Interspecific Prey Competition Research Articles

Comparing the Indirect Effects between Exploiters in Predator-Prey and Host-Pathogen Systems.

AbstractIn multipredator and multipathogen systems, exploiters interact indirectly via shared victim species. Interspecific prey competition and the degree of predator specialization are known to influence whether predators have competitive (i.e., (-,-)) or noncompetitive (i.e., (-,+) or (+,+)) indirect interactions. Much less is known about the population-level indirect interactions between pathogens that infect the same populations of host species. In this study, we use two-predator-two-prey and two-host-two-pathogen models to compare the indirect effects between predators with the indirect effects between pathogens. We focus on how the indirect interactions between pathogens are affected by the competitive abilities of susceptible and infected hosts, whether the pathogens are specialists or generalists, and the transmission pathway (direct vs. environmental transmission). In many cases, indirect effects between pathogens and predators follow similar patterns, for example, more positive indirect effects with increased interspecific competition between victim species. However, the indirect effects between pathogens can qualitatively differ, for example, more negative indirect effects with increased interspecific host competition. These contrasting patterns show that an important mechanistic difference between predatory and parasitic interactions (specifically, whether interactions are immediately lethal) can have important population-level effects on the indirect interactions between exploiters.

Resource partitioning between species and sexes in Great Frigatebirds and Lesser Frigatebirds

ABSTRACT Seabirds inhabiting large, multispecies colonies face intraspecific and interspecific competition for prey and this often results in foraging strategies that partition resources. Here, we identified mechanisms that facilitate partitioning of resources between 2 congeneric tropical seabirds, Great Frigatebirds (Fregata minor) and Lesser Frigatebirds (F. ariel), for which traditional research methods have documented high levels of resource overlap. Stable isotope analysis (SIA) indicated that throughout the breeding cycle, male and female Great Frigatebirds consumed prey with higher δ15N compared to male Lesser Frigatebirds. This trend was not significant when comparing δ15N values of male and female Great Frigatebirds to female Lesser Frigatebirds. During the breeding period, GPS tracking and SIA indicated considerable spatial overlap among species and sexes. This contrasted with SIA of samples that provide insight into nonbreeding resource acquisition because these indicated that male Great Friga...

The many potential indirect interactions between predators that share competing prey

Using a Lotka‐Volterra model, we explore how the indirect interactions between two predators are altered by interspecific competition between two shared prey. We identify when different indirect interactions arise between the predators, classifying interactions by predator responses to (1) slightly increased mortality in the other predator, (2) a slightly decreased population of the other predator, or (3) removal of the other predator. When interspecific prey competition is low, all methods predict negative indirect effects between predators, i.e., competitive interactions. Strong and/or highly asymmetric interspecific prey competition often produces at least one positive indirect effect between predators, i.e., mutualism or contramensalism. However, the three methods often disagree about the strength of and signs characterizing the indirect effects between predators, including cases where all three methods predict a qualitatively different interaction. These differences arise for a variety of reasons, including hydra effects (where a predator increases in abundance with increased mortality) and extinction of prey species following the removal of one predator. We also show that cyclic dynamics do not arise in our model when there is a single predator, but under strong interspecific prey competition, the indirect interactions between two predators can drive cyclic community dynamics. Similar phenomena are likely to occur in other food webs, and understanding them will be required to predict the impact of environmental change on the abundances of species in those webs.

Productivity and life history of sockeye salmon in relation to competition with pink and sockeye salmon in the North Pacific Ocean

Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) populations from Southeast Alaska through British Columbia to Washington State have experienced similar declines in productivity over the past two decades, leading to economic and ecosystem concerns. Because the declines have spanned a wide geographic area, the primary mechanisms driving them likely operate at a large, multiregional scale at sea. However, identification of such mechanisms has remained elusive. Using hierarchical models of stock–recruitment dynamics, we tested the hypothesis that competition between pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and sockeye salmon for prey has led to reduced growth and productivity and delayed maturation of up to 36 sockeye populations spanning the region during the past 55 years. Our findings indicate the abundance of North Pacific pink salmon in the second year of sockeye life at sea is a key factor contributing to the decline of sockeye salmon productivity, including sockeye in the Fraser River where an increase from 200 to 400 million pink salmon is predicted to reduce sockeye recruitment by 39%. Additionally, length-at-age of Fraser River sockeye salmon declined with greater sockeye and pink salmon abundance, and age at maturity increased with greater pink salmon abundance. Our analyses provide evidence that interspecific competition for prey can affect growth, age, and survival of sockeye salmon at sea.

Wave action and starvation modulate intra-annual variation in displacement, microhabitat selection, and ability to contact prey in the common sea star, Asterias rubens Linnaeus

The common sea star, Asterias rubens, is a major predator in the rocky subtidal zone in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence and along the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Knowledge about the ecology of A. rubens in these highly seasonal systems is largely limited to studies of interspecific competition for prey. Two experiments in an oscillatory wave tank were used to test the hypothesis that wave action and starvation modulate displacement, microhabitat selection, and ability to contact mussel (Mytilus edulis) prey in A. rubens from southeastern Newfoundland. Both experiments were carried out in two seasons (winter and summer) to quantify intra-annual variation in the effects of wave action (three wave velocities: null [0.0ms−1], low [0.1ms−1], and high [0.2ms−1]) and starvation (two levels: fed and starved three weeks). Experiment 1, in which two sea stars were allowed to displace and make contact with six microhabitats typifying natural seabed heterogeneity, showed that A. rubens displaced up to 50% less with increasing wave velocity. Displacement was 120% higher in summer than winter and lower in starved than fed individuals in summer only. The sea star predominantly stayed on flat horizontal surfaces, did so more frequently in the presence than absence of waves, and spent more time in the two most uneven microhabitats in winter than summer regardless of wave velocity. Experiment 2, in which one sea star in the centre of a depression was allowed to move to the top of surrounding mounds, showed that more sea stars that left the centre of the depression reached the top of the mounds in summer than winter, in the absence than presence of waves, and when starved than fed. Sea stars that reached the top of mounds spent more time there in the presence than absence of mussels in summer only, when starved than fed in summer only, and in the presence than absence of mussels at null and low wave velocities. Measurements of wave height, sea temperature, and A. rubens abundance over six months at one subtidal site indicated that the sea star was >4 times more abundant at 8m than at 2m and 4m. This difference was unrelated to temperature and likely mainly caused by the wave environment. Collectively, results demonstrate that wave action, and to a lesser extent starvation, are key modulators of the inclination and ability of A. rubens to explore its environment and localize prey. In southeastern Newfoundland, the response of A. rubens to wave action and starvation is adaptable, being generally stronger in summer than winter, when sea temperature is markedly lower.

Trophic ecology of large predatory reef fishes: energy pathways, trophic level, and implications for fisheries in a changing climate

Large predatory fishes are disproportionately targeted by reef fisheries, but little is known about their trophic ecology, which inhibits understanding of community dynamics and the potential effects of climate change. In this study, stable isotope analyses were used to infer trophic ecology of a guild of large predatory fishes that are targeted by fisheries on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Each of four focal predators (Plectropomus leopardus, Plectropomus maculatus, Lethrinus miniatus and Lutjanus carponotatus) was found to have a distinct isotopic signature in terms of δ13C and δ15N. A two-source mixing model (benthic reef-based versus pelagic) indicated that P. leopardus and L. miniatus derive the majority (72 and 62 %, respectively) of their production from planktonic sources, while P. maculatus and L. carponotatus derive the majority (89 and 74 %, respectively) of their production from benthic reef-based sources. This indicates that planktonic production is important for sustaining key species in reef fisheries and highlights the need for a whole-ecosystem approach to fisheries management. Unexpectedly, there was little isotopic niche overlap between three of four focal predators, suggesting that inter-specific competition for prey may be low or absent. δ15Nitrogen indicated that the closely related P. leopardus and P. maculatus are apex predators (trophic level > 4), while δ13C indicated that each species has a different diet and degree of trophic specialisation. In view of these divergent trophic ecologies, each of the four focal predators (and the associated fisheries) are anticipated to be differentially affected by climate-induced disturbances. Thus, the results presented herein provide a useful starting point for precautionary management of exploited predator populations in a changing climate.

Recruitment processes in Baltic sprat – A re-evaluation of GLOBEC Germany hypotheses

The GLOBEC Germany program (2002–2007) had the ambitious goal to resolve the processes impacting the recruitment dynamics of Baltic sprat (Sprattus sprattus L.) by examining various factors affecting early life history stages. At the start of the research program, a number of general recruitment hypotheses were formulated, i.e. focusing on (1) predation, (2) food availability, (3) physical parameters, (4) the impact of current systems, and finally (5) the importance of top-down vs bottom-up effects. The present study synthesizes the results of field sampling (2002 and 2003), laboratory experiments, and modeling studies to re-evaluate these hypotheses for the Baltic sprat stock. Recruitment success was quite different in the 2years investigated. Despite a lower spawning stock biomass in 2003, the total number of recruits was almost 2-fold higher that year compared to 2002. The higher recruitment success in 2003 could be attributed to enhanced survival success during the post-larval/juvenile stage, a life phase that appears to be critical for recruitment dynamics. In the state of the Baltic ecosystem during the period of investigation, we consider bottom-up control (e.g. temperature, prey abundance) to be more important than top-down control (predation mortality). This ranking in importance does not vary seasonally. Prevailing water circulation patterns and the transport dynamics of larval cohorts have a strong influence on sprat recruitment success. Pronounced transport to coastal areas is detrimental for year-class strength particularly at high sprat stock sizes. A suggested mechanism is density-dependant regulation of survival via intra- and inter-specific competition for prey in coastal areas. A documented change in larval vertical migration behavior between the early 1990s and early 2000s increased the transport potential to the coast, strengthening the coupling between inter-annual differences in the magnitude and direction of wind-driven surface currents and year-to-year changes in reproductive success. However, due to the strong linkages and feed-back loops in the Baltic Sea food web, the most robust projections of the future strength of the Baltic sprat stock will need to take into account climate-driven changes in both abiotic (e.g., drift trajectories) and biotic (trophodynamic) factors. Although our understanding of processes affecting pre-recruit (larval) growth and survival has been advanced by the integrated research conducted within the GLOBEC Germany program, key mechanisms potentially affecting life stages outside of the spawning basins remain to be explored including the dynamics of coastal habitats of juveniles and the feeding and overwintering grounds of adults.

Diet overlap among flatfish species in the southern North Sea

The diets of two non-commercial flatfish species (solenette Buglossidium luteum and scaldfish Arnoglossus laterna) and two commercial flatfish species (dab Limanda limanda and plaice Pleuronectes platessa) were compared in a study area in the German Bight (southern North Sea) to investigate prey-resource partitioning between these species. The diets of A. laterna and B. luteum mainly comprised crustaceans (harpacticoids, amphipods, cumaceans and decapods), whereas the diet of L. limanda and P. platessa consisted mainly of polychaetes. The Schoener index, calculated for different fish size classes between these flatfish species, showed a biologically significant diet overlap between small-sized L. limanda and P. platessa and B. luteum and A. laterna, using similar prey resources of smaller prey (e.g. amphipods, harpacticoids and juvenile bivalves). In contrast, with increasing body size, a change in the diet of L. limanda and P. platessa towards larger prey occurred (e.g. polychaetes and decapods), resulting in low diet overlap values with B. luteum and A. laterna. Due to these size-related differences in resource use, it is assumed that there is reduced interspecific competition for prey between larger L. limanda and P. platessa and both non-commercial flatfishes, probably facilitating resource partitioning within the same area. In contrast, smaller L. limanda and P. platessa may compete directly for the same prey resources with B. luteum and A. laterna. Furthermore, prey availability of most important prey items of the studied flatfishes was relatively low in the study area. Therefore, increasing abundances of B. luteum and A. laterna in the southern North Sea since the late 1980s, owing to fishing effects and climate change, might affect the population dynamics of L. limanda and P. platessa.

Prey competition between sympatric Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) and northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) on Lovushki Island, Russia

Approximately 1 000 Steller sea lions ( Eumetopias jubatus (Schreber, 1776); SSL) and 14 000 northern fur seals ( Callorhinus ursinus (L., 1758); NFS) breed sympatrically on Lovushki Island in the Russian Far East, creating the potential for interspecific competition for prey. An additional 13 000 – 14 000 juvenile NFS are present during the breeding season. The diets of breeding SSL and both breeding and juvenile NFS were examined through analysis of scats and spews collected during the breeding seasons of 2003, 2005, and 2007–2008. There were significant overlaps in the prey species and size selection of SSL and juvenile NFS. There were significant differences between the diets of SSL and breeding NFS. SSL and juvenile NFS fed primarily on Atka mackerel ( Pleurogrammus monopterygius (Pallas, 1810)), while breeding NFS fed on cephalopods, salmon (genus Oncorhynchus Suckley, 1861), Atka mackerel, and northern smoothtongue ( Leuroglossus schmidti Rass, 1955). The partitioning of resources between breeding animals has allowed both species to coexist within the same region and likely reflected differences in foraging abilities and provisioning strategies of the adults and the fasting abilities of their pups. However, continued growth of the NFS population may lead to the exclusion of SSL owing to interspecific competition for prey.

Interspecific comparisons of growth and diet among late larvae of three co-occurring clupeoid species in the Kii Channel, Japan

Growth and diet were compared among larvae of Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus, Japanese sardine Sardinops melanostictus and Pacific round herring Etrumeus teres. Compositions of prey items of the three species in the same month showed greater similarity than for the same species in different months. Prey size as well as prey taxa of the three species overlapped considerably with one another. Therefore, interspecific prey competition is likely in the case of limited food availability. The most abundant species tended to change from anchovy to round herring in early winter, from round herring to sardine in late winter and from sardine to anchovy in early spring, indicating a temporal segregation in use of the nursery grounds. Similar seasonal changes in growth rates were observed for the three species. Although interspecific prey competition is likely, the temporal segregation and similar temporal changes in growth rates could favor their coexistence.

Evolutionary branching and evolutionarily stable coexistence of predator species: Critical function analysis

On the ecological timescale, two predator species with linear functional responses can stably coexist on two competing prey species. In this paper, with the methods of adaptive dynamics and critical function analysis, we investigate under what conditions such a coexistence is also evolutionarily stable, and whether the two predator species may evolve from a single ancestor via evolutionary branching. We assume that predator strategies differ in capture rates and a predator with a high capture rate for one prey has a low capture rate for the other and vice versa. First, by using the method of critical function analysis, we identify the general properties of trade-off functions that allow for evolutionary branching in the predator strategy. It is found that if the trade-off curve is weakly convex in the vicinity of the singular strategy and the interspecific prey competition is not strong, then this singular strategy is an evolutionary branching point, near which the resident and mutant predator populations can coexist and diverge in their strategies. Second, we find that after branching has occurred in the predator phenotype, if the trade-off curve is globally convex, the predator population will eventually branch into two extreme specialists, each completely specializing on a particular prey species. However, in the case of smoothed step function-like trade-off, an interior dimorphic singular coalition becomes possible, the predator population will eventually evolve into two generalist species, each feeding on both of the two prey species. The algebraical analysis reveals that an evolutionarily stable dimorphism will always be attractive and that no further branching is possible under this model.

Three carnivorous plant species (Drosera spp.) in European Russia: peaceful coexistence?

In spite of the recent improvements in the understanding of carnivorous plants’ biology, some questions have remained unanswered. In this study, the segregation of food niches (i.e. specialization on different categories of prey) for three sympatric carnivorous temperate Drosera species with different shapes of trapping leaves is tested. Potentially available prey was also taken into account, by using artificial traps. Almost all the prey trapped by the three Drosera species and by passive traps belonged to four insect orders: Diptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Homoptera, as well as Araneae. Diptera specimens were the main prey for all the species. This study demonstrates that arthropods caught by the three temperate sympatric sundew species (D. rotundifolia, D. obovata and D. anglica), belong to the same orders. The proportions of prey from different orders, caught by different sundew species did not differ significantly. The result does not necessarily imply the absence of interspecific competition for prey: arthropods were identified only to order, and competition may have resulted in specialization on prey taxa of lower rank.

Ontogeny of feeding in two native and one alien fish species from the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Investigations into the feeding of the early stages of fishes can provide insights into processes influencing recruitment. In this study, we examined ontogenetic changes in morphology and feeding behaviour of two native Australian freshwater species, Murray cod, Maccullochella peelii peelii, and golden perch, Macquaria ambigua, and the alien species, common carp, Cyprinus carpio. Murray cod free embryos are large and well developed at the onset of feeding, whereas the other two species begin exogenous feeding much younger and are smaller and less-developed. Carp commence exogenous feeding 3 days earlier than golden perch, and show more advanced development of the eyes and ingestive apparatus. We conducted feeding experiments, presenting larvae of the three species with a standardised prey mix (comprising equal numbers of small calanoid copepods, large calanoid copepods, small Daphnia, and large Daphnia). Larvae of most tested ages and species showed a preference for mid-sized prey (300–500 µm wide). This was true even when their gapes substantially exceeded the largest prey offered. Daphnia were consumed more than similar-sized copepods. The results of this study suggest that survival through their larval period will be threatened in all three species if catchable prey <500 µm in width are not available throughout such time. They also suggest that interspecific competition for prey may occur, especially when larvae are very young. The precocious development of structures involved in feeding and the extended transition from endogenous to exogenous feeding of early carp larvae are likely to have contributed to the success of this species since its introduction to Australia.