Food web context modifies predator foraging and weakens trophic interaction strength.
Ecol Lett
; 27(7): e14475, 2024 Jul.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39060898
ABSTRACT
Trophic interaction modifications (TIM) are widespread in natural systems and occur when a third species indirectly alters the strength of a trophic interaction. Past studies have focused on documenting the existence and magnitude of TIMs; however, the underlying processes and long-term consequences remain elusive. To address this gap, we experimentally quantified the density-dependent effect of a third species on a predator's functional response. We conducted short-term experiments with ciliate communities composed of a predator, prey and non-consumable 'modifier' species. In both communities, increasing modifier density weakened the trophic interaction strength, due to a negative effect on the predator's space clearance rate. Simulated long-term dynamics indicate quantitative differences between models that account for TIMs or include only pairwise interactions. Our study demonstrates that TIMs are important to understand and predict community dynamics and highlights the need to move beyond focal species pairs to understand the consequences of species interactions in communities.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Conducta Predatoria
/
Cilióforos
/
Cadena Alimentaria
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Ecol Lett
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Suiza
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido