Multiple predator effects result in risk reduction for prey across multiple prey densities |
| |
Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Heather?D?Vance-ChalcraftEmail author Daniel?A?Soluk |
| |
Institution: | (1) School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA;(2) Center for Aquatic Ecology and Conservation, Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, IL 61820, USA;(3) Present address: Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, 414 Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA;(4) Present address: Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA |
| |
Abstract: | Investigating how prey density influences a prey’s combined predation risk from multiple predator species is critical for
understanding the widespread importance of multiple predator effects. We conducted experiments that crossed six treatments
consisting of zero, one, or two predator species (hellgrammites, greenside darters, and creek chubs) with three treatments
in which we varied the density of mayfly prey. None of the multiple predator effects in our system were independent, and instead,
the presence of multiple predator species resulted in risk reduction for the prey across both multiple predator combinations
and all three levels of prey density. Risk reduction is likely to have population-level consequences for the prey, resulting
in larger prey populations than would be predicted if the effects of multiple predator species were independent. For one of
the two multiple predator combinations, the magnitude of risk reduction marginally increased with prey density. As a result,
models predicting the combined risk from multiple predator species in this system will sometimes need to account for prey
density as a factor influencing per-capita prey death rates. |
| |
Keywords: | Prey density Multiple predator species Risk reduction Functional response Artificial stream tanks |
本文献已被 PubMed SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|