Prey density affects predator foraging strategy in an Antarctic ecosystem
Abstract Studying the effects of prey distribution on predator behavior is complex in systems where there are multiple prey species. The role of prey density in predator behavior is rarely studied in closed ecosystems of one predator species and one prey species, despite these being an ideal opportu...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:b75e6eb354ed450ba1f194b5d979c842 2023-05-15T13:48:41+02:00 Prey density affects predator foraging strategy in an Antarctic ecosystem Karl M. Busdieker Samantha C. Patrick Alice M. Trevail Sébastien Descamps 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5899 https://doaj.org/article/b75e6eb354ed450ba1f194b5d979c842 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5899 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.5899 https://doaj.org/article/b75e6eb354ed450ba1f194b5d979c842 Ecology and Evolution, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 350-359 (2020) Antarctic petrel habitat selection prey defense prey density south polar skua Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2020 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5899 2022-12-31T13:32:03Z Abstract Studying the effects of prey distribution on predator behavior is complex in systems where there are multiple prey species. The role of prey density in predator behavior is rarely studied in closed ecosystems of one predator species and one prey species, despite these being an ideal opportunity to test these hypotheses. In this study, we investigate the effect of prey density on the foraging behavior of a predatory species in an isolated Antarctic ecosystem of effectively a single predatory species and a single prey species. We use resource selection models to compare prey density in areas utilized by predators (obtained from fine‐scale GPS telemetry data) to prey density at randomly generated points (pseudoabsences) throughout the available area. We demonstrate that prey density of breeding Antarctic petrels (Thalassoica antarctica) is negatively associated with the probability of habitat use in its only predator, the south polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki). Skuas are less likely to utilize habitats with higher petrel densities, reducing predation in these areas, but these effects are present during chick rearing only and not during incubation. We suggest that this might be caused by successful group defense strategies employed by petrel chicks, primarily spitting oil at predators. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Petrel Antarctica Catharacta maccormicki Thalassoica antarctica Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic Ecology and Evolution 10 1 350 359 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Antarctic petrel habitat selection prey defense prey density south polar skua Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
Antarctic petrel habitat selection prey defense prey density south polar skua Ecology QH540-549.5 Karl M. Busdieker Samantha C. Patrick Alice M. Trevail Sébastien Descamps Prey density affects predator foraging strategy in an Antarctic ecosystem |
topic_facet |
Antarctic petrel habitat selection prey defense prey density south polar skua Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Abstract Studying the effects of prey distribution on predator behavior is complex in systems where there are multiple prey species. The role of prey density in predator behavior is rarely studied in closed ecosystems of one predator species and one prey species, despite these being an ideal opportunity to test these hypotheses. In this study, we investigate the effect of prey density on the foraging behavior of a predatory species in an isolated Antarctic ecosystem of effectively a single predatory species and a single prey species. We use resource selection models to compare prey density in areas utilized by predators (obtained from fine‐scale GPS telemetry data) to prey density at randomly generated points (pseudoabsences) throughout the available area. We demonstrate that prey density of breeding Antarctic petrels (Thalassoica antarctica) is negatively associated with the probability of habitat use in its only predator, the south polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki). Skuas are less likely to utilize habitats with higher petrel densities, reducing predation in these areas, but these effects are present during chick rearing only and not during incubation. We suggest that this might be caused by successful group defense strategies employed by petrel chicks, primarily spitting oil at predators. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Karl M. Busdieker Samantha C. Patrick Alice M. Trevail Sébastien Descamps |
author_facet |
Karl M. Busdieker Samantha C. Patrick Alice M. Trevail Sébastien Descamps |
author_sort |
Karl M. Busdieker |
title |
Prey density affects predator foraging strategy in an Antarctic ecosystem |
title_short |
Prey density affects predator foraging strategy in an Antarctic ecosystem |
title_full |
Prey density affects predator foraging strategy in an Antarctic ecosystem |
title_fullStr |
Prey density affects predator foraging strategy in an Antarctic ecosystem |
title_full_unstemmed |
Prey density affects predator foraging strategy in an Antarctic ecosystem |
title_sort |
prey density affects predator foraging strategy in an antarctic ecosystem |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5899 https://doaj.org/article/b75e6eb354ed450ba1f194b5d979c842 |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Petrel Antarctica Catharacta maccormicki Thalassoica antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Petrel Antarctica Catharacta maccormicki Thalassoica antarctica |
op_source |
Ecology and Evolution, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 350-359 (2020) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5899 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.5899 https://doaj.org/article/b75e6eb354ed450ba1f194b5d979c842 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5899 |
container_title |
Ecology and Evolution |
container_volume |
10 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
350 |
op_container_end_page |
359 |
_version_ |
1766249585415553024 |