The ghosts of predators past: population cycles and the role of maternal programming under fluctuating predation risk

Ecology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 91 (10) ◽  
pp. 2983-2994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Sheriff ◽  
Charles J. Krebs ◽  
Rudy Boonstra
Keyword(s):  
Predation Risk ◽  
Population Cycles ◽  
Maternal Programming ◽  
Past Population

Population Cycles in Small Mammals: The Role of Age at Sexual Maturity

Oikos ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madan K. Oli ◽  
F. Stephen Dobson
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Population Cycles

scholarly journals The evolutionary dynamics of within-generation immune priming in invertebrate hosts

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (80) ◽  
pp. 20120887 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Best ◽  
Hannah Tidbury ◽  
Andy White ◽  
Mike Boots
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Population Cycles ◽  
Acquired Immunity ◽  
Immune Priming ◽  
Pathogen Virulence ◽  
Severity Of Disease ◽  
Subsequent Exposure ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Evolution Of Immunity

While invertebrates lack the machinery necessary for ‘acquired immunity’, there is increasing empirical evidence that exposure to low levels of disease may ‘prime’ an invertebrate's immune response, increasing its defence to subsequent exposure. Despite this increasing empirical data, there has been little theoretical attention paid to immune priming. Here, we investigate the evolution of immune priming, focusing on the role of the unique feedbacks generated by a newly developed susceptible–primed–infected epidemiological model. Contrasting our results with previous models on the evolution of acquired immunity, we highlight that there are important implications to the evolution of immunity through priming owing to these different epidemiological feedbacks. In particular, we find that in contrast to acquired immunity, priming is strongly selected for at high as well as intermediate pathogen virulence. We also find that priming may be greatest at either intermediate or high host lifespans depending on the severity of disease. Furthermore, hosts faced with more severe pathogens are more likely to evolve diversity in priming. Finally, we show when the evolution of priming leads to the exclusion of the pathogens or hosts experiencing population cycles. Overall the model acts as a baseline for understanding the evolution of priming in host–pathogen systems.

scholarly journals Landscape configuration of seagrass meadows regulates sea urchins predation in a Marine Protected Area: what is the role of bottom predators?

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Farina ◽  
Silvia Oliva ◽  
Ivan Guala ◽  
Rodrigo Silva ◽  
Luigi Piazzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predation Risk ◽  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Landscape Configuration ◽  
Benthic Assemblages ◽  
Seagrass Meadows

In Mediterranean benthic ecosystems of shallow water local-scale predation maintains a main control on both sea urchin population and the ecological structure of macrophyte community. The use of the habitat by local predator guild in dependence on the regional context shapes prey distributions across the environment. On rocky habitat, the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus is widely known as prey of apex fish predators that indirectly shape the structure of benthic assemblages whereas, in structured Posidonia oceanica, P. lividus can find shelter from predators. In this study, we assessed survival rates of P. lividus in a Marine Protected Area (Sardinia) at the aim to evaluate the role of composition and configuration of landscape on its predation risk. Sites of different landscapes were selected in function of their heterogeneity estimated according to the different proportions and spatial interspersion of four classes of habitats defined on the basis of P. oceanica meadows arrangement: (1) continuous, (2) fragmented and (3) patchy meadows and (4) absence of seagrass (i.e. rocky bottom with macroalgae communities). In order to capture the domain of the ecological process a sampling grain 5x5 meters was used as minimal spatial resolution at which information is assessed. Specifically continuous sampling units in a grid of 7x7 cells yield landscape quadrats of 35 × 35 m and allowed a finer description of the spatial pattern. For each cell we also estimated structural variables of seagrass habitats such as unburied mat, shoot density, canopy height, cover percent, roughness and the natural abundances of prey and predators. After placing the tagged sea urchins, we daily observed the survival rates for twenty days. Predation risk was significantly higher in continuous and fragmented seagrass habitats and predator marks were typically produced by gastropod’s attacks. Landscape indices are used to correlate the amount of available habitat for gastropods movements with sea urchin’s predation risk. Interestingly, estimated predation rate also was negatively correlated with natural sea urchins density across grid cells. Results suggest that, although fishes are considered among the most important pressures on sea urchin population, especially in effective MPAs, bottom predators’ control can be relevant in structurally complex environment such as seagrasses.

scholarly journals Landscape configuration of seagrass meadows regulates sea urchins predation in a Marine Protected Area: what is the role of bottom predators?

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Farina ◽  
Silvia Oliva ◽  
Ivan Guala ◽  
Rodrigo Silva ◽  
Luigi Piazzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predation Risk ◽  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Landscape Configuration ◽  
Benthic Assemblages ◽  
Seagrass Meadows

In Mediterranean benthic ecosystems of shallow water local-scale predation maintains a main control on both sea urchin population and the ecological structure of macrophyte community. The use of the habitat by local predator guild in dependence on the regional context shapes prey distributions across the environment. On rocky habitat, the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus is widely known as prey of apex fish predators that indirectly shape the structure of benthic assemblages whereas, in structured Posidonia oceanica, P. lividus can find shelter from predators. In this study, we assessed survival rates of P. lividus in a Marine Protected Area (Sardinia) at the aim to evaluate the role of composition and configuration of landscape on its predation risk. Sites of different landscapes were selected in function of their heterogeneity estimated according to the different proportions and spatial interspersion of four classes of habitats defined on the basis of P. oceanica meadows arrangement: (1) continuous, (2) fragmented and (3) patchy meadows and (4) absence of seagrass (i.e. rocky bottom with macroalgae communities). In order to capture the domain of the ecological process a sampling grain 5x5 meters was used as minimal spatial resolution at which information is assessed. Specifically continuous sampling units in a grid of 7x7 cells yield landscape quadrats of 35 × 35 m and allowed a finer description of the spatial pattern. For each cell we also estimated structural variables of seagrass habitats such as unburied mat, shoot density, canopy height, cover percent, roughness and the natural abundances of prey and predators. After placing the tagged sea urchins, we daily observed the survival rates for twenty days. Predation risk was significantly higher in continuous and fragmented seagrass habitats and predator marks were typically produced by gastropod’s attacks. Landscape indices are used to correlate the amount of available habitat for gastropods movements with sea urchin’s predation risk. Interestingly, estimated predation rate also was negatively correlated with natural sea urchins density across grid cells. Results suggest that, although fishes are considered among the most important pressures on sea urchin population, especially in effective MPAs, bottom predators’ control can be relevant in structurally complex environment such as seagrasses.

Intraspecific variation in diet, growth, and morphology of landlocked Galaxias maculatus during its larval period: the role of food availability and predation risk

Hydrobiologia ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 679 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Pablo Barriga ◽  
Miguel Ángel Battini ◽  
Martín García-Asorey ◽  
Cecilia Carrea ◽  
Patricio Jorge Macchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predation Risk ◽  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Larval Period ◽  
Galaxias Maculatus

scholarly journals Role of Food in Hare Population Cycles

Oikos ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lloyd B. Keith
Keyword(s):  
Population Cycles ◽  
Hare Population
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