Spatially mismatched trophic dynamics: cyclically outbreaking geometrids and their larval parasitoids

For trophic interactions to generate population cycles and complex spatio-temporal patterns, like travelling waves, the spatial dynamics must be matched across trophic levels. Here, we propose a spatial methodological approach for detecting such spatial match–mismatch and apply it to geometrid moths...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biology Letters
Main Authors: Hagen, Snorre B., Jepsen, Jane U., Schott, Tino, Ims, Rolf A.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Royal Society 2010
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Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2009.1002
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsbl.2009.1002
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsbl.2009.1002
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Summary:For trophic interactions to generate population cycles and complex spatio-temporal patterns, like travelling waves, the spatial dynamics must be matched across trophic levels. Here, we propose a spatial methodological approach for detecting such spatial match–mismatch and apply it to geometrid moths and their larval parasitoids in northern Norway, where outbreak cycles and travelling waves occur. We found clear evidence of spatial mismatch, suggesting that the spatially patterned moth cycles in this system are probably ruled by trophic interactions involving other agents than larval parasitoids.