Structurally complex sea grass obstructs the sixth sense of a specialized avian molluscivore
Predators have evolved many different ways to detect hidden prey by using advanced sensory organs. However, in some environmental contexts sensory information may be obscured. The relation between sensory organs, obstruction and searching efficiency remains little explored. In this study we experime...
Published in: | Animal Behaviour |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2016
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/11370/2ad38856-0bff-4bca-a4ca-2ce36193228a https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/2ad38856-0bff-4bca-a4ca-2ce36193228a https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.02.017 https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/79452555/Structurally_complex_sea_grass_obstructs_the_sixth_sense_of_a_specialized_avian.pdf |
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ftunigroningenpu:oai:pure.rug.nl:publications/2ad38856-0bff-4bca-a4ca-2ce36193228a 2024-09-15T18:00:48+00:00 Structurally complex sea grass obstructs the sixth sense of a specialized avian molluscivore de Fouw, Jimmy van der Heide, Tjisse Oudman, Thomas Maas, Leo R. M. Piersma, Theunis van Gils, Jan A. 2016-05 application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/11370/2ad38856-0bff-4bca-a4ca-2ce36193228a https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/2ad38856-0bff-4bca-a4ca-2ce36193228a https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.02.017 https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/79452555/Structurally_complex_sea_grass_obstructs_the_sixth_sense_of_a_specialized_avian.pdf eng eng https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/2ad38856-0bff-4bca-a4ca-2ce36193228a info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess de Fouw , J , van der Heide , T , Oudman , T , Maas , L R M , Piersma , T & van Gils , J A 2016 , ' Structurally complex sea grass obstructs the sixth sense of a specialized avian molluscivore ' , Animal Behaviour , vol. 115 , pp. 55-67 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.02.017 Calidris canutus obstruction prey detection sea grass searching efficiency article 2016 ftunigroningenpu https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.02.017 2024-06-24T15:51:16Z Predators have evolved many different ways to detect hidden prey by using advanced sensory organs. However, in some environmental contexts sensory information may be obscured. The relation between sensory organs, obstruction and searching efficiency remains little explored. In this study we experimentally examined the ways in which a sensory system (‘remote detection’), which enables red knots, Calidris canutus, to detect hard objects buried in wet soft sediments, is obstructed by plants. At an important coastal nonbreeding site of this species, the Banc d'Arguin (Mauritania, West Africa), most of the intertidal foraging area is covered by sea grass. The structurally complex networks of belowground roots and rhizomes and aboveground sea grass may obstruct information on the presence of buried bivalves and thus affect searching efficiency. Under aviary conditions we offered red knots buried bivalves in either bare soft sediments or in sea grass patches and measured prey encounter rates. Red knots detected prey by direct touch in sea grass but remotely in bare sediment. Physical modelling of the pressure field build-up around a probing bill showed that within a layer of sea grass rhizomes, permeability is reduced to the extent that the pressure field no longer reveals the presence of an object. In bare sediment, where searching efficiency is constant, red knot intake rate levelled off with increasing prey density (described by a so-called type II functional response). In the sea grass beds, however, prey density increases with sea grass density and simultaneously decreases searching efficiency, which will at some point lead to a decrease in intake rate when prey densities increase (i.e. a type IV functional response). Clearly, prey detection mechanisms dictate that the combined effects of prey density and habitat complexity should be taken into account when predicting forager distributions and habitat preference. Article in Journal/Newspaper Calidris canutus Red Knot University of Groningen research database Animal Behaviour 115 55 67 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Groningen research database |
op_collection_id |
ftunigroningenpu |
language |
English |
topic |
Calidris canutus obstruction prey detection sea grass searching efficiency |
spellingShingle |
Calidris canutus obstruction prey detection sea grass searching efficiency de Fouw, Jimmy van der Heide, Tjisse Oudman, Thomas Maas, Leo R. M. Piersma, Theunis van Gils, Jan A. Structurally complex sea grass obstructs the sixth sense of a specialized avian molluscivore |
topic_facet |
Calidris canutus obstruction prey detection sea grass searching efficiency |
description |
Predators have evolved many different ways to detect hidden prey by using advanced sensory organs. However, in some environmental contexts sensory information may be obscured. The relation between sensory organs, obstruction and searching efficiency remains little explored. In this study we experimentally examined the ways in which a sensory system (‘remote detection’), which enables red knots, Calidris canutus, to detect hard objects buried in wet soft sediments, is obstructed by plants. At an important coastal nonbreeding site of this species, the Banc d'Arguin (Mauritania, West Africa), most of the intertidal foraging area is covered by sea grass. The structurally complex networks of belowground roots and rhizomes and aboveground sea grass may obstruct information on the presence of buried bivalves and thus affect searching efficiency. Under aviary conditions we offered red knots buried bivalves in either bare soft sediments or in sea grass patches and measured prey encounter rates. Red knots detected prey by direct touch in sea grass but remotely in bare sediment. Physical modelling of the pressure field build-up around a probing bill showed that within a layer of sea grass rhizomes, permeability is reduced to the extent that the pressure field no longer reveals the presence of an object. In bare sediment, where searching efficiency is constant, red knot intake rate levelled off with increasing prey density (described by a so-called type II functional response). In the sea grass beds, however, prey density increases with sea grass density and simultaneously decreases searching efficiency, which will at some point lead to a decrease in intake rate when prey densities increase (i.e. a type IV functional response). Clearly, prey detection mechanisms dictate that the combined effects of prey density and habitat complexity should be taken into account when predicting forager distributions and habitat preference. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
de Fouw, Jimmy van der Heide, Tjisse Oudman, Thomas Maas, Leo R. M. Piersma, Theunis van Gils, Jan A. |
author_facet |
de Fouw, Jimmy van der Heide, Tjisse Oudman, Thomas Maas, Leo R. M. Piersma, Theunis van Gils, Jan A. |
author_sort |
de Fouw, Jimmy |
title |
Structurally complex sea grass obstructs the sixth sense of a specialized avian molluscivore |
title_short |
Structurally complex sea grass obstructs the sixth sense of a specialized avian molluscivore |
title_full |
Structurally complex sea grass obstructs the sixth sense of a specialized avian molluscivore |
title_fullStr |
Structurally complex sea grass obstructs the sixth sense of a specialized avian molluscivore |
title_full_unstemmed |
Structurally complex sea grass obstructs the sixth sense of a specialized avian molluscivore |
title_sort |
structurally complex sea grass obstructs the sixth sense of a specialized avian molluscivore |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/11370/2ad38856-0bff-4bca-a4ca-2ce36193228a https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/2ad38856-0bff-4bca-a4ca-2ce36193228a https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.02.017 https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/79452555/Structurally_complex_sea_grass_obstructs_the_sixth_sense_of_a_specialized_avian.pdf |
genre |
Calidris canutus Red Knot |
genre_facet |
Calidris canutus Red Knot |
op_source |
de Fouw , J , van der Heide , T , Oudman , T , Maas , L R M , Piersma , T & van Gils , J A 2016 , ' Structurally complex sea grass obstructs the sixth sense of a specialized avian molluscivore ' , Animal Behaviour , vol. 115 , pp. 55-67 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.02.017 |
op_relation |
https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/2ad38856-0bff-4bca-a4ca-2ce36193228a |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.02.017 |
container_title |
Animal Behaviour |
container_volume |
115 |
container_start_page |
55 |
op_container_end_page |
67 |
_version_ |
1810437957405900800 |