The functional response of a generalist predator.
BACKGROUND: Predators can have profound impacts on the dynamics of their prey that depend on how predator consumption is affected by prey density (the predator's functional response). Consumption by a generalist predator is expected to depend on the densities of all its major prey species (its...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:3ef3a810f5ef4c5cb1a0b4b074d15391 2023-05-15T15:55:34+02:00 The functional response of a generalist predator. Sophie Smout Christian Asseburg Jason Matthiopoulos Carmen Fernández Stephen Redpath Simon Thirgood John Harwood 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010761 https://doaj.org/article/3ef3a810f5ef4c5cb1a0b4b074d15391 EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2877704?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010761 https://doaj.org/article/3ef3a810f5ef4c5cb1a0b4b074d15391 PLoS ONE, Vol 5, Iss 5, p e10761 (2010) Medicine R Science Q article 2010 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010761 2022-12-31T14:43:58Z BACKGROUND: Predators can have profound impacts on the dynamics of their prey that depend on how predator consumption is affected by prey density (the predator's functional response). Consumption by a generalist predator is expected to depend on the densities of all its major prey species (its multispecies functional response, or MSFR), but most studies of generalists have focussed on their functional response to only one prey species. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using Bayesian methods, we fit an MSFR to field data from an avian predator (the hen harrier Circus cyaneus) feeding on three different prey species. We use a simple graphical approach to show that ignoring the effects of alternative prey can give a misleading impression of the predator's effect on the prey of interest. For example, in our system, a "predator pit" for one prey species only occurs when the availability of other prey species is low. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The Bayesian approach is effective in fitting the MSFR model to field data. It allows flexibility in modelling over-dispersion, incorporates additional biological information into the parameter priors, and generates estimates of uncertainty in the model's predictions. These features of robustness and data efficiency make our approach ideal for the study of long-lived predators, for which data may be sparse and management/conservation priorities pressing. Article in Journal/Newspaper Circus cyaneus Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles PLoS ONE 5 5 e10761 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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English |
topic |
Medicine R Science Q |
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Medicine R Science Q Sophie Smout Christian Asseburg Jason Matthiopoulos Carmen Fernández Stephen Redpath Simon Thirgood John Harwood The functional response of a generalist predator. |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
BACKGROUND: Predators can have profound impacts on the dynamics of their prey that depend on how predator consumption is affected by prey density (the predator's functional response). Consumption by a generalist predator is expected to depend on the densities of all its major prey species (its multispecies functional response, or MSFR), but most studies of generalists have focussed on their functional response to only one prey species. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using Bayesian methods, we fit an MSFR to field data from an avian predator (the hen harrier Circus cyaneus) feeding on three different prey species. We use a simple graphical approach to show that ignoring the effects of alternative prey can give a misleading impression of the predator's effect on the prey of interest. For example, in our system, a "predator pit" for one prey species only occurs when the availability of other prey species is low. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The Bayesian approach is effective in fitting the MSFR model to field data. It allows flexibility in modelling over-dispersion, incorporates additional biological information into the parameter priors, and generates estimates of uncertainty in the model's predictions. These features of robustness and data efficiency make our approach ideal for the study of long-lived predators, for which data may be sparse and management/conservation priorities pressing. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sophie Smout Christian Asseburg Jason Matthiopoulos Carmen Fernández Stephen Redpath Simon Thirgood John Harwood |
author_facet |
Sophie Smout Christian Asseburg Jason Matthiopoulos Carmen Fernández Stephen Redpath Simon Thirgood John Harwood |
author_sort |
Sophie Smout |
title |
The functional response of a generalist predator. |
title_short |
The functional response of a generalist predator. |
title_full |
The functional response of a generalist predator. |
title_fullStr |
The functional response of a generalist predator. |
title_full_unstemmed |
The functional response of a generalist predator. |
title_sort |
functional response of a generalist predator. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010761 https://doaj.org/article/3ef3a810f5ef4c5cb1a0b4b074d15391 |
genre |
Circus cyaneus |
genre_facet |
Circus cyaneus |
op_source |
PLoS ONE, Vol 5, Iss 5, p e10761 (2010) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2877704?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010761 https://doaj.org/article/3ef3a810f5ef4c5cb1a0b4b074d15391 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010761 |
container_title |
PLoS ONE |
container_volume |
5 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
e10761 |
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1766391059014746112 |