Direct and indirect effects of dragonfly (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Anax imperator</Emphasis>) nymphs on green toad (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bufo viridis</Emphasis>) tadpoles |
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| Authors: | Gil Stav Burt P Kotler Leon Blaustein |
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| Institution: | (1) Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede-Boqer Campus, 84990 Negev, Israel;(2) Laboratory of Community Ecology, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, 31905, Israel;(3) Present address: Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, 1430 Tulane Ave., SL-17, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA |
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| Abstract: | We conducted an artificial pond experiment to assess the direct and indirect effects of predation on Bufo viridis tadpoles. We ran three treatments: free Anax (unrestrained predatory dragonfly nymph Anax imperator), caged Anax (non-consumptive effects), and control (no Anax). Anax showed both strong consumptive and non-consumptive effects on Bufo tadpoles. Free Anax eliminated all of the tadpoles within six days. Tadpoles preferred the shady side of the ponds. Caged Anax caused tadpoles to increase their spatial preferences. Tadpoles avoided the center of the pond, and in the presence of the
caged predator, they were found in the center even less. Tadpoles also showed a strong preference for crowding together, and
in the presence of a caged Anax, they tended to crowd more. Moreover, Bufo metamorphosed earlier and at a larger size in the caged Anax ponds, possibly by providing extra food resources due to the extra organic matter excreted by the predators.
Handling editor: K. Martens |
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| Keywords: | Predation Risk of predation Distribution Artificial ponds |
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