Intra- and interspecific density-dependent dispersal in an aquatic prey-predator system |
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Authors: | Hauzy Celine Hulot Florence D Gins Audrey Loreau Michel |
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Institution: | UMR7618 –Laboratoire Biogéochimie et Ecologie des Milieux Continentaux (Bioemco), Ecole Normale Supérieure, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75230 Paris Cedex 05, France;;UFR des Sciences de la Vie, UniversitéPierre et Marie Curie –Paris 6, 4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris cedex 05, France;and;Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 ave Docteur Penfield, Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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Abstract: | 1. Dispersal intensity is a key process for the persistence of prey-predator metacommunities. Consequently, knowledge of the ecological mechanisms of dispersal is fundamental to understanding the dynamics of these communities. Dispersal is often considered to occur at a constant per capita rate; however, some experiments demonstrated that dispersal may be a function of local species density. 2. Here we use aquatic experimental microcosms under controlled conditions to explore intra- and interspecific density-dependent dispersal in two protists, a prey Tetrahymena pyriformis and its predator Dileptus sp. 3. We observed intraspecific density-dependent dispersal for the prey and interspecific density-dependent dispersal for both the prey and the predator. Decreased prey density lead to an increase in predator dispersal, while prey dispersal increased with predator density. 4. Additional experiments suggest that the prey is able to detect its predator through chemical cues and to modify its dispersal behaviour accordingly. 5. Density-dependent dispersal suggests that regional processes depend on local community dynamics. We discuss the potential consequences of density-dependent dispersal on metacommunity dynamics and stability. |
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Keywords: | aquatic microcosms metacommunity migration rate prey–predator interactions protists |
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