A triple threat: high population density, high foraging intensity and flexible habitat preferences explain high impact of feral cats on prey

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 288(1942), P. 20201194 - 20201194

Published: Jan. 6, 2021

Alien mammalian carnivores have contributed disproportionately to global loss of biodiversity. In Australia, predation by the feral cat and red fox is one most significant causes decline native vertebrates. To discover why cats greater impacts on prey than predators, we compared ecology a marsupial counterpart, spotted-tailed quoll. Individual are 20–200 times more likely encounter cats, because combined effects cats' higher population densities, intensity home-range use broader habitat preferences. These characteristics also mean that costs adopting anti-predator behaviours against be much such in response quolls, due reliability ubiquity cues. results help explain devastating wildlife Australia other parts world.

Language: Английский

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Integrating animal behaviour into research on multiple environmental stressors: a conceptual framework

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 98(4), P. 1345 - 1364

Published: April 2, 2023

ABSTRACT While a large body of research has focused on the physiological effects multiple environmental stressors, how behavioural and life‐history plasticity mediate multiple‐stressor remains underexplored. Behavioural can not only drive organism‐level responses to stressors directly but also responses. Here, we provide conceptual framework incorporating four fundamental trade‐offs that explicitly link animal behaviour life‐history‐based pathways for energy allocation, shaping impact fitness. We first address small‐scale changes either or conflicts between alternative then discuss gives rise three additional understudied interrelated trade‐offs: balancing benefits risks obtaining needed cope with allocation traits stressor responses, larger‐scale escape from in space time via large‐scale movement dormancy. Finally, outline these interactively affect fitness qualitative ecological outcomes resulting stressors. Our suggests considering should enrich our mechanistic understanding effects, help explain extensive context dependence observed highlight promising avenues future empirical theoretical research.

Language: Английский

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Species interactions affect dispersal: a meta-analysis

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 379(1907)

Published: June 24, 2024

Context-dependent dispersal allows organisms to seek and settle in habitats improving their fitness. Despite the importance of species interactions determining fitness, a quantitative synthesis how they affect is lacking. We present meta-analysis asking (i) whether interaction experienced and/or perceived by focal (detrimental with predators, competitors, parasites or beneficial resources, hosts, mutualists) affects its dispersal; (ii) species' ecological biological background direction strength this interaction-dependent dispersal. After systematic search focusing on actively dispersing species, we extracted 397 effect sizes from 118 empirical studies encompassing 221 pairs; arthropods were best represented, followed vertebrates, protists others. Detrimental increased species’ (adjusted effect: 0.33 [0.06, 0.60]), while decreased it (−0.55 [−0.92, −0.17]). The depended phase, detrimental interactors having opposite impacts emigration transience. Interaction-dependent was negatively related strength, global community composition, cues presence stronger effects than interactor complexity community. Our work demonstrates interspecific plasticity, consequences for metacommunity dynamics. This article part theme issue ‘Diversity-dependence dispersal: determine spatial dynamics’.

Language: Английский

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Integrating Network and Meta‐Ecosystem Models for Developing a Zoogeochemical Theory

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 28(2)

Published: Feb. 1, 2025

ABSTRACT Human activities have caused significant changes in animal abundance, interactions, movement and diversity at multiple scales. Growing empirical evidence reveals the myriad ways that these can alter control animals exert over biogeochemical cycling. Yet a theoretical framework to coherently integrate predict when how controls cycling (i.e., zoogeochemistry) change is currently lacking. We present such general provides guidance on linking mathematical models of species interaction (network theory) organisms non‐living materials (meta‐ecosystem account for biotic abiotic feedback by which illustrate apply develop predictive specific ecosystem contexts using case study primary producer–herbivore bipartite trait network boreal forest ecosystem. further discuss key priorities enhancing model development, data–model integration application. The offers an important step enhance research better inform justify broader conservation efforts aimed conserving restoring populations, their critical functional roles support services nature‐based climate solutions.

Language: Английский

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Rethinking trophic niches: Speed and body mass colimit prey space of mammalian predators

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 10(14), P. 7094 - 7105

Published: June 28, 2020

Abstract Realized trophic niches of predators are often characterized along a one‐dimensional range in predator–prey body mass ratios. This prey is constrained by an “energy limit” and “subdue toward small large prey, respectively. Besides these ratios, maximum speed additional key component most interactions. Here, we extend the concept to two‐dimensional space incorporating hump‐shaped speed‐body relation. new “speed additionally constrains fast prey. To test this spaces for different hunting strategies (pursuit, group, ambush predation), synthesized data on 63 terrestrial mammalian interactions, their masses, speeds. We found that pursuit hunt smaller slower whereas group hunters focus larger but mostly ambushers more flexible. Group have evolved occupy similar niche avoids competition with predators. Moreover, our suggests energetic optima axis thereby provides mechanistic explanations why there no (referred as “micro‐lions”) or mega‐carnivores “mega‐cheetahs”). Our results demonstrate advancing ranges adding dimension will foster understanding predator improve predictions food web structure, ecosystem functions.

Language: Английский

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