Interactions among Forest-floor Guild Members in Structurally Simple Microhabitats

Abstract

Intraguild predation in structurally complex habitats is thought to weaken trophic cascades and increase food web stability. However, many predators commonly found in leaf litter become restricted to simple microhabitat beneath rocks and logs during periods between rains. It is within this structurally simple microhabitat that some predators defend rich prey resources and are likely to interact strongly as the surrounding forest becomes too dry to forage broadly in space. We conducted a 4-y press experiment where we removed focal predators from unfenced field plots. To evaluate the effects of predators on one another we removed either salamanders or centipedes from beneath artificially placed cover objects and compared abundances of these and other intraguild predators to those in non-removal controls. We predicted that salamanders and centipedes would have strong negative effects on each other and on carabid beetles and spiders. We removed a total of 1288 salamanders and 1056 centipedes over 98 sampling dates. In salamander removal plots spider abundance increased by 34%, and carabid beetles decreased by 15% relative to the control. In centipede removal plots salamanders increased by 18% and carabid beetles increased by 29%, but spider abundance decreased by 15%. Interaction strengths were strongest in the drier summer months when territorial predators were confined in spatially fixed microhabitats. It is during these periods that predators may strongly regulate the abundances of guild members. In territorial species that defend areas beneath natural cover, the effect of intraguild predators may be an important mechanism that regulates distribution and abundance of forest floor predators.