Predator-dependent functional response in wolves: from food limitation to surplus killing
The functional response of a predator describes the change in per capita kill rate to changes in prey density. This response can be influenced by predator densities, giving a predator-dependent functional response. In social carnivores which defend a territory, kill rates also depend on the individu...
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Online Access: | https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/12392/ https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/12392/11/zimmerman_b_et_al_150729.pdf https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12280 |
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ftslunivuppsala:oai:pub.epsilon.slu.se:12392 2023-05-15T13:13:36+02:00 Predator-dependent functional response in wolves: from food limitation to surplus killing Zimmermann, Barbara Sand, Håkan Wabakken, Petter Liberg, Olof Andreassen, Harry Peter 2015 application/pdf https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/12392/ https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/12392/11/zimmerman_b_et_al_150729.pdf https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12280 en eng eng https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/12392/11/zimmerman_b_et_al_150729.pdf Zimmermann, Barbara and Sand, Håkan and Wabakken, Petter and Liberg, Olof and Andreassen, Harry Peter (2015). Predator-dependent functional response in wolves: from food limitation to surplus killing. Journal of animal ecology. 84 :1 , 102-112 [Research article] cc_by CC-BY Ecology Zoology Research article PeerReviewed info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2015 ftslunivuppsala https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12280 2022-01-09T19:13:33Z The functional response of a predator describes the change in per capita kill rate to changes in prey density. This response can be influenced by predator densities, giving a predator-dependent functional response. In social carnivores which defend a territory, kill rates also depend on the individual energetic requirements of group members and their contribution to the kill rate. This study aims to provide empirical data for the functional response of wolves Canis lupus to the highly managed moose Alces alces population in Scandinavia. We explored prey and predator dependence, and how the functional response relates to the energetic requirements of wolf packs. Winter kill rates of GPS-collared wolves and densities of cervids were estimated for a total of 22 study periods in 15 wolf territories. The adult wolves were identified as the individuals responsible for providing kills to the wolf pack, while pups could be described as inept hunters. The predator-dependent, asymptotic functional response models (i.e. Hassell-Varley type II and Crowley-Martin) performed best among a set of 23 competing linear, asymptotic and sigmoid models. Small wolf packs acquired >3 times as much moose biomass as required to sustain their field metabolic rate (FMR), even at relatively low moose abundances. Large packs (6-9 wolves) acquired less biomass than required in territories with low moose abundance. We suggest the surplus killing by small packs is a result of an optimal foraging strategy to consume only the most nutritious parts of easy accessible prey while avoiding the risk of being detected by humans. Food limitation may have a stabilizing effect on pack size in wolves, as supported by the observed negative relationship between body weight of pups and pack size. Article in Journal/Newspaper Alces alces Canis lupus Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU): Epsilon Open Archive Journal of Animal Ecology 84 1 102 112 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU): Epsilon Open Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftslunivuppsala |
language |
English |
topic |
Ecology Zoology |
spellingShingle |
Ecology Zoology Zimmermann, Barbara Sand, Håkan Wabakken, Petter Liberg, Olof Andreassen, Harry Peter Predator-dependent functional response in wolves: from food limitation to surplus killing |
topic_facet |
Ecology Zoology |
description |
The functional response of a predator describes the change in per capita kill rate to changes in prey density. This response can be influenced by predator densities, giving a predator-dependent functional response. In social carnivores which defend a territory, kill rates also depend on the individual energetic requirements of group members and their contribution to the kill rate. This study aims to provide empirical data for the functional response of wolves Canis lupus to the highly managed moose Alces alces population in Scandinavia. We explored prey and predator dependence, and how the functional response relates to the energetic requirements of wolf packs. Winter kill rates of GPS-collared wolves and densities of cervids were estimated for a total of 22 study periods in 15 wolf territories. The adult wolves were identified as the individuals responsible for providing kills to the wolf pack, while pups could be described as inept hunters. The predator-dependent, asymptotic functional response models (i.e. Hassell-Varley type II and Crowley-Martin) performed best among a set of 23 competing linear, asymptotic and sigmoid models. Small wolf packs acquired >3 times as much moose biomass as required to sustain their field metabolic rate (FMR), even at relatively low moose abundances. Large packs (6-9 wolves) acquired less biomass than required in territories with low moose abundance. We suggest the surplus killing by small packs is a result of an optimal foraging strategy to consume only the most nutritious parts of easy accessible prey while avoiding the risk of being detected by humans. Food limitation may have a stabilizing effect on pack size in wolves, as supported by the observed negative relationship between body weight of pups and pack size. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Zimmermann, Barbara Sand, Håkan Wabakken, Petter Liberg, Olof Andreassen, Harry Peter |
author_facet |
Zimmermann, Barbara Sand, Håkan Wabakken, Petter Liberg, Olof Andreassen, Harry Peter |
author_sort |
Zimmermann, Barbara |
title |
Predator-dependent functional response in wolves: from food limitation to surplus killing |
title_short |
Predator-dependent functional response in wolves: from food limitation to surplus killing |
title_full |
Predator-dependent functional response in wolves: from food limitation to surplus killing |
title_fullStr |
Predator-dependent functional response in wolves: from food limitation to surplus killing |
title_full_unstemmed |
Predator-dependent functional response in wolves: from food limitation to surplus killing |
title_sort |
predator-dependent functional response in wolves: from food limitation to surplus killing |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/12392/ https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/12392/11/zimmerman_b_et_al_150729.pdf https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12280 |
genre |
Alces alces Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Alces alces Canis lupus |
op_relation |
https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/12392/11/zimmerman_b_et_al_150729.pdf Zimmermann, Barbara and Sand, Håkan and Wabakken, Petter and Liberg, Olof and Andreassen, Harry Peter (2015). Predator-dependent functional response in wolves: from food limitation to surplus killing. Journal of animal ecology. 84 :1 , 102-112 [Research article] |
op_rights |
cc_by |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12280 |
container_title |
Journal of Animal Ecology |
container_volume |
84 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
102 |
op_container_end_page |
112 |
_version_ |
1766259391358566400 |