Strong Predation Research Articles

Manila clams Ruditapes philippinarum spreading north and establishing in the European Wadden Sea

In an era of accelerating biological globalization and climatic warming, it is vital to understand how introduced species integrate. Pacific Manila clams Ruditapes philippinarum were introduced for aquaculture to Europe in the 1970s, spread and became harvested from the Mediterranean Sea to British coasts. From the Dutch Rhine Delta, Manila clams immigrated stepwise into the southern Wadden Sea, and by long distance jump dispersal they arrived in the northern Wadden Sea in the 2010s. Encounters remained few until 2021, when live clams were often found in intertidal seagrass beds and around mixed beds of Pacific oysters with native mussels. Shell lengths reached up to 74 mm with a longevity of 7–8 years. Adult abundances remained low (<10 clams m−2), although larval numbers substantially increased in 2022 and 2023. Strong predation on spat may constitute ecological resistance to the immigrant. Haplotype diversity at mtDNA COI gene fragments is high and its composition is mixed from dominant haplotypes of other European sites, suggesting multiple introductions or an unknown source with an already mixed population. Currently, this is the most northern (55° N) population of R. philippinarum in continental Europe, but with the rapid expansion of this genetically variable population, further northward spread can be expected.

Characterization of the Ecological Niche and Interspecific Connectivity of Plankton in Baiyangdian Lake by Combining Ecological Networks

To understand the structure of the plankton community and the ecological niche characteristics of their dominant species, sampling surveys of plankton were conducted in Baiyangdian Lake in the spring （March）, summer （July）, and autumn （September） of 2022. The changes in the plankton community during the three seasons were analyzed by constructing ecological network diagrams, non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis （NMDS）, and the ecological niche width. The niche overlap of zooplankton dominant species was evaluated by the improved Levins' formula and Petraitis' index. The interspecific connectivity of dominant species was judged using the chi-square test and interspecies connectivity coefficients. The results showed that the niche width of plankton in the whole area was low. Zooplankton was dominated by rotifers, and phytoplankton was dominated by diatoms, cyanobacteria, and green algae. There were significant seasonal changes in the community structures of plankton. Compared with that in summer and autumn, there were fewer species of plankton in spring and lower interspecies connectivity. The overlap of dominant species of zooplankton was high in summer, and the interspecific competition was intensified, whereas the interspecific overlap of phytoplankton was at a low level in all three seasons. There was a significant positive correlation （W &gt; χ20.05） between phytoplankton in summer and autumn, and the community structure was stable. The interdomain ecological network of zooplankton and phytoplankton showed a high negative correlation ratio in autumn, especially between copepods and cladoceras of zooplankton and chlorophyta and cyanophyta of phytoplankton. The plankton species in Baiyangdian Lake were abundant, with obvious seasonal differences. The dominant species were mainly a narrow ecological niche. The plankton community was generally in a stable state, and there was a strong predation relationship between copepods and cladoceras and green algae and cyanobacteria.

Nest site selection and fidelity of European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) population of Babat Valley (Gödöllő, Hungary)

BackgroundThe conservation of aquatic and semiaquatic turtles requires knowledge of the area and vegetation structure of habitat used for nesting, and nesting migration route. We aimed to survey the effects of habitat features to the nest site selection, nesting success, and test the possibility of nest site fidelity. Our study was carried out at 10 different nesting areas, with special emphasis on data from returning females in a pond system in Hungary between 2014 and 2017.ResultsMost nesting attempts were found in closed sand steppes, uncharacteristic dry and semi-dry grasslands habitat patches. The principal component analysis (PCA) showed that increased sandy soil cover, sunlight and slope were important variables in nest site choice. The increasing PCA first axis score significantly increased the chance of an emergence. The degradation of open steppe vegetation, occurrence of weeds, invasive and disturbance tolerant species have a negative effect on the selection of nest sites. We observed that 96.55% of nests were located within 20 m south of a pine forest at preferred nest site at pond 5, which provided the right incubation temperature through partial shading. The returning females nested significantly closer to the northern pine forest than the single clutch females. Most probably the returning females already has the necessary experience to select the right nesting site. The individually marked females did not choose new nesting areas during the monitored years which suggests nesting area fidelity, but we did not find nest site fidelity.ConclusionThe maintenance of mosaic habitat structure, slowing down the succession process at the nesting area should be basic priorities in European pond turtle conservation programs. We suggested a spatial and temporal scheduling of land management and agricultural work to the local farmers. If the actual nest site is in an agricultural area, all work should be avoided throughout the year. Agricultural machinery should avoid the migration routes of adult turtles and emerged hatchlings during the concerned period. Under strong predation pressure, predator control should be carried out, and use nest protection.

Biogeographic and seasonal differences in consumer pressure underlie strong predation in the tropics.

Biotic interactions play a critical role in shaping patterns of global biodiversity. While several macroecological studies provide evidence for stronger predation in tropical regions compared with higher latitudes, results are variable even within the tropics, and the drivers of this variability are not well understood. We conducted two complementary standardized experiments on communities of sessile marine invertebrate prey and their associated predators to test for spatial and seasonal differences in predation across the tropical Atlantic and Pacific coastlines of Panama. We further tested the prediction that higher predator diversity contributes to stronger impacts of predation, using both direct observations of predators and data from extensive reef surveys. Our results revealed substantially higher predation rates and stronger effects of predators on prey in the Pacific than in the Atlantic, demonstrating striking variation within tropical regions. While regional predator diversity was high in the Atlantic, functional diversity at local scales was markedly low. Peak predation strength in the Pacific occurred during the wet, non-upwelling season when ocean temperatures were warmer and predator communities were more functionally diverse. Our results highlight the importance of regional biotic and abiotic drivers that shape interaction strength and the maintenance of tropical communities, which are experiencing rapid environmental change.

Dynamics and control of a plant-herbivore model incorporating Allee's effect

This research focuses on the interaction between the grape borer and grapevine using a discrete-time plant-herbivore model with Allee's effect. We specifically investigate a model that incorporates a strong predator functional response to better understand the system's qualitative behavior at positive equilibrium points. In the present study, we explore the topological classifications at fixed points, stability analysis, Neimark-Sacker, Transcritical bifurcation and State feedback control in the two-dimensional discrete-time plant-herbivore model. It is proved that for all involved parameters ς1,ϱ1,γ1 and ϒ1, discrete-time plant-herbivore model has boundary and interior fixed points: c1=(0,0), c2=(ς1−1ϱ1,0) and c3=(ϒ1(1−γ1)2γ1−1,γ1(2ς1+ϱ1ϒ1−2)−ϱ1ϒ1+1−ς12γ1−1) respectively. Then by linear stability theory, local dynamics with different topological classifications are investigated at fixed points: c1=(0,0), c2=(ς1−1ϱ1,0) and c3=(ϒ1(1−γ1)2γ1−1,γ1(2ς1+ϱ1ϒ1−2)−ϱ1ϒ1+1−ς12γ1−1). Our investigation uncovers that the boundary equilibrium c2=(ς1−1ϱ1,0) experiences a transcritical bifurcation, whereas the unique positive steady-state c3=(ϒ1(1−γ1)2γ1−1,γ1(2ς1+ϱ1ϒ1−2)−ϱ1ϒ1+1−ς12γ1−1) of the discrete-time plant-herbivore model undergoes a Neimark-Sacker bifurcation. To address the periodic fluctuations in grapevine population density and other unpredictable behaviors observed in the model, we propose implementing state feedback chaos control. To support our theoretical findings, we provide comprehensive numerical simulations, phase portraits, dynamics diagrams, and a graph of the maximum Lyapunov exponent. These visual representations enhance the clarity of our research outcomes and further validate the effectiveness of the chaos control approach.

From predator to protector: Myxococcus fulvus WCH05 emerges as a potent biocontrol agent for fire blight.

Fire blight, caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Erwinia amylovora, poses a substantial threat to pome fruit production worldwide. Despite existing control strategies, a pressing need remains for sustainable and environmentally friendly fire blight management. Myxobacteria, renowned for their predatory behavior and potent enzymes, emerge as a groundbreaking biocontrol approach with significant potential. Here, we report the biocontrol potential of a novel Myxococcus fulvus WCH05, against E. amylovora. Using various in vitro and planta assays, we demonstrated the multifaceted biocontrol abilities of strain WCH05. In plate predation assays, strain WCH05 exhibited not only strong predation against E. amylovora but also broad-spectrum activities against other plant pathogenic bacteria. Pre-treatment with strain WCH05 significantly decreased pear blossom blight incidence in detached inflorescence assays, achieving a controlled efficacy of 76.02% that rivaled the antibiotic streptomycin (79.79%). In greenhouse trials, strain WCH05 effectively reduced the wilting rate and disease index in young pear seedlings, exhibiting both protective (73.68%) and curative (68.66%) control. Further investigation revealed that the biocontrol activity of strain WCH05 relies on both direct contact and extracellular enzyme secretion. While cell extracts lacked inhibitory activity, ammonium sulfate-precipitated secreted proteins displayed potent lytic activity against E. amylovora. Substrate spectrum analysis identified peptidases, lipases, and glycosidases among the secreted enzymes, suggesting their potential roles in pathogen degradation and biocontrol efficacy. This study presents the first evidence of Myxococcus fulvus WCH05 as a biocontrol agent against fire blight. Its potent predatory abilities and enzymatic arsenal highlight its potential for sustainable disease management in pome fruit production. Future research will focus on identifying and characterizing specific lytic enzymes and optimizing strain WCH05 application strategies for field efficacy.

Perfect cooperative pest control via nano-pesticide and natural predator: High predation selectivity and negligible toxicity toward predatory stinkbug

The improper use of synthetic pesticides has caused adverse effects on global ecosystems and human health. As a part of sustainable pest management strategy, natural predators, along with nano-pesticides, have made significant contributions to ecological agriculture. The cooperative application of both approaches may overcome their limitations, substantially reducing pesticide application while controlling insect pests efficiently. Herein, the current study introduced a cationic star polymer (SPc) to prepare two types of nano-pesticides, which were co-applied with predatory stinkbugs Picromerus lewisi to achieve perfect cooperative pest control. The SPc exhibited nearly no toxicity against predatory stinkbugs at the working concentration, but it led to the death of predatory stinkbugs at extremely high concentration with the lethal concentration 50 (LC50) value of 13.57 mg/mL through oral feeding method. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the oral feeding of SPc could induce obvious stress responses, leading to stronger phagocytosis, exocytosis, and energy synthesis to ultimately result in the death of predatory stinkbugs. Then, the broflanilide and chlorobenzuron were employed to prepare the self-assembled nano-pesticides via hydrogen bond and Van der Waals force, and the complexation with SPc broke the self-aggregated structures of pesticides and reduced their particle sizes down to nanoscale. The bioactivities of prepared nano-pesticides were significantly improved toward common cutworm Spodoptera litura with the corrected mortality increase by approximately 30%. Importantly, predatory stinkbugs exhibited a strong predation selectivity for alive common cutworms to reduce the exposure risk of nano-pesticides, and the nano-pesticides showed negligible toxicity against predators. Thus, the nano-pesticides and predatory stinkbugs could be applied simultaneously for efficient and sustainable pest management. The current study provides an excellent precedent for perfect cooperative pest control via nano-pesticide and natural predator.

Propagation dynamics of a three species predator-prey system with a pair of strong-weak competing predators

We are concerned with propagation phenomenon of a three-species system involving a single prey and a pair of strong-weak competing predators. More accurately, we shall mainly consider situations when the simple prey is an indigenous species, and one of the two predators is aboriginal, while the other is alien. In any case, under certain parameters, three species can finally coexist. Naturally, we have obtained that when a weak competing predator is an aboriginal species, the strong predator can successfully invade the environment and become dominant species, leading to the extinction of its weak counterpart. Particularly, we can construct traveling wave solution where the weak predator invades the environment inhabited by its strong competitor and replaces aboriginal strong counterpart, which depends on higher biomass rate of the weak predator. At last, we get the minimal wave speeds for these traveling waves in these situations.

Keep the ball rolling: sexual differences in conglobation behavior of a terrestrial isopod under different degrees of perceived predation pressure.

Antipredator behaviors are theoretically subjected to a balance by which their display should be minimized when their benefits do not outweigh their costs. Such costs may be not only energetic, but also entail a reduction in the time available for other fitness-enhancing behaviors. However, these behaviors are only beneficial under predation risk. Therefore, antipredator behaviors are predicted to be maximized under strong predation risk. Moreover, predation pressure can differ among individuals according to traits such as sex or body size, if these traits increase vulnerability. Antipredator behaviors are expected to be maximized in individuals whose traits make them more conspicuous to predators. However, how sex, body size and antipredator behaviors interact is not always understood. In this work, I tested the interaction between sex, body size and antipredator behavior in the common pill woodlouse (Armadillidium vulgare), which conglobate (i.e., they roll up their bodies almost conforming a sphere that conceals their appendages) in response to predator attacks. Specifically, I tested whether latency to unroll after a standardized mechanical induction was greater in animals exposed to predator chemical cues (toad feces) than in conspecifics exposed to cues of non-predatory animals (rabbits) or no chemical cues whatsoever (distilled water), incorporating sex and body mass in the analyses. In agreement with my prediction, latency to unroll was greater in individuals exposed to predator chemical cues. In other words, these animals engage in conglobation for longer under perceived predator vicinity. However, this result was only true for males. This sexual dimorphism in antipredator behavior could result from males being under greater predation risk than females, thus having evolved more refined antipredator strategies. Indeed, males of this species are known to actively search for females, which makes them more prone to superficial ground mobility, and likely to being detected by predators. Body size was unrelated to latency to unroll. As a whole, these results support the hypothesis that antipredator behavior is tuned to predator cues in a way consistent with a balance between costs and benefits, which might differ between the sexes.

Опыт интродукции овцебыков на остров Завьялова в Тауйской губе северной части Охотского моря

The paper describes the process of the beginning of the formation of a population of musk oxen (ovibos moschatus) on Zavyalov Island, peculiarities of adaptation to one of the southernmost habitats with a high density of brown bear population. The purpose of the musk oxen introduction is connected with the implementation of the Arctic Development Strategy and the search for new opportunities of the national economy. Provided that the minimum impact of predators on the population of Zavyalov Island is ensured, it is necessary to prevent a catastrophic increase in the number, which inevitably leads to a shortage of feed. Thus it will be necessary to relocate excess animals. The introduction of musk oxen corresponds to the tourism development plan, and will also serve as an additional, environmentally safe factor in the economy and food independence of remote territories. At the beginning of autumn 2018, 25 musk oxen were brought to Zavyalov Island; all of them were one year old. On the island, musk oxen were initially kept in paddok. On September 10, 2020, another 25 musk oxen were brought. During the first two years, the sex-age structure depended only on their death. Four (4) individuals survived: two (2) males and two (2) females, the strong predation of the brown bear affected. One of them gave offspring in the third year: one calf appeared. In the fourth year, both females from the first delivery gave birth to a calf. Now the island is optimizing the sex-age structure of the musk ox population. But the main patterns of the formation of the population of musk oxen for other islands won’t work on Zavyalov Island due to relatively high number of brown bears, which does not allow the population to develop in the same way as in other habitats, with a much lower density of this predator. The introduction of musk oxen to Zavyalov Island, with good protection from predators, shows a positive result for the settlement of these animals in other similar territories.

Microbial food web changes induced by terrestrial organic matter and elevated temperature in the coastal northern Baltic Sea

Climate change has been projected to cause increased temperature and amplified inflows of terrestrial organic matter to coastal areas in northern Europe. Consequently, changes at the base of the food web favoring heterotrophic bacteria over phytoplankton are expected, affecting the food web structure. We tested this hypothesis using an outdoor shallow mesocosm system in the northern Baltic Sea in early summer, where the effects of increased temperature (+ 3°C) and terrestrial matter inputs were studied following the system dynamics and conducting grazing experiments. Juvenile perch constituted the highest trophic level in the system, which exerted strong predation on the zooplankton community. Perch subsequently released the microbial food web from heavy grazing by mesozooplankton. Addition of terrestrial matter had a stronger effect on the microbial food web than the temperature increase, because terrestrial organic matter and accompanying nutrients promoted both heterotrophic bacterial production and phytoplankton primary production. Moreover, due to the shallow water column in the experiment, terrestrial matter addition did not reduce the light below the photosynthesis saturation level, and in these conditions, the net-autotrophy was strengthened by terrestrial matter enrichment. In combination with elevated temperature, the terrestrial matter addition effects were intensified, further shifting the size distribution of the microbial food web base from picoplankton to microphytoplankton. These changes up the food web led to increase in the biomass and proportion of large-sized ciliates (&amp;gt;60 µm) and rotifers. Despite the shifts in the microbial food web size structure, grazing experiments suggested that the pathway from picoplankton to nano- and microzooplankton constituted the major energy flow in all treatments. The study implies that the microbial food web compartments in shallow coastal waters will adjust to climate induced increased inputs of terrestrial matter and elevated temperature, and that the major energy path will flow from picoplankton to large-sized ciliates during the summer period.

Long‐term analysis of body condition reveals species coupling and the impacts of an invasion

AbstractPredator–prey coupling can result in oscillations of predator–prey densities. These oscillations in predator–prey densities correspond to oscillations in intraspecific competition where a high population density causes high intraspecific competition. Strong coupling of native species can however be disrupted by the introduction of invasive species into food webs. Here, we investigated how the body condition (body mass relative to body length) of a predator, lake trout, and its primary prey, cisco, changed as their respective population densities shifted. We found that the body condition of lake trout and cisco was strongly influenced by their respective population densities, that is, density dependence. The body conditions of lake trout and cisco were also inversely related, which highlights strong predator–prey coupling. Further, we were able to detect the impacts of a recent invasive species, Bythotrephes, as we saw size‐specific shifts in the body condition of prey following the invasion. Overall, this study highlights how the long‐term study of a simple measure, body condition, can reveal predator–prey coupling and yield new insights into the impacts of an invasive species.

The role of body mass in limiting post heat-coma recovery ability in terrestrial ectotherms.

Under global warming, animal species show shrinking body size responses, cascading deep changes in community structure and ecosystem functions. Although the exact physiological mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain unsolved, smaller individuals may benefit from warming climate more than larger ones. Heat-coma, a physiological state with severe consequences on locomotion ability, is often considered as an "ecological death" scenario under which individuals are unable to escape and exposed to predation, further heat injury, and other hazards. Species are expected to increasingly encounter heat-coma temperature thresholds under warming climate, and body size may be an important trait for thermoregulation in particular for ectotherms. The relationship between heat-coma and shrinking body size remains, however, unclear. Yet, recovery after short-term heat-coma is possible, but little is known about its importance in thermal adaptation and how organismal size correlates with post heat-coma recovery. Here, using ants as a model system, we firstly examined the fate of heat-comatose individuals under field conditions to quantify the ecological benefits of post heat-coma recovery. Then, we quantified ants' recovery ability after heat-coma using a dynamic thermal assay in the laboratory and asked if thermal resilience varies between species with different body mass. Our results confirm that heat-coma represents an inherent ecological death where individuals failed to recover from coma suffer strong predation pressure. Additionally, following phylogenetic signals inclusion, organisms with small mass were more likely to recover, supporting the temperature-size rule in thermal adaptation and recent studies showing a decrease in body size composition of ectotherm community under warmer climatic conditions. Body size as a fundamental trait in ecology thus affects ectotherm survival under thermal stress, which may drive species body size adaptations and community composition under future warming scenarios.

Energetic connectivity of diverse elasmobranch populations - implications for ecological resilience.

Understanding the factors shaping patterns of ecological resilience is critical for mitigating the loss of global biodiversity. Throughout aquatic environments, highly mobile predators are thought to serve as important vectors of energy between ecosystems thereby promoting stability and resilience. However, the role these predators play in connecting food webs and promoting energy flow remains poorly understood in most contexts. Using carbon and nitrogen isotopes, we quantified the use of several prey resource pools (small oceanic forage, large oceanics, coral reef, and seagrass) by 17 species of elasmobranch fishes (n = 351 individuals) in The Bahamas to determine their functional diversity and roles as ecosystem links. We observed remarkable functional diversity across species and identified four major groups responsible for connecting discrete regions of the seascape. Elasmobranchs were responsible for promoting energetic connectivity between neritic, oceanic and deep-sea ecosystems. Our findings illustrate how mobile predators promote ecosystem connectivity, underscoring their functional significance and role in supporting ecological resilience. More broadly, strong predator conservation efforts in developing island nations, such as The Bahamas, are likely to yield ecological benefits that enhance the resilience of marine ecosystems to combat imminent threats such as habitat degradation and climate change.

Avoidance of ant chemical traces by spider mites

Because of the strong predation pressure exerted by ants, small arthropods have developed various strategies of avoiding ant predation (Way 1963; Jennings 1971; Akino et al. 1999; Otsuki &amp; Yano 2014). Spider mites become easy prey for ants when they leave their protective webs (Otsuki &amp; Yano 2014; Adachi &amp; Yano 2017); therefore, the ability to avoid traces of ongoing ant activity should confer a selective advantage to mites.

The role of donor and receiver size in the response to public cues in Hart’s rivulus, Anablepsoides hartii

Abstract Aquatic prey use chemical alarm cues as public information sources to optimize behavioural decisions. Recent studies suggest that the contextual value of these cues is shaped by their source, the size of the donor relative to the receiver, and the size of the receiver itself. Here, we exposed Hart’s rivulus (Anablepsoides hartii) to conspecific or heterospecific alarm cues from donors that were either smaller or larger than the mean focal rivulus size. Smaller rivulus reduced foraging in response to conspecific and heterospecific cues, regardless of donor size. However, larger rivulus exhibited no reduction in foraging towards small conspecific cues and increased foraging towards small heterospecific cues. Additionally, while conspecific donors elicited strong predator avoidance, rivulus exhibited stronger responses to large vs. small heterospecific cues. Our results demonstrate that the value of alarm cues is shaped by the interacting effects of receiver size and the size and species of cue donors.

On the reproductive biology of the critically threatened Alagoas Antwren (Myrmotherula snowi)

The Alagoas Antwren (Myrmotherula snowi) is a Critically Endangered endemic bird restricted to the Pernambuco Center of Endemism. It is currently restricted to a single forest fragment—the Murici Ecological Station in Alagoas. Its population is currently estimated at less than 30 individuals. Moreover, little is known about the natural history of this species. Since 2010 this bird has been annually monitored, but its nests have never been found. We carried out 131 expeditions to this forest fragment between August 2010 and November 2018. During this period, we captured and marked 11 adults and 7 juveniles. However, it was not until 9 November 2018 that the first nest was discovered. The nest was a deep cup composed of black fungal rhizomorphs with small fragments of dried leaves on the outer side. It was suspended on a horizontal fork of a young plant, 1.7 m above the ground. The eggs were oval in shape, light beige in color with reddish patches distributed throughout the egg and most concentrated in the rhombic pole. The eggs measured 1.53 × 1.02 and 1.54 × 1.03 cm. The nest was monitored, but on 25 November 2018 we found the nest empty; we deduced that it had been preyed upon. Subsequently, we found 3 more nests. However, in our efforts over the most recent 11 expeditions (1 year and 3 months after the original nest discovery until February 2020), we failed to find any additional nests. Our records of juvenile individuals indicate they are still reproducing in the area and represent a possibility to recover this species. However, the strong predation pressure in the area and the absence of mixed flocks are concerning. We urge actions to protect its nests, recompose mixed flocks, translocate individuals to nearby habitat patches, and attempt captive breeding, among efforts that should be evaluated.

The dynamics of picocyanobacteria from a hypereutrophic shallow lake is affected by light-climate and small-bodied zooplankton: a 10-year cytometric time-series analysis.

In aquatic systems, an interplay between bottom-up and top-down processes determines the dynamic of picocyanobacteria (Pcy) abundance and community structure. Here, we analyzed a 10-year time series (sampled fortnightly) from a hypereutrophic turbid shallow lake located within the Pampa Region of South America, generating the first long-term record of freshwater Pcy from the Southern Hemisphere. We used a cytometric approach to study Pcy community, and focused on its relations with nutrient and light conditions (bottom-up) and potential grazers (top-down). A novel Pcy abundance seasonality with winter maximums was observed for years with relatively stable hydrological levels, related with decreased abundance of seasonal rotifers during colder seasons. Pcy showed lower abundance and higher cytometric alpha diversity during summer, probably due to a strong predation exerted by rotifers. In turn, a direct effect of the non-seasonal small cladocerans Bosmina spp. decreased Pcy abundance and induced a shift from single-cell Pcy into aggregated forms. This structuring effect of Bosmina spp. was further confirmed by Pcy cytometric (dis)similarity analyses from the time series and in situ experimental data. Remarkably, Pcy showed acclimatization to underwater light variations, resembling the relevance of light in this turbid system.

Global dynamics of a Lotka-Volterra type prey–predator model with diffusion and predator-taxis

This paper studies a reaction–advection–diffusion prey–predator system in one spatial dimension. Adapting the Lotka–Volterra-type functional response, we prove the global existence and boundedness of solutions of the system in a bounded open interval. In view of asymptotic behavior of solutions, we show that if the predation is weak, the semi-trivial steady state at which prey only survive is globally asymptotically stable. In case of strong predation, the positive steady state is globally asymptotically stable when the predator-taxis is weak.

Rapid responses in morphology and performance of native frogs induced by predation pressure from invasive mongooses

Invasive predators often decrease the abundance and distribution of native prey, but only a few studies have reported rapid predator-induced morphological and performance changes. An effective prey performance response may actually depend whether the predator uses a sit-and-wait or an active foraging strategy; the former would require prey to obtain the ability to move quickly in bursts, while the latter would require prey to increase their endurance to survive. The performance of native prey should therefore change according to the predation type of an invasive predator when it differs from that of native predators. As such, it is critical to evaluate prey performance to understand the effects of different predation types. We examined rapid morphological (hind limb length) and performance (burst movement ability, endurance) changes in a native prey frog induced by an invasive predator mongoose on Amami Island, Japan, where the only native predators of the frog are snakes. The hind limb length of the frog increased under the strong predation effect of the mongoose, which may have acted as a selective agent to induce rapid morphological responses. The endurance, but not the burst movement ability, of the frog was higher under the strong effect of predation by the mongoose. This suggests that endurance was a specific target of natural selection and that the performance of the native prey changed in response to the new predation type. Examining not only morphological but also performance changes will allow us to understand in detail the impact of invasive predators.