Ants and antlions: The impact of ecology, coevolution and learning on an insect predator-prey relationship

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 ◽  
pp. 4-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen L. Hollis
Keyword(s):  
Predator Prey ◽  
Insect Predator ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals The impact of large terrestrial carnivores on Pleistocene ecosystems

2015 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 862-867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blaire Van Valkenburgh ◽  
Matthew W. Hayward ◽  
William J. Ripple ◽  
Carlo Meloro ◽  
V. Louise Roth
Keyword(s):  
Prey Size ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Growth Data ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ground Sloths

Large mammalian terrestrial herbivores, such as elephants, have dramatic effects on the ecosystems they inhabit and at high population densities their environmental impacts can be devastating. Pleistocene terrestrial ecosystems included a much greater diversity of megaherbivores (e.g., mammoths, mastodons, giant ground sloths) and thus a greater potential for widespread habitat degradation if population sizes were not limited. Nevertheless, based on modern observations, it is generally believed that populations of megaherbivores (>800 kg) are largely immune to the effects of predation and this perception has been extended into the Pleistocene. However, as shown here, the species richness of big carnivores was greater in the Pleistocene and many of them were significantly larger than their modern counterparts. Fossil evidence suggests that interspecific competition among carnivores was relatively intense and reveals that some individuals specialized in consuming megaherbivores. To estimate the potential impact of Pleistocene large carnivores, we use both historic and modern data on predator–prey body mass relationships to predict size ranges of their typical and maximum prey when hunting as individuals and in groups. These prey size ranges are then compared with estimates of juvenile and subadult proboscidean body sizes derived from extant elephant growth data. Young proboscideans at their most vulnerable age fall within the predicted prey size ranges of many of the Pleistocene carnivores. Predation on juveniles can have a greater impact on megaherbivores because of their long interbirth intervals, and consequently, we argue that Pleistocene carnivores had the capacity to, and likely did, limit megaherbivore population sizes.

scholarly journals Insectivorous bats are less active near freeways

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0247400
Author(s):  
Manisha Bhardwaj ◽  
Kylie Soanes ◽  
José J. Lahoz-Monfort ◽  
Linda F. Lumsden ◽  
Rodney van der Ree
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Insectivorous Bats ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
The Road ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessments ◽  
Wildlife Populations ◽  
Roadside Verges ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Plant Pollinator

Traffic disturbances (i.e. pollution, light, noise, and vibrations) often extend into the area surrounding a road creating a ‘road-effect zone’. Habitat within the road-effect zone is degraded or, in severe cases, completely unsuitable for wildlife, resulting in indirect habitat loss. This can have a disproportionate impact on wildlife in highly modified landscapes, where remaining habitat is scarce or occurs predominantly along roadside reserves. In this study, we investigated the road-effect zone for insectivorous bats in highly cleared agricultural landscapes by quantifying the change in call activity with proximity to three major freeways. The activity of seven out of 10 species of bat significantly decreased with proximity to the freeway. We defined the road-effect zone to be the proximity at which call activity declined by at least 20% relative to the maximum detected activity. The overall road-effect zone for bats in this region was 307 m, varying between 123 and 890 m for individual species. Given that this road-effect zone exceeds the typical width of the roadside verges (<50 m), it is possible that much of the vegetation adjacent to freeways in this and similar landscapes provides low-quality habitat for bats. Without accounting for the road-effect zone, the amount of habitat lost or degraded due to roads is underestimated, potentially resulting in the loss of wildlife, ecosystem services and key ecosystem processes (e.g. predator-prey or plant-pollinator interactions) from the landscape. We suggest all future environmental impact assessments include quantifying the road-effect zone for sensitive wildlife, in order to best plan and mitigate the impact of roads on the environment. Mitigating the effects of new and existing roads on wildlife is essential to ensure enough high-quality habitat persists to maintain wildlife populations.

scholarly journals Insect Predator-Prey Dynamics

2000 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 502
Author(s):  
J. H. Frank ◽  
A. F. G. Dixon
Keyword(s):  
Predator Prey ◽  
Insect Predator

scholarly journals Bayesian inference and model choice for Holling’s disc equation: a case study on an insect predator-prey system

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. E. Papanikolaou ◽  
H. Williams ◽  
N. Demiris ◽  
S. P. Preston ◽  
P. G. Milonas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bayesian Inference ◽  
Model Choice ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Prey System ◽  
Insect Predator

scholarly journals The role of sensory modalities in producing nonconsumptive effects for a crayfish–bass predator–prey system

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (7) ◽  
pp. 680-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Clark ◽  
Paul A. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Predator Detection ◽  
Nonconsumptive Effects ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Rusty Crayfish ◽  
Sensory Modalities ◽  
Study Support ◽  
The Impact

The impact of nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) in structuring predator–prey interactions and trophic cascades is a prominent area of ecological research. For NCEs to occur, prey need to be able to detect the presence of predators through sensory mechanisms. The investigation of the role of different sensory modalities in predator detection has lagged behind the development of NCE-based theories. This study aimed to determine whether a hierarchy in the reliance upon sensory modalities exists in the rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus (Girard, 1852) = Faxonius rusticus (Girard, 1852)) for predator detection and if this hierarchy is altered across different sensory environments (flowing and nonflowing environments). Rusty crayfish were exposed to largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides (Lacépède, 1802)) odor in either a flowing or nonflowing arena where behavior was recorded under different sensory lesions. Linear mixed models were conducted to determine the impact of lesions, flowing environments, and the interactive effects of lesions and flowing environments on the rusty crayfish ability to respond to predatory stimuli. Results from this study support the significance of sensory multimodality in the rusty crayfish for accurately detecting and assessing predatory threats. Results from this study also suggest a hierarchy in the reliance upon sensory modalities in the rusty crayfish that is dependent upon the environment and the location of rusty crayfish within an environment.

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