Wolf functional response and regulation of moose in the Yukon

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
R D Hayes ◽  
A S Harestad

We studied kill rates by wolves (Canis lupus) on a rapidly growing moose population in the east-central Yukon. We added these data to the cumulative functional response curve obtained in other North American wolf studies. Our kill rates are higher than those predicted at low moose densities. The kill rate increases rapidly, reaching 2.4 moose per wolf per 100 days at 0.26 moose/km2 and remains constant at this level. No data are available below 0.2 moose/km2 to indicate the shape of the ascending curve. Based on moose distribution and the low prey-switching ability of wolves, we suggest that the functional response curve is of type II. Our wolf predation rate model predicts that moose are held to a low density equilibrium between 0.07 and 0.12/km2, slightly below densities observed in interior Alaska and the Yukon.

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
R D Hayes ◽  
A M Baer ◽  
U Wotschikowsky ◽  
A S Harestad

We studied the kill rate by wolves (Canis lupus) after a large-scale wolf removal when populations of wolves, moose (Alces alces), and woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) were all increasing. We followed a total of 21 wolf packs for 4 winters, measuring prey selection, kill rates, and ecological factors that could influence killing behavior. Wolf predation was found to be mainly additive on both moose and caribou populations. Kill rates by individual wolves were inversely related to pack size and unrelated to prey density or snow depth. Scavenging by ravens decreased the amount of prey biomass available for wolves to consume, especially for wolves in smaller packs. The kill rate by wolves on moose calves was not related to the number of calves available each winter. Wolves did not show a strong switching response away from moose as the ratio of caribou to moose increased in winter. The predation rate by wolves on moose was best modeled by the number and size of packs wolves were organized into each winter.


Rangifer ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 73 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.R. Seip ◽  
D.B. Cichowski

The abundance and geographic range of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) decreased in many areas of British Columbia during the 1900's. Recent studies have found that predation during the summer is the major cause of mortality and current population declines. Increased moose {Alecs alces) populations may be related to past and current caribou declines by sustaining greater numbers of wolves (Canis lupus). Mortality rates were greater in areas where caribou calved in forested habitats, in close proximity to predators and moose. Caribou populations which had calving sites in alpine areas, islands, and rugged mountains experienced lower mortality and were generally stable or increasing. A predator-induced population decline in one area appeared to stabilize at low caribou densities, suggesting that the wolf predation rate may be density dependent.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaghoub Fathipour ◽  
Maryam Karimi ◽  
Azadeh Farazmand ◽  
Ali Asghar Talebi

The lifetime functional response and predation rate of Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot on eggs of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch were determined under laboratory conditions using cucumber leaf discs. Densities of 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 prey were offered to 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 17, 22 and 27-day-old A. swirskii individuals. Based on the logistic regression, the functional response of twelve-day-old A. swirskii was type III, while the other ages showed type II. The Rogers model was used to estimate searching efficiency (a) and handling time (Th). The longest handling time (1.387±0.315 h) was observed in the protonymphal stage, while the shortest handling time and highest maximum attack rate (T/Th) were estimated at the age of seven-days (0.396±0.057 h and 60.67 prey/day, respectively). In the functional response experiments, results of the highest prey density used (128 eggs) showed that the highest number of prey consumed by A. swirskii individuals aged twelve and seventeen-days old (35.6 and 43.1 eggs, respectively). It is concluded that A. swirskii could be an efficient biological control agent of T. urticae at the middle-age of its life and at higher prey densities. 


Rangifer ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. Hayes ◽  
Donald E. Russell

Large migratory catibou {Rangifer tarandus) herds in the Arctic tend to be cyclic, and population trends are mainly driven by changes in forage or weather events, not by predation. We estimated daily kill rate by wolves on adult caribou in winter, then constructed a time and space dependent model to estimate annual wolf (Canis lupus) predation rate (P annual) on adult Porcupine caribou. Our model adjusts predation seasonally depending on caribou distribution: Pannual = SIGMAdaily* W *Ap(2)*Dp. In our model we assumed that wolves killed adult caribou at a constant rate (Kdaily, 0.08 caribou wolf1 day1) based on our studies and elsewhere; that wolf density (W) doubled to 6 wolves 1000 km2-1 on all seasonal ranges; and that the average area occupied by the Porcupine caribou herd (PCH) in eight seasonal life cycle periods (Dp ) was two times gteater than the area described by the outer boundaries of telemetry data (Ap /1000 km2). Results from our model projected that wolves kill about 7600 adult caribou each year, regardless of herd size. The model estimated that wolves removed 5.8 to 7.4% of adult caribou as the herd declined in the 1990s. Our predation rate model supports the hypothesis of Bergerud that spacing away by caribou is an effective anti-predatory strategy that greatly reduces wolf predation on adult caribou in the spring and summer.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (11) ◽  
pp. 2244
Author(s):  
Litao Li ◽  
Rui Jiao ◽  
Lichen Yu ◽  
Xiong Zhao He ◽  
Limin He ◽  
...  

The fungivorous Tarsonemus confusus Ewing is a tarsonemid mite causing a so call ‘black-dot’ symptom on the bagged apple fruit in North China, and the phytoseiid mite Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes is a cosmopolitan generalist predator of many agricultural and horticultural pests. In the present study, we evaluated the biological control potential of N. barkeri on T. confusus, by determining its functional response type to prey density of and prey stage preference on both active and quiescent life stages of T. confusus (i.e., eggs, larvae, quiescent larvae and female adults). We found that N. barkeri exhibited all three types of functional response. When fed on eggs and quiescent larvae of T. confusus, N. barkeri had a Type II functional response (i.e., inverse density-dependent predation rate); however, a Type I functional response (i.e., density-independent predation rate) was detected when N. barkeri preyed on T. confusus larvae and a Type III functional response (i.e., sigmoid density-dependent predation rate) when preyed on T. confusus adults. We further showed that the ‘constant prey’ functional response models fit our data better than the ‘depleted prey’ models, as the predator left and reencountered the previously fed prey which reduced its searching efficiency. When all active and quiescent life stages of T. confusus were available, N. barkeri significantly preferred larvae over other prey stages for feeding. Our results imply that due to its quick response to the increasing prey larval and adult densities, N. barkeri could consume a great number of active prey and is thus capable to decline the current fruit damage caused by prey feeding and to potentially prevent the prey population build-up later in the season. Furthermore, predators with Type II response may be efficient at low prey densities, thus augmentative release of N. barkeri early in the season may also suppress the egg and quiescent larva populations of T. confusus. Knowledge from this study provides insights into our understandings in the biological control ecology of N. barkeri.


Acarologia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-40
Author(s):  
Yaghoub Fathipour ◽  
Maryam Karimi ◽  
Azadeh Farazmand ◽  
Ali Asghar Talebi

The lifetime-dependent functional response and predation rate of Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot on eggs of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch was determined under laboratory conditions using cucumber leaf discs. Densities of 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 prey were offered to 4 (protonymph), 5 (deutonymph), 6 (1-day-old adult), 10 (5-day-old adult), 15 (10-day-old adult), 20 (15-day-old adult), 25 (20-day-old adult), 30 (25-day-old adult), 35 (30-day-old adult) and 40 (35-day-old adult) P. persimilis individuals. The results of logistic regression analyses showed that on the 15th, 35th and 40th days of predator age, predation rate of T. urticae eggs increased, resulting in the type III functional response, while at the other ages, the functional response was type II. The Rogers model was used to estimate searching efficiency (a) and handling time (Th). The longest handling time was obtained in the protonymphal stage with 2.377 +/- 0.192 h. The shortest handling time and the highest value of estimated maximum attack rate (T/Th) were estimated at the age of 20 days (0.494 +/- 0.009 h and 48.57prey/day). At the highest prey density used (128 eggs), our findings showed that the highest number of prey was eaten by 15, 20, 25 and 30 days old P. persimilis (39.3, 41.7, 39.3 and 38.1 eggs per day, respectively). The results of this study revealed that P. persimilis especially at the middle and late ages has a good predation potential on T. urticae eggs at higher prey densities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dipankar Ghosh ◽  
Prasun K. Santra ◽  
Abdelalim A. Elsadany ◽  
Ghanshaym S. Mahapatra

Abstract This paper focusses on developing two species, where only prey species suffers by a contagious disease. We consider the logistic growth rate of the prey population. The interaction between susceptible prey and infected prey with predator is presumed to be ruled by Holling type II and I functional response, respectively. A healthy prey is infected when it comes in direct contact with infected prey, and we also assume that predator-dependent disease spreads within the system. This research reveals that the transmission of this predator-dependent disease can have critical repercussions for the shaping of prey–predator interactions. The solution of the model is examined in relation to survival, uniqueness and boundedness. The positivity, feasibility and the stability conditions of the fixed points of the system are analysed by applying the linearization method and the Jacobian matrix method.


1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (8) ◽  
pp. 1551-1569 ◽  
Author(s):  
A T Bergerud ◽  
J P Elliott

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus), elk (Cervus canadensis), moose (Alces alces), and Stone's sheep (Ovis dalli stonei) were either decreasing or stable in numbers in two areas in northeastern British Columbia in 1981-1982, prior to reductions in wolf (Canis lupus) numbers. Following the reduction of wolf numbers, recruitment improved 2-5 times for all four species, and all populations increased, based on either hunting statistics, census results, and (or) recruitments greater than 24 offspring at 9 months of age per 100 females. Recruitment of offspring at 9 months of age, when regressed against wolf numbers, declined with decelerating slopes for all four species. This inverse functional response is hypothesized to result from the preparturient spacing of females to reduce predation risk, and in this regard moose seem the least secure and sheep the most effectively spaced. For the four species, mean recruitment at 9 months of age that balanced adult mortality and provided a finite rate of increase of 1.00 was 24.16 ± 0.91 offspring/100 females (n = 11, coefficient of variation = 12.5%). The predicted recruitment rate for all four species in the absence of wolves was 53-57 offspring/100 females. But the birth rate of moose was much higher than those of the other species, indicating greater loss to other factors of which bear predation may be the greatest. Following wolf reductions of 60-86% of entire travelling packs, the wolves quickly recolonized the removal zones, with rates of increase ranging from 1.5 to 5.6.


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