Abstract
We report the results of an experiment on radio-tracking of individual grey field slugs in an arable field and associated data modelling designed to investigate the effect of slug population density in their movement. Slugs were collected in a commercial winter wheat field in which a 5x6 trapping grid had been established with 2m distance between traps. The slugs were taken to the laboratory, radio-tagged using a recently developed procedure, and following a recovery period released into the same field. Seventeen tagged slugs were released singly (sparse release) on the same grid node on which they had been caught. Eleven tagged slugs were released as a group (dense release). Each of the slugs was radio-tracked for approximately 10 h during which their position was recorded ten times. The tracking data were analysed using the Correlated Random Walk framework. The analysis revealed that all components of slug movement (mean speed, turning angles and movement/resting times) were significantly different between the two treatments. On average, the slugs released as a group disperse more slowly than slugs released individually and their turning angle has a clear anticlockwise bias. The results clearly suggest that population density is a factor regulating slug movement.
Highlights
Understanding animal movement on different spatial and temporal scales is a major focus in b iology[1,2,3]
A recent study has developed a technique for implanting radio frequency identification (RFID) tags beneath the body wall of a fully grown grey field slug (Deroceras reticulatum), which can be used to follow individual slugs in the field for extended periods of time when they are both on the soil surface and for up to at least 20 cm below the s urface[29]
In order to provide a more quantitative insight, we look for a functional description of the turning angle distribution using several distributions that are commonly used in movement ecology
Summary
Understanding animal movement on different spatial and temporal scales is a major focus in b iology[1,2,3]. The reproductive success and the population growth depend on the efficiency of searching for food, shelter and mating partners[8,9,10] For these reasons, patterns of animal foraging have attracted considerable attention during the last few d ecades[3,11,12,13,14,15,16]. There is theoretical and empirical evidence that the pattern of individual movement is a factor influencing population abundance over space and time[19,20,21,22,23] This has a variety of implications in ecology and agroecology; in the context of pest control the knowledge of the pest population’s spatial distribution is important when developing more sustainable control measures[24,25]. The hypothesis that behavioural responses to higher slug densities promote the cohesion ( stability) of slug patches is tested
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