Evolution of exploitation ecosystems I. Predation,foraging ecology and population dynamics in herbivores

Summary The hypothesis of exploitation ecosystems was reanalysed using the model of Armstrong (1979) which simultaneously deals with population dynamics and evolution. The results indicate that the prediction of Oksanenet al. (1981) of strict predation limitation of herbivores in productive ecosystems does not hold for coevolved systems. Depending on the nature of herbivore-carnivore coevolution, herbivore biomass may level off at a threshold productivity value or increase monotonously with increasing primary productivity, though at a strongly reduced rate in productive ecosystems. Under both circumstances, increasing primary productivity is predicted to be accompanied by gradual replacement of genuine folivores by semi-granivores and true granivores. The dominating guild members are predicted to show some degree of resource-limitation, although only granivores are predicted to be chiefly resource-limited even in the most productive ecosystems. Data on arctic-to-temperate patterns in the community structure of herbivorous vertebrates conform to the implications of the analysis.