushing. Juvenile bonefish (Albula vulpes) occur almost exclusively among mojarras (Eucinostomus spp.) and even elect to join them over conspecifics, suggesting they benefit from doing so. We evaluated the roles of risk-related and food-related factors in motivating this pattern of affiliation, estimating: (1) the relative levels of risk associated with each species' search and prey capture activities, via behavioral vulnerability traits discerned from in situ video of heterospecific shoals, and (2) resource use redundancy, using stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S) to quantify niche overlap. Across four distinct metrics, bonefish behaviors implied a markedly greater level of risk than those of mojarras, typified by higher activity levels and a reduced capacity for overt vigilance; consistent with expectations if their association conformed to patterns of joining observed in terrestrial habitats. Resource use overlap inferred from stable isotopes was low, indicating that the two species partitioned resources and making it unlikely that bonefish derived substantive food-related benefits. Collectively, these findings suggest that the attraction of juvenile bonefish to mojarras is motivated primarily by antipredator advantages, which may include the exploitation of risk-related social cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Haak
- Department of Environmental Conservation and Intercampus Marine Science Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Michael Power
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Alexander D M Wilson
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, Devon, UK
| | - Andy J Danylchuk
- Department of Environmental Conservation and Intercampus Marine Science Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
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14
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Smith CF, Nikolakis ZL, Ivey K, Perry BW, Schield DR, Balchan NR, Parker J, Hansen KC, Saviola AJ, Castoe TA, Mackessy SP. Snakes on a plain: biotic and abiotic factors determine venom compositional variation in a wide-ranging generalist rattlesnake. BMC Biol 2023; 21:136. [PMID: 37280596 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01626-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Snake venoms are trophic adaptations that represent an ideal model to examine the evolutionary factors that shape polymorphic traits under strong natural selection. Venom compositional variation is substantial within and among venomous snake species. However, the forces shaping this phenotypic complexity, as well as the potential integrated roles of biotic and abiotic factors, have received little attention. Here, we investigate geographic variation in venom composition in a wide-ranging rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis) and contextualize this variation by investigating dietary, phylogenetic, and environmental variables that covary with venom. RESULTS Using shotgun proteomics, venom biochemical profiling, and lethality assays, we identify 2 distinct divergent phenotypes that characterize major axes of venom variation in this species: a myotoxin-rich phenotype and a snake venom metalloprotease (SVMP)-rich phenotype. We find that dietary availability and temperature-related abiotic factors are correlated with geographic trends in venom composition. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the potential for snake venoms to vary extensively within species, for this variation to be driven by biotic and abiotic factors, and for the importance of integrating biotic and abiotic variation for understanding complex trait evolution. Links between venom variation and variation in biotic and abiotic factors indicate that venom variation likely results from substantial geographic variation in selection regimes that determine the efficacy of venom phenotypes across populations and snake species. Our results highlight the cascading influence of abiotic factors on biotic factors that ultimately shape venom phenotype, providing evidence for a central role of local selection as a key driver of venom variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara F Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th Street, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver, 12801 East 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Zachary L Nikolakis
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, 501 S. Nedderman Drive, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Kathleen Ivey
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, 501 S. Nedderman Drive, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Blair W Perry
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, 501 S. Nedderman Drive, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Drew R Schield
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, 501 S. Nedderman Drive, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
- Current address: Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, 1900 Pleasant Street, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Neil R Balchan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th Street, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA
| | - Joshua Parker
- Fresno City College, 1101 E. University Avenue, Fresno, CA, 93741, USA
| | - Kirk C Hansen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver, 12801 East 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Anthony J Saviola
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver, 12801 East 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Todd A Castoe
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, 501 S. Nedderman Drive, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Stephen P Mackessy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th Street, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA.
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15
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Meehan ML, Lindo Z. Mismatches in thermal performance between ectothermic predators and prey alter interaction strength and top-down control. Oecologia 2023; 201:1005-1015. [PMID: 37039893 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05372-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate change can alter predator-prey interactions when predators and prey have different thermal preferences as temperature change can exacerbate thermal mismatches (also called thermal asymmetry) with population-level consequences. We tested this using micro-arthropod predators (Stratiolaelaps scimitus) and prey (Folsomia candida) that differ in their temperature optima to examine predator-prey interactions across two temperature ranges, a cool (12 and 20 °C) and warm (20 and 26 °C) range. We predict that the lower thermal preference and optimum in F. candida will alter top-down control (i.e., interaction strength) by predators with interaction strength being strongest at intermediate temperatures, coinciding with F. candida thermal optimum. Predators and prey were placed in mesocosms, whereafter we measured population (predator and prey abundance), trait-based (average predator and prey body mass, and prey body length distribution), and predator-prey indices (predator-prey mass ratio (PPMR), Dynamic Index, and Log Response Ratio) to determine how temperature affected their interactions. Prey populations were the highest at intermediate temperatures (average temperature exposure: 16-23 °C) but declined at warmer temperatures (average temperature exposure: 24.5-26 °C). Predators consistently lowered prey abundances and average prey mass increased when predators were added. Top-down control was the greatest at intermediate temperatures (indicated by Log Response Ratio) when temperatures were near or below the thermal optimum for both species. Temperature-related prey declines negated top-down control under the warmest conditions suggesting that mismatches in thermal performance between predators and their prey will alter the strength and dominance of top-down or bottom-up forces of predator-prey interactions in a warmer world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L Meehan
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada.
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9BL, UK.
| | - Zoë Lindo
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
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16
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Srivastava V, Takyi EM, Parshad RD. The effect of "fear" on two species competition. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING : MBE 2023; 20:8814-8855. [PMID: 37161224 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2023388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Non-consumptive effects such as fear of depredation, can strongly influence predator-prey dynamics. There are several ecological and social motivations for these effects in competitive systems as well. In this work we consider the classic two species ODE and PDE Lotka-Volterra competition models, where one of the competitors is "fearful" of the other. We find that the presence of fear can have several interesting dynamical effects on the classical competitive scenarios. Notably, for fear levels in certain regimes, we show novel bi-stability dynamics. Furthermore, in the spatially explicit setting, the effects of several spatially heterogeneous fear functions are investigated. In particular, we show that under certain integral restrictions on the fear function, a weak competition type situation can change to competitive exclusion. Applications of these results to ecological as well as sociopolitical settings are discussed, that connect to the "landscape of fear" (LOF) concept in ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric M Takyi
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Rana D Parshad
- Department of Mathematics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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17
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Guiden PW, Burke A, Fliginger J, Rowland-Schaefer EG, Savage K, Jones HP. Reintroduced megaherbivores indirectly shape small-mammal responses to moonlight. Ecology 2023; 104:e3884. [PMID: 36208094 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Moonlight structures activity patterns of many nocturnal species. Bright moonlight often limits the activity of nocturnal prey, but dense vegetation weakens this effect. Using 8 years of live-trapping data, we asked whether reintroduced megaherbivores (Bison bison) indirectly altered moonlight avoidance by small mammals in tallgrass prairies. In plots with bison, plants intercepted 20% less light, allowing more moonlight to reach ground level. During nights with no moonlight, Peromyscus maniculatus activity was similar in plots with and without bison. During nights with peak moonlight, P. maniculatus activity was four times greater in plots without bison compared to plots with bison. Conversely, Microtus ochrogaster activity was twice as great during full moons compared to new moons, but only in plots with bison. We also equipped a subset of traps with temperature sensors to estimate trap-entry time. Although M. ochrogaster was more active on bright nights, most activity occurred before moonrise or after moonset, avoiding periods of bright moonlight. We conclude that megaherbivores play an unappreciated but important indirect role in tallgrass prairies by inducing behavioral shifts in other animal species. Because overlap in activity patterns can predict the likelihood of predator-prey encounters, such activity shifts have important implications for trophic interactions throughout restored prairie food webs. Additional work to understand interspecific and intraspecific variation in response to moonlight may improve efforts to forecast changes in community assembly due to restoration and land-use change.
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Affiliation(s)
- P W Guiden
- Biology Department, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York, USA
| | - Angela Burke
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA
| | - Jessica Fliginger
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Kirstie Savage
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA
| | - Holly P Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA.,Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability and Energy, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA
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18
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Li J, Yu Z, Warren A, Lin X. Predation risk affects the ecotoxicity evaluation of antibiotics: Population growth and antioxidase activity in the ciliate Paramecium jenningsi. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 251:114536. [PMID: 36634479 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Although predation risk exists under natural conditions, its role is usually ignored when evaluating the ecotoxicity of environmental contaminants, and the interaction between predation risk and antibiotic ecotoxicity is not yet clear. To investigate the nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) of predation on the ecotoxicity evaluation of antibiotics, the median lethal concentration (LC50), relative population growth rate (RGR), and activities of three antioxidases were measured in the ciliate Paramecium jenningsi exposed to graded concentrations of the antibiotics nitrofurazone (NFZ) or erythromycin (ERY) in the presence or absence of a predator, i.e., the ciliate Didinium nasutum. The results showed that (1) NCEs significantly reduced the LC50 of NFZ but had no effect on that of ERY; (2) predation pressure alone had no significant effect on the inhibitory rate of the P. jenningsi population, but the interaction with NFZ was synergistic, while that with CRY was additive; (3) the concentrationresponse (i.e., mortality) model for each antibiotic exposure with and without predation pressure differed significantly in the parameter slope; (4) RGRs were significantly reduced by antibiotic exposure or NCEs; only in NFZ-exposed groups did the RGRs decrease linearly with increasing exposure concentration; and (5) the activities of all three antioxidases significantly increased due to NCEs or following exposure to antibiotics. In brief, NCEs were detected in P. jenningsi, and these had additive or synergistic effects on antibiotic ecotoxicity, but their magnitude depended on the properties and exposure concentrations of the antibiotics. Our findings suggest that it is necessary to consider the roles of NCEs in the ecotoxicity evaluation of environmental contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiqiu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystem, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.
| | - Ziyue Yu
- College of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Alan Warren
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Xiaofeng Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystem, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.
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19
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Hodge JR, Price SA. Biotic Interactions and the Future of Fishes on Coral Reefs: The Importance of Trait-Based Approaches. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:1734-1747. [PMID: 36138511 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Biotic interactions govern the structure and function of coral reef ecosystems. As environmental conditions change, reef-associated fish populations can persist by tracking their preferred niche or adapting to new conditions. Biotic interactions will affect how these responses proceed and whether they are successful. Yet, our understanding of these effects is currently limited. Ecological and evolutionary theories make explicit predictions about the effects of biotic interactions, but many remain untested. Here, we argue that large-scale functional trait datasets enable us to investigate how biotic interactions have shaped the assembly of contemporary reef fish communities and the evolution of species within them, thus improving our ability to predict future changes. Importantly, the effects of biotic interactions on these processes have occurred simultaneously within dynamic environments. Functional traits provide a means to integrate the effects of both ecological and evolutionary processes, as well as a way to overcome some of the challenges of studying biotic interactions. Moreover, functional trait data can enhance predictive modeling of future reef fish distributions and evolvability. We hope that our vision for an integrative approach, focused on quantifying functionally relevant traits and how they mediate biotic interactions in different environmental contexts, will catalyze new research on the future of reef fishes in a changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R Hodge
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Samantha A Price
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
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20
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Trujillo JE, Bouyoucos I, Rayment WJ, Domenici P, Planes S, Rummer JL, Allan BJM. Escape response kinematics in two species of tropical shark: short escape latencies and high turning performance. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:276912. [PMID: 36168768 PMCID: PMC9845744 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Accelerative manoeuvres, such as fast-starts, are crucial for fish to avoid predation. Escape responses are fast-starts that include fundamental survival traits for prey that experience high predation pressure. However, no previous study has assessed escape performance in neonate tropical sharks. We quantitatively evaluated vulnerability traits of neonate tropical sharks by testing predictions on their fast-start escape performance. We predicted (1) high manoeuvrability, given their high flexibility, but (2) low propulsive locomotion owing to the drag costs associated with pectoral fin extension during escape responses. Further, based on previous work on dogfish, Squalus suckleyi, we predicted (3) long reaction times (as latencies longer than teleosts, >20 ms). We used two-dimensional, high-speed videography analysis of mechano-acoustically stimulated neonate blacktip reef shark, Carcharhinus melanopterus (n=12), and sicklefin lemon shark, Negaprion acutidens (n=8). Both species performed a characteristic C-start double-bend response (i.e. two body bends), but single-bend responses were only observed in N. acutidens. As predicted, neonate sharks showed high manoeuvrability with high turning rates and tight turning radii (3-11% of body length) but low propulsive performance (i.e. speed, acceleration and velocity) when compared with similar-sized teleosts and S. suckleyi. Contrary to expectations, escape latencies were <20 ms in both species, suggesting that the neurophysiological system of sharks when reacting to a predatory attack may not be limited to long response times. These results provide a quantitative assessment of survival traits in neonate tropical sharks that will be crucial for future studies that consider the vulnerability of these sharks to predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- José E. Trujillo
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand,Author for correspondence ()
| | - Ian Bouyoucos
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville 4814, Australia,PSL Research University, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, 66100 Perpignan, France,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R2T 2N2, Canada
| | - William J. Rayment
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Paolo Domenici
- CNR-IAS, Località Sa Mardini, 09170 Torregrande, Oristano, Italy,CNR-IBF, Area di Ricerca San Cataldo, Via G. Moruzzi N°1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Serge Planes
- PSL Research University, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, 66100 Perpignan, France,Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, EPHE, PSL Research University, UPVD, CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Papetoai 98729, French Polynesia
| | - Jodie L. Rummer
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville 4814, Australia,Marine Biology, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville 4814, Australia
| | - Bridie J. M. Allan
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
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21
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Marques P, Zandonà E, Amaral J, Selhorst Y, El-Sabaawi R, Mazzoni R, Castro L, Pilastro A. Using fish to understand how cities affect sexual selection before and after mating. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.928277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization transforms natural and agricultural areas into built landscapes. Such profound habitat alteration imposes strong pressure on phenotypic trait changes through processes related to natural and/or sexual selection. Evidence of how natural selection drives changes to traits in urban biota is increasing, but little is known about the role of sexual selection. In this study, we assessed the effect of urbanization on the expression and interaction of males' pre-mating traits (body size and color) and a post-mating trait (sperm load). We used a widespread invasive species, the guppy (Poecilia reticulata), which is a wellknown model for studying sexual selection, but have never been studied in urban systems for this purpose. We found that urbanization did not affect mean body size or condition, but it resulted in size-dependent reductions in the expression of orange and iridescent colors, as well as sperm load. The orange color was reduced in small urban guppies, while the iridescent colors were reduced in large urban guppies compared to non-urban guppies. The difference in sperm load was only found in large males, with lower sperm load in urban guppies. The relationship between orange color and sperm load was positive in urban guppies but negative in non-urban guppies, while the association between iridescent color and sperm load followed the opposite pattern. Our findings suggest that sexual selection on pre- and post-mating traits is weaker in urban than in non-urban systems and that interactions between such traits are context dependent. These responses can be related to the pollution and altered visual environment of urban systems and provide an opportunity to advance our understanding of the mechanisms determining adaptation in cities.
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22
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Duchesne T, Graitson E, Lourdais O, Ursenbacher S, Dufrêne M. Fine‐scale vegetation complexity and habitat structure influence predation pressure on a declining snake. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13007] [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)
- T. Duchesne
- Biodiversity and Landscape Unit, Gembloux Agro‐Bio‐Tech (GxBT) University of Liège Gembloux Belgium
| | | | - O. Lourdais
- Centre d'étude biologique de Chizé (CEBC), CNRS‐UMR7372 Villiers en Bois France
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe AZ USA
| | - S. Ursenbacher
- Section of Conservation Biology, Department of Environmental Sciences University of Basel Basel Switzerland
- Info Fauna, CSCF & Karch Neuchâtel Switzerland
| | - M. Dufrêne
- Biodiversity and Landscape Unit, Gembloux Agro‐Bio‐Tech (GxBT) University of Liège Gembloux Belgium
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23
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Potter B, Cannizzo ZJ, Griffen BD. Morphometric correlations between dietary and reproductive traits of two brachyuran crabs, Hemigrapsus sanguineus and Aratus pisonii. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0267369. [PMID: 35925929 PMCID: PMC9352013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267369] [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: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals have flexible morphological traits that allow them to succeed in differing circumstances with differing diets available to them. For brachyuran crabs, claw height and gut size are diet-specific and largely reflect foraging strategies, while abdomen width reflects relative levels of fecundity. However, the link between claw size and diet has largely been documented only for primarily carnivorous crabs, while the link between diet and fecundity is strong in herbivorous crabs. We sought to determine the nature of the intraspecific relationship between claw size, dietary habits, and fecundity for two primarily herbivorous crab species, Hemigrapsus sanguineus and Aratus pisonii. Specifically, we examined whether claw size and/or abdomen width can be used as reliable measures of individual diet strategy. To test these hypotheses, we collected crabs and measured the dimensions of their claws, abdomens, and guts. By comparing these dimensions for each individual, we found that strongly predictive relationships do not exist between these traits for the primarily herbivorous species in our study. Thus, identifying external morphological features that can be used to assess diets of primarily herbivorous crabs remains elusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Potter
- Biology Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States of America
| | - Zachary J. Cannizzo
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of National Marine Sanctuaries − National Marine Protected Areas Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Blaine D. Griffen
- Biology Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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24
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Paterson JT, Proffitt KM, DeCesare NJ, Gude JA, Hebblewhite M. Evaluating the summer landscapes of predation risk and forage quality for elk ( Cervus canadensis). Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9201. [PMID: 35979523 PMCID: PMC9366754 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The recovery of carnivore populations in North American has consequences for trophic interactions and population dynamics of prey. In addition to direct effects on prey populations through killing, predators can influence prey behavior by imposing the risk of predation. The mechanisms through which patterns of space use by predators are linked to behavioral response by prey and nonconsumptive effects on prey population dynamics are poorly understood. Our goal was to characterize population- and individual-level patterns of resource selection by elk (Cervus canadensis) in response to risk of wolves (Canis lupus) and mountain lions (Puma concolor) and evaluate potential nonconsumptive effects of these behavioral patterns. We tested the hypothesis that individual elk risk-avoidance behavior during summer would result in exposure to lower-quality forage and reduced body fat and pregnancy rates. First, we evaluated individuals' second-order and third-order resource selection with a used-available sampling design. At the population level, we found evidence for a positive relationship between second- and third-order selection and forage, and an interaction between forage quality and mountain lion risk such that the relative probability of use at low mountain lion risk increased with forage quality but decreased at high risk at both orders of selection. We found no evidence of a population-level trade-off between forage quality and wolf risk. However, we found substantial among-individual heterogeneity in resource selection patterns such that population-level patterns were potentially misleading. We found no evidence that the diversity of individual resource selection patterns varied predictably with available resources, or that patterns of individual risk-related resource selection translated into biologically meaningful changes in body fat or pregnancy rates. Our work highlights the importance of evaluating individual responses to predation risk and predator hunting technique when assessing responses to predators and suggests nonconsumptive effects are not operating at a population scale in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation SciencesUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
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Fraser Franco M, Santostefano F, Kelly CD, Montiglio PO. Studying predator foraging mode and hunting success at the individual level with an online videogame. Behav Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Predator–prey interactions are important drivers of community and ecosystem dynamics. With an online multiplayer videogame, we propose a novel system to explore within population variation in predator hunting mode, and how predator–prey behavioral interactions affect predator hunting success. We empirically examined how four predator foraging behaviors covary at three hierarchical levels (among environments, among individuals, and within individuals) to assess the structure of predator hunting mode. We also investigated how prey activity affects the foraging behavior and hunting success of predators. Our study supports key findings on predator foraging mode and predator-prey interactions from behavioral ecology. We found that individual predators displayed a diversity of hunting tactics that were conditioned by prey behavior. With prey movement, individual predators specialized either as cursorial or ambush hunters along a continuum of their hunting traits, but also shifted their strategy between encounters. Both types of hunters were generally better against slower moving prey, and they achieved similar prey captures over the sampling period. This suggests that virtual worlds supporting multiplayer online videogames can serve as legitimate systems to advance our knowledge on predator–prey interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Fraser Franco
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Groupe de Recherche en Écologie et Évolution des Interactions Biologiques (GREEIB), Université du Québec à Montréal , Case postale 8888, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8 , Canada
| | - Francesca Santostefano
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Groupe de Recherche en Écologie et Évolution des Interactions Biologiques (GREEIB), Université du Québec à Montréal , Case postale 8888, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8 , Canada
| | - Clint D Kelly
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Groupe de Recherche en Écologie et Évolution des Interactions Biologiques (GREEIB), Université du Québec à Montréal , Case postale 8888, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8 , Canada
| | - Pierre-Olivier Montiglio
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Groupe de Recherche en Écologie et Évolution des Interactions Biologiques (GREEIB), Université du Québec à Montréal , Case postale 8888, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8 , Canada
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Campillay-Llanos W, Córdova-Lepe FD, Moreno-Gómez FN. Coexistence, Energy, and Trophic Cascade in a Three-Level Food Chain Integrating Body Sizes. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.821176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation is a biological interaction that influences demographic patterns by modifying community structure. In the current ecological crisis, there is a need to better understand the conditions of coexistence between predators, prey and their resources. The body size is considered a key feature to explain community-scale phenomena, energetic, and evolutionary constraints. This raises the question of how species body size directly or indirectly affects the demographic patterns that enable coexistence. Considering the above, we conducted a theoretical study that implements a Rosenzweig-MacArthur type model, which represents a three-level chain that integrates body sizes and includes a Holling type I functional response. In this model, we characterize coexistence through body size-dependent net reproductive rates. Our results suggest that the body sizes of consumer species strongly affect the size-density relations and energy requirements. We obtain the negative relationship between body size and density of intermediate consumers and discuss the energy equivalence rule. Furthermore, larger predators have a more significant impact on the intensity of the trophic cascade than smaller predators. Finally, we discuss potential extensions and applications of our modeling approach.
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Szefer P, Molem K, Sau A, Novotny V. Weak effects of birds, bats, and ants on their arthropod prey on pioneering tropical forest gap vegetation. Ecology 2022; 103:e3690. [PMID: 35322403 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The relative roles of plants competing for resources versus top-down control of vegetation by herbivores, in turn impacted by predators, during early stages of tropical forest succession remain poorly understood. Here we examine the impact of insectivorous birds, bats and ants exclusion on arthropods communities on replicated 5x5 m of pioneering early successional vegetation plots in lowland tropical forest gaps in Papua New Guinea. In plots from which focal taxa of predators were excluded we observed increased biomass of herbivorous and predatory arthropods, and increased density, and decreased diversity of herbivorous insects. However, changes in the biomass of plants, herbivores and arthropod predators were positively correlated or uncorrelated between these three trophic levels and also between individual arthropod orders. Arthropod abundance and biomass correlated strongly with the plant biomass irrespective of the arthropods' trophic position - a signal of bottom-up control. Patterns in herbivore specialization confirm lack of a strong top-down control and were largely unaffected by the exclusion of insectivorous birds, bats and ants. No changes of plant-herbivore interaction networks were detected except for decrease in modularity of the exclosure plots. Our results suggest weak top-down control of herbivores, limited compensation between arthropod and vertebrate predators, and limited intra-guild predation by birds, bats and ants. Possible explanations are strong bottom-up control, a low activity of the higher order predators, especially birds, possibly also bats, in gaps, and continuous influx of herbivores from surrounding mature forest matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Szefer
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1645/31a, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Kenneth Molem
- New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, PO Box 604, Madang 511, Papua New Guinea
| | - Austin Sau
- New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, PO Box 604, Madang 511, Papua New Guinea
| | - Vojtech Novotny
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1645/31a, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Influence of habitat complexity on the prey mortality in IGP system involving insect predators (Heteroptera) and prey (Diptera): Implications in biological control. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264840. [PMID: 35286333 PMCID: PMC8920208 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264840] [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: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraguild predation (IGP) is common in the freshwater insect communities, involving a top predator, intraguild prey (IG prey) and a shared prey. Influence of the habitat complexity on the prey-predator interactions is well established through several studies. In the present instance, the IGP involving the heteropteran predators and the dipteran prey were assessed in the background of the habitat complexity. The three predators Diplonychus rusticus, Ranatra filiformis, and Laccotrephes griseus, one intraguild prey Anisops bouvieri and two dipteran prey Culex quinquefasciatus and Chironomus sp. were used in different relative density against the complex habitat conditions to deduce the impact on the mortality on the prey. In comparison to the open conditions, the presence of the macrophytes and pebbles reduced the mortality of the shared prey under intraguild system as well as single predator system. The mortality of the shared prey was however dependent on the density of the predator and prey. Considering the shared prey mortality, predation on mosquito larvae was always higher in single predator system than chironomid larvae irrespective of identity and density of predators. However, for both the shared prey, complexity of habitat reduced the prey vulnerability in comparison to the simple habitat condition. Higher observed prey consumption depicts the higher risk to predation of shared prey, though the values varied with habitat conditions. Mortality of IG prey (A. bouvieri) in IGP system followed the opposite trend of the shared prey. The lower mortality in simple habitat and higher mortality in complex habitat conditions was observed for the IG prey, irrespective of shared prey and predator density. In IGP system, the shared prey mortality was influenced by the habitat conditions, with more complex habitat reducing the vulnerability of the shared prey and increased mortality of the IG prey. This implies that the regulation of the mosquitoes, in the IGP system will be impeded by the habitat conditions, with the heteropteran predators as the top predator.
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Jermacz Ł, Kletkiewicz H, Poznańska-Kakareko M, Klimiuk M, Kobak J. Chronic predation risk affects prey escape abilities through behavioral and physiological changes. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
One of the options to reduce predation risk is reallocation of energy into locomotion system. The higher aerobic capacity, the more energy can be partitioned into an escape. Thus, increase in aerobic capacity can increase prey escape abilities. We investigated prey (freshwater crustaceans: Dikerogammarus villosus and Gammarus jazdzewskii) ability to improve their locomotor performance through an increase in aerobic capacity under chronic predation risk. We forced gammarids (pre-exposed to the predation cue or control) to long-distance swimming in the presence or absence of predation cues to obtain: control (pre-exposure and test in control conditions), acute (pre-exposure to control conditions, test in the presence of the predation cue) and chronic (pre-exposure and test in the presence of the cue) risk treatments. After this forced swimming effort, we measured various swimming parameters, glycogen content, and lactate concentration of the experimental amphipods. Exposure to predation cues made G. jazdzewskii reduce its speed after prolonged forced swimming in the presence of predation cues, whereas D. villosus never changed its swimming performance due to predation risk. In both species, post-effort lactate concentration was higher under the acute predation risk than in risk-free conditions. However, only D. villosus demonstrated lower lactate concentration when exposed to chronic vs. acute predation risk. Moreover, pre-exposure of both species to predation cues caused reduction in glycogen content. We showed that under chronic predation risk some prey species can modify their physiology to increase aerobic capacity and sustain high efficiency of escape performance. However, this phenomenon is species-specific and costly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Jermacz
- Nicolaus Copernicus University, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Department of Ecology and Biogeography, Lwowska, Toruń, Poland
| | - Hanna Kletkiewicz
- Nicolaus Copernicus University, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Department of Animal Physiology, Lwowska, Toruń, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Poznańska-Kakareko
- Nicolaus Copernicus University, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Lwowska, Toruń, Poland
| | - Maciej Klimiuk
- Nicolaus Copernicus University, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Department of Animal Physiology, Lwowska, Toruń, Poland
| | - Jarosław Kobak
- Nicolaus Copernicus University, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Lwowska, Toruń, Poland
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TIWARI PANKAJKUMAR, VERMA MAITRI, PAL SOUMITRA, KANG YUN, MISRA ARVINDKUMAR. A DELAY NONAUTONOMOUS PREDATOR–PREY MODEL FOR THE EFFECTS OF FEAR, REFUGE AND HUNTING COOPERATION. J BIOL SYST 2021. [DOI: 10.1142/s0218339021500236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Fear of predation may assert privilege to prey species by restricting their exposure to potential predators, meanwhile it can also impose costs by constraining the exploration of optimal resources. A predator–prey model with the effect of fear, refuge, and hunting cooperation has been investigated in this paper. The system’s equilibria are obtained and their local stability behavior is discussed. The existence of Hopf-bifurcation is analytically shown by taking refuge as a bifurcation parameter. There are many ecological factors which are not instantaneous processes, and so, to make the system more realistic, we incorporate three discrete time delays: in the effect of fear, refuge and hunting cooperation, and analyze the delayed system for stability and bifurcation. Moreover, for environmental fluctuations, we further modify the delayed system by incorporating seasonality in the fear, refuge and cooperation. We have analyzed the seasonally forced delayed system for the existence of a positive periodic solution. In the support of analytical results, some numerical simulations are carried out. Sensitivity analysis is used to identify parameters having crucial impacts on the ecological balance of predator–prey interactions. We find that the rate of predation, fear, and hunting cooperation destabilizes the system, whereas prey refuge stabilizes the system. Time delay in the cooperation behavior generates irregular oscillations whereas delay in refuge stabilizes an otherwise unstable system. Seasonal variations in the level of fear and refuge generate higher periodic solutions and bursting patterns, respectively, which can be replaced by simple 1-periodic solution if the cooperation and fear are also allowed to vary with time in the former and latter situations. Higher periodicity and bursting patterns are also observed due to synergistic effects of delay and seasonality. Our results indicate that the combined effects of fear, refuge and hunting cooperation play a major role in maintaining a healthy ecological environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- PANKAJ KUMAR TIWARI
- Department of Basic Science and Humanities, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Bhagalpur 813210, India
| | - MAITRI VERMA
- Department of Mathematics, School of Physical and Decision Science, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow 226 025, India
| | - SOUMITRA PAL
- Department of Mathematics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - YUN KANG
- Science and Mathematics Faculty, Arizona State University Mesa, AZ 85212, USA
| | - ARVIND KUMAR MISRA
- Department of Mathematics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
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Emerson LC, Holmes CJ, Cáceres CE. Prey choice by a freshwater copepod on larval Aedes mosquitoes in the presence of alternative prey. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2021; 46:200-206. [PMID: 35230024 DOI: 10.52707/1081-1710-46.2.200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions can have a significant impact on the abundance and distribution of species, but the outcome of these interactions is often context-dependent. In small freshwater habitats, predacious copepods are potential biological control agents for mosquito larvae. Through laboratory experiments, we tested if the presence of a non-mosquito prey (neonate Daphnia pulex) influenced prey selection of the predaceous copepod (Acanthocyclops vernalis) on 1st instar Aedes mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus). Copepods were starved for 12 h prior to being exposed to the two prey types (larval mosquitoes and Daphnia) at three densities: 25 mosquitoes:75 Daphnia, 50 mosquitoes:50 Daphnia, 75 mosquitoes:25 Daphnia. Single prey choice trials for each species as well as no-predator trials were also established for controls. Copepods were effective predators, with a single copepod consuming up to 37 1st instar mosquito larvae during the 24-h trials. The number of mosquitoes consumed increased with their relative density, but the proportion of mosquitoes consumed was highest when Aedes made up only 25% of the population. Results from our study show that in a simple predator/two-prey system, two species of larval mosquitoes (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus) are preferentially consumed over an alternative zooplankton by the copepod predator Acanthocyclops vernalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren C Emerson
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, U.S.A
- Department of Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187, U.S.A
| | - Christopher J Holmes
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, U.S.A.,
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, U.S.A
| | - Carla E Cáceres
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, U.S.A
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, U.S.A
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Premate E, Zagmajster M, Fišer C. Inferring predator-prey interaction in the subterranean environment: a case study from Dinaric caves. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21682. [PMID: 34737417 PMCID: PMC8568937 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01249-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Predator–prey interactions are among the most important biotic interactions shaping ecological communities and driving the evolution of defensive traits. These interactions and their effects on species received little attention in extreme and remote environments, where possibilities for direct observations and experimental manipulation of the animals are limited. In this paper, we study such type of environment, namely caves of the Dinarides (Europe), combining spatial and phylogenetic methods. We focused on several species of Niphargus amphipods living in phreatic lakes, as some of them use the dorsal spines as putative morphological defensive traits. We predicted that these spines represent a defense strategy against the olm (Proteus anguinus), a top predator species in the subterranean waters. We tested for spatial overlap of the olm and Niphargus species and showed that spined species live in closer proximity to and co-occur more frequently with the olm than non-spined species. Modeling of the evolution of the spines onto Niphargus phylogeny implies coevolution of this trait in the presence of olm. We conclude that these spines likely evolved as defensive traits in a predator–prey arms race. Combining multiple analyses, we provide an example for a methodological framework to assess predator–prey interactions when in-situ or laboratory observations are not possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Premate
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Maja Zagmajster
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Cene Fišer
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Stachewicz JD, Fountain‐Jones NM, Koontz A, Woolf H, Pearse WD, Gallinat AS. Strong trait correlation and phylogenetic signal in North American ground beetle (Carabidae) morphology. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D. Stachewicz
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center Utah State University 5305 Old Main Hill Logan Utah 84322 USA
| | | | - Austin Koontz
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center Utah State University 5305 Old Main Hill Logan Utah 84322 USA
| | - Hillary Woolf
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center Utah State University 5305 Old Main Hill Logan Utah 84322 USA
| | - William D. Pearse
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center Utah State University 5305 Old Main Hill Logan Utah 84322 USA
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London Silwood Park Campus Buckhurst Rd. Ascot Berkshire SL5 7PY UK
| | - Amanda S. Gallinat
- Department of Geography University of Wisconsin‐Milwaukee Milwaukee Wisconsin 53201 USA
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Monk JD, Schmitz OJ. Landscapes shaped from the top down: predicting cascading predator effects on spatial biogeochemistry. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julia D. Monk
- School of the Environment, Yale Univ. New Haven CT USA
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Lucas J, Ros A, Gugele S, Dunst J, Geist J, Brinker A. The hunter and the hunted-A 3D analysis of predator-prey interactions between three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and larvae of different prey fishes. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256427. [PMID: 34437615 PMCID: PMC8389440 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions play a key life history role, as animals cope with changing predation risk and opportunities to hunt prey. It has recently been shown that the hunting success of sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) targeting fish larvae is dependent on both the size of the prey and the prior exposure of its species to stickleback predation. The purpose of the current study was to identify the behavioural predator-prey interactions explaining the success or failure of sticklebacks hunting larvae of three potential prey species [roach (Rutilus rutilus), perch (Perca fluviatilis) and whitefish (Coregonus wartmannii)] in a 3D environment. Trials were carried out for each prey species at four different size classes in a standardised laboratory setup and were recorded using a slow motion, stereo camera setup. 75 predator-prey interactions including both failed and successful hunts were subject to the analysis. 3D track analysis indicated that sticklebacks applied different strategies. Prey with less complex predator escape responses, i.e. whitefish larvae, were hunted using a direct but stealthy approach ending in a lunge, while the behaviourally more complex roach and perch larvae were hunted with a faster approach. A multivariate logistic regression identified that slow average speed and acceleration of the prey in the initial stages of the hunt increased the probability of stickleback success. Furthermore, predators adjusted their swimming direction more often when hunting larger whitefish compared to smaller whitefish. The results suggest that appropriate and adequately timed avoidance behaviours, which vary between prey species and ontogenetic stages, significantly increase the chances of outmanoeuvring and escaping stickleback predation. Small whitefish larvae can reach similar levels of swimming performance compared to older conspecifics, but display ineffective anti-predator behaviours, resulting in higher hunting success for sticklebacks. Thus, the development of appropriate anti-predator behaviours depending on size appears to be the crucial factor to escaping predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorrit Lucas
- Fisheries Research Station Baden-Wuerttemberg, LAZBW, Langenargen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Albert Ros
- Fisheries Research Station Baden-Wuerttemberg, LAZBW, Langenargen, Germany
| | - Sarah Gugele
- Fisheries Research Station Baden-Wuerttemberg, LAZBW, Langenargen, Germany
| | - Julian Dunst
- Fisheries Research Station Baden-Wuerttemberg, LAZBW, Langenargen, Germany
| | - Juergen Geist
- Aquatic Systems Biology Unit, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Center of Life and Food Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Alexander Brinker
- Fisheries Research Station Baden-Wuerttemberg, LAZBW, Langenargen, Germany
- University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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Resetarits WJ, Pintar MR, Bohenek JR. Complex multi‐predator effects on demographic habitat selection and community assembly in colonizing aquatic insects. ECOL MONOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- William J. Resetarits
- Department of Biology Centers for Water and Wetlands Resources, and Conservation and Biodiversity Research The University of Mississippi University Mississippi 38677‐1848 USA
| | - Matthew R. Pintar
- Department of Biology Centers for Water and Wetlands Resources, and Conservation and Biodiversity Research The University of Mississippi University Mississippi 38677‐1848 USA
| | - Jason R. Bohenek
- Department of Biology Centers for Water and Wetlands Resources, and Conservation and Biodiversity Research The University of Mississippi University Mississippi 38677‐1848 USA
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The evolution of siphonophore tentilla for specialized prey capture in the open ocean. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2005063118. [PMID: 33593896 PMCID: PMC7923536 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2005063118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Predatory specialization is often associated with the evolution of modifications in the morphology of the prey-capture apparatus. Specialization has been considered an evolutionary “dead end” due to the constraints associated with these morphological changes. However, in predators like siphonophores, armed with modular structures used exclusively for prey capture, this assumption is challenged. Our results show that siphonophores can evolve generalism and new prey-type specializations by modifying the morphological states, modes of evolution, and evolutionary correlations between the parts of their prey-capture apparatus. These findings demonstrate how studying open-ocean nonbilaterian predators can reveal novel patterns and mechanisms in the evolution of specialization. Understanding these evolutionary processes is fundamental to the study of food web structure and complexity. Predator specialization has often been considered an evolutionary “dead end” due to the constraints associated with the evolution of morphological and functional optimizations throughout the organism. However, in some predators, these changes are localized in separate structures dedicated to prey capture. One of the most extreme cases of this modularity can be observed in siphonophores, a clade of pelagic colonial cnidarians that use tentilla (tentacle side branches armed with nematocysts) exclusively for prey capture. Here we study how siphonophore specialists and generalists evolve, and what morphological changes are associated with these transitions. To answer these questions, we: a) Measured 29 morphological characters of tentacles from 45 siphonophore species, b) mapped these data to a phylogenetic tree, and c) analyzed the evolutionary associations between morphological characters and prey-type data from the literature. Instead of a dead end, we found that siphonophore specialists can evolve into generalists, and that specialists on one prey type have directly evolved into specialists on other prey types. Our results show that siphonophore tentillum morphology has strong evolutionary associations with prey type, and suggest that shifts between prey types are linked to shifts in the morphology, mode of evolution, and evolutionary correlations of tentilla and their nematocysts. The evolutionary history of siphonophore specialization helps build a broader perspective on predatory niche diversification via morphological innovation and evolution. These findings contribute to understanding how specialization and morphological evolution have shaped present-day food webs.
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Aguilera G, Riggi L, Miller K, Roslin T, Bommarco R. Organic fertilisation enhances generalist predators and suppresses aphid growth in the absence of specialist predators. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Aguilera
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - Laura Riggi
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - Kirsten Miller
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Tomas Roslin
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - Riccardo Bommarco
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
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Abstract
Ecological fitness is the ability of individuals in a population to survive and reproduce. Individuals with increased fitness are better equipped to withstand the selective pressures of their environments. This paradigm pertains to all organismal life as we know it; however, it is also becoming increasingly clear that within multicellular organisms exist highly complex, competitive, and cooperative populations of cells under many of the same ecological and evolutionary constraints as populations of individuals in nature. In this review I discuss the parallels between populations of cancer cells and populations of individuals in the wild, highlighting how individuals in either context are constrained by their environments to converge on a small number of critical phenotypes to ensure survival and future reproductive success. I argue that the hallmarks of cancer can be distilled into key phenotypes necessary for cancer cell fitness: survival and reproduction. I posit that for therapeutic strategies to be maximally beneficial, they should seek to subvert these ecologically driven phenotypic responses.
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40
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White BE, McIntosh AR, Febria CM, Warburton HJ. The potential role of biotic interactions in stream restoration. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bridget E. White
- School of Biological Sciences University of Canterbury – Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha Private Bag 4800 Christchurch 8140 New Zealand
| | - Angus R. McIntosh
- School of Biological Sciences University of Canterbury – Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha Private Bag 4800 Christchurch 8140 New Zealand
| | - Catherine M. Febria
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research University of Windsor 2990 Riverside Dr. W. Windsor ON N9C 1A2 Canada
| | - Helen J. Warburton
- School of Biological Sciences University of Canterbury – Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha Private Bag 4800 Christchurch 8140 New Zealand
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41
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Alomar AA, Alto BW. Mosquito responses to lethal and nonlethal effects of predation and an insect growth regulator. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah A. Alomar
- Entomology and Nematology Department Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences University of Florida Vero Beach Florida32962USA
| | - Barry W. Alto
- Entomology and Nematology Department Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences University of Florida Vero Beach Florida32962USA
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42
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Michalko R, Košulič O, Wongprom P, Songsangchote C, Saksongmuang V, Trisurat Y. Reforestations of Tropical Forests Alter Interactions Between Web-Building Spiders and Their Prey. Ecosystems 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-021-00627-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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43
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Fraker ME, Ludsin SA, Luttbeg B, Denver RJ. Stress hormone-mediated antipredator morphology improves escape performance in amphibian tadpoles. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4427. [PMID: 33627747 PMCID: PMC7904905 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84052-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Complete functional descriptions of the induction sequences of phenotypically plastic traits (perception to physiological regulation to response to outcome) should help us to clarify how plastic responses develop and operate. Ranid tadpoles express several plastic antipredator traits mediated by the stress hormone corticosterone, but how they influence outcomes remains uncertain. We investigated how predator-induced changes in the tail morphology of wood frog (Rana sylvatica) tadpoles influenced their escape performance over a sequence of time points when attacked by larval dragonflies (Anax junius). Tadpoles were raised with no predator exposure, chemical cues of dragonflies added once per day, or constant exposure to caged dragonflies crossed with no exogenous hormone added (vehicle control only), exogenous corticosterone, or metyrapone (a corticosteroid synthesis inhibitor). During predation trials, we detected no differences after four days, but after eight days, tadpoles exposed to larval dragonflies and exogenous corticosterone had developed deeper tail muscles and exhibited improved escape performance compared to controls. Treatment with metyrapone blocked the development of a deeper tail muscle and resulted in no difference in escape success. Our findings further link the predator-induced physiological stress response of ranid tadpoles to the development of an antipredator tail morphology that confers performance benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E. Fraker
- grid.261331.40000 0001 2285 7943Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43212 USA ,grid.214458.e0000000086837370Present Address: Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, School for the Environment and Sustainability, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Stuart A. Ludsin
- grid.261331.40000 0001 2285 7943Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43212 USA
| | - Barney Luttbeg
- grid.65519.3e0000 0001 0721 7331Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078 USA
| | - Robert J. Denver
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
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44
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Schmitz OJ, Leroux SJ. Food Webs and Ecosystems: Linking Species Interactions to the Carbon Cycle. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-011720-104730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
All species within ecosystems contribute to regulating carbon cycling because of their functional integration into food webs. Yet carbon modeling and accounting still assumes that only plants, microbes, and invertebrate decomposer species are relevant to the carbon cycle. Our multifaceted review develops a case for considering a wider range of species, especially herbivorous and carnivorous wild animals. Animal control over carbon cycling is shaped by the animals’ stoichiometric needs and functional traits in relation to the stoichiometry and functional traits of their resources. Quantitative synthesis reveals that failing to consider these mechanisms can lead to serious inaccuracies in the carbon budget. Newer carbon-cycle models that consider food-web structure based on organismal functional traits and stoichiometry can offer mechanistically informed predictions about the magnitudes of animal effects that will help guide new empirical research aimed at developing a coherent understanding of the interactions and importance of all species within food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oswald J. Schmitz
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Shawn J. Leroux
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada
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45
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Griffiths D. Foraging habitat determines predator-prey size relationships in marine fishes. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2020; 97:964-973. [PMID: 32613622 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Predator-prey size (PPS) relationships are determined by predator behaviour, with the likelihood of prey being eaten dependent on their size relative to that of the consumer. Published PPS relationships for 30 pelagic or benthic marine fish species were analysed using quantile regression to determine how median, lower and upper prey sizes varied with predator size and habitat. Habitat effects on predator foraging activity/mode, morphology, growth and natural mortality are quantified and the effects on PPS relationships explored. Pelagic species are more active, more likely to move by caudal fin propulsion and grow more rapidly but have higher mortality rates than benthic species, where the need for greater manoeuvrability when foraging in more physically complex habitats favours ambush predators using pectoral fin propulsion. Prey size increased with predator size in most species, but pelagic species ate relatively smaller prey than benthic predators. As pelagic predators grew, lower prey size limits changed little, and prey size range increased but median relative prey size declined, whereas the lower limit increased and median relative prey size was constant or increased in benthic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Griffiths
- School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK
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46
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Wirsing AJ, Heithaus MR, Brown JS, Kotler BP, Schmitz OJ. The context dependence of non-consumptive predator effects. Ecol Lett 2020; 24:113-129. [PMID: 32990363 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Non-consumptive predator effects (NCEs) are now widely recognised for their capacity to shape ecosystem structure and function. Yet, forecasting the propagation of these predator-induced trait changes through particular communities remains a challenge. Accordingly, focusing on plasticity in prey anti-predator behaviours, we conceptualise the multi-stage process by which predators trigger direct and indirect NCEs, review and distil potential drivers of contingencies into three key categories (properties of the prey, predator and setting), and then provide a general framework for predicting both the nature and strength of direct NCEs. Our review underscores the myriad factors that can generate NCE contingencies while guiding how research might better anticipate and account for them. Moreover, our synthesis highlights the value of mapping both habitat domains and prey-specific patterns of evasion success ('evasion landscapes') as the basis for predicting how direct NCEs are likely to manifest in any particular community. Looking ahead, we highlight two key knowledge gaps that continue to impede a comprehensive understanding of non-consumptive predator-prey interactions and their ecosystem consequences; namely, insufficient empirical exploration of (1) context-dependent indirect NCEs and (2) the ways in which direct and indirect NCEs are shaped interactively by multiple drivers of context dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Box 352100, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Michael R Heithaus
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marine Sciences Program, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st St, North Miami, FL, 33181, USA
| | - Joel S Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.,Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Dr, Tampa, FL, 33613, USA
| | - Burt P Kotler
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet, Ben-Gurion, 84990, Israel
| | - Oswald J Schmitz
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, 195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
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47
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Sommer NR, Schmitz OJ. Differences in prey personality mediate trophic cascades. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:9538-9551. [PMID: 32953082 PMCID: PMC7487229 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional trait approaches in ecology chiefly assume the mean trait value of a population adequately predicts the outcome of species interactions. Yet this assumption ignores substantial trait variation among individuals within a population, which can have a profound effect on community structure and function. We explored individual trait variation through the lens of animal personality to test whether among-individual variation in prey behavior mediates trophic interactions. We quantified the structure of personalities within a population of generalist grasshoppers and examined, through a number of field and laboratory-based experiments, how personality types could impact tri-trophic interactions in a food chain. Unlike other studies of this nature, we used spatial habitat domains to evaluate how personality types mechanistically map to behaviors relevant in predator-prey dynamics and found shy and bold individuals differed in both their habitat use and foraging strategy under predation risk by a sit-and-wait spider predator. In the field-based mesocosm portion of our study, we found experimental populations of personality types differed in their trophic impact, demonstrating that prey personality can mediate trophic cascades. We found no differences in respiration rates or body size between personality types used in the mesocosm experiment, indicating relative differences in trophic impact were not due to variation in prey physiology but rather variation in behavioral strategies. Our work demonstrates how embracing the complexity of individual trait variation can offer mechanistically richer understanding of the processes underlying trophic interactions.
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48
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Berg P, Berg J, Berg R. Predator–prey interaction between a boomslang,
Dispholidus typus,
and a flap‐necked chameleon,
Chamaeleo dilepis. Afr J Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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49
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Jones NT, Symons CC, Cavalheri H, Pedroza-Ramos A, Shurin JB. Predators drive community reorganization during experimental range shifts. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2378-2388. [PMID: 32592594 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Increased global temperatures caused by climate change are causing species to shift their ranges and colonize new sites, creating novel assemblages that have historically not interacted. Species interactions play a central role in the response of ecosystems to climate change, but the role of trophic interactions in facilitating or preventing range expansions is largely unknown. The goal of our study was to understand how predators influence the ability of range-shifting prey to successfully establish in newly available habitat following climate warming. We hypothesized that fish predation facilitates the establishment of colonizing zooplankton populations, because fish preferentially consume larger species that would otherwise competitively exclude smaller-bodied colonists. We conducted a mesocosm experiment with zooplankton communities and their fish predators from lakes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, USA. We tested the effect of fish predation on the establishment and persistence of a zooplankton community when introduced in the presence of higher- and lower-elevation communities at two experimental temperatures in field mesocosms. We found that predators reduce the abundance of larger-bodied residents from the alpine and facilitate the establishment of new lower-elevation species. In addition, fish predation and warming independently reduced the average body size of zooplankton by up to 30%. This reduction in body size offset the direct effect of warming-induced increases in population growth rates, leading to no net change in zooplankton biomass or trophic cascade strength. We found support for a shift to smaller species with climate change through two mechanisms: (a) the direct effects of warming on developmental rates and (b) size-selective predation that altered the identity of species' that could colonize new higher elevation habitat. Our results suggest that predators can amplify the rate of range shifts by consuming larger-bodied residents and facilitating the establishment of new species. However, the effects of climate warming were dampened by reducing the average body size of community members, leading to no net change in ecosystem function, despite higher growth rates. This work suggests that trophic interactions play a role in the reorganization of regional communities under climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie T Jones
- Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, The University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Celia C Symons
- Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, The University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.,Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, The University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Hamanda Cavalheri
- Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, The University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Adriana Pedroza-Ramos
- Unidad de Ecología en Sistemas Acuáticos UDESA, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Tunja, Colombia
| | - Jonathan B Shurin
- Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, The University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
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50
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Altner M, Ruthensteiner B, Reichenbacher B. New haplochromine cichlid from the upper Miocene (9-10 MYA) of Central Kenya. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:65. [PMID: 32503417 PMCID: PMC7275555 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01602-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The diversification process known as the Lake Tanganyika Radiation has given rise to the most speciose clade of African cichlids. Almost all cichlid species found in the lakes Tanganyika, Malawi and Victoria, comprising a total of 12-16 tribes, belong to this clade. Strikingly, all the species in the latter two lakes are members of the tribe Haplochromini, whose origin remains unclear. The 'out of Tanganyika' hypothesis argues that the Haplochromini emerged simultaneously with other cichlid tribes and lineages in Lake Tanganyika, presumably about 5-6 million years ago (MYA), and that their presence in the lakes Malawi and Victoria and elsewhere in Africa today is due to later migrations. In contrast, the 'melting pot Tanganyika hypothesis' postulates that Haplochromini emerged in Africa prior to the formation of Lake Tanganyika, and that their divergence could have begun about 17 MYA. Haplochromine fossils could potentially resolve this debate, but such fossils are extremely rare. RESULTS Here we present a new fossil haplochromine from the upper Miocene site Waril (9-10 million years) in Central Kenya. Comparative morphology, supported by Micro-CT imaging, reveals that it bears a unique combination of characters relating to dentition, cranial bones, caudal skeleton and meristic traits. Its most prominent feature is the presence of exclusively unicuspid teeth, with canines in the outer tooth row. †Warilochromis unicuspidatus gen. et sp. nov. shares this combination of characters solely with members of the Haplochromini and its lacrimal morphology indicates a possible relation to the riverine genus Pseudocrenilabrus. Due to its fang-like dentition and non-fusiform body, †W. unicuspidatus gen. et sp. nov. might have employed either a sit-and-pursue or sit-and-wait hunting strategy, which has not been reported for any other fossil haplochromine cichlid. CONCLUSIONS The age of the fossil (9-10 MYA) is incompatible with the 'out of Tanganyika' hypothesis, which postulates that the divergence of the Haplochromini began only 5-6 MYA. The presence of this fossil in an upper Miocene palaeolake in the Central Kenya Rift, as well as its predatory lifestyle, indicate that Haplochromini were already an important component of freshwater drainages in East Africa at that time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Altner
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Paleontology and Geobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Richard-Wagner-Strasse 10, 80333 Munich, DE Germany
| | - Bernhard Ruthensteiner
- Section Evertebrata Varia, SNSB – ZSM Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Münchhausen-Strasse 21, 81247 Munich, DE Germany
| | - Bettina Reichenbacher
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Paleontology and Geobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Richard-Wagner-Strasse 10, 80333 Munich, DE Germany
- GeoBio-Center at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Richard-Wagner-Strasse 10, 80333 Munich, DE Germany
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