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The far-reaching effects of genetic process in a keystone predator species, grey wolves.

ABSTRACT: Although detrimental genetic processes are known to adversely affect the viability of populations, little is known about how detrimental genetic processes in a keystone species can affect the functioning of ecosystems. Here, we assessed how changes in the genetic characteristics of a keystone predator, grey wolves, affected the ecosystem of Isle Royale National Park over two decades. Changes in the genetic characteristic of the wolf population associated with a genetic rescue event, followed by high levels of inbreeding, led to a rise and then fall in predation rates on moose, the primary prey of wolves and dominant mammalian herbivore in this system. Those changes in predation rate led to large fluctuations in moose abundance, which in turn affected browse rates on balsam fir, the dominant forage for moose during winter and an important boreal forest species. Thus, forest dynamics can be traced back to changes in the genetic characteristics of a predator population.

SUBMITTER: Hoy SR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10446474 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The far-reaching effects of genetic process in a keystone predator species, grey wolves.

Hoy Sarah R SR Hedrick Philip W PW Peterson Rolf O RO Vucetich Leah M LM Brzeski Kristin E KE Vucetich John A JA

Science advances 20230823 34

Although detrimental genetic processes are known to adversely affect the viability of populations, little is known about how detrimental genetic processes in a keystone species can affect the functioning of ecosystems. Here, we assessed how changes in the genetic characteristics of a keystone predator, grey wolves, affected the ecosystem of Isle Royale National Park over two decades. Changes in the genetic characteristic of the wolf population associated with a genetic rescue event, followed by ...[more]

PMID: 37611108

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Project description:The importance of trait variation has long been recognized in ecological and evolutionary research. The divergence of sexually dimorphic traits (e.g., body size, morphology, behavior, etc.) is primarily attributed to sexual selection, and sexual dimorphism can have consequences for diets and habitat use. Recent evidence for one aquatic predator species (adult newts; Notophthalmus viridescens) suggests that trait differences and habitat partitioning between the sexes may be important in structuring zooplankton communities. However, newts are known to increase amphibian diversity within pond communities via keystone predation. Yet, no data are available on differentiating potentially sexually dimorphic effects of newts on larval amphibian communities. Thus, we conducted a series of mesocosm experiments to determine the effects of sexual dimorphism of adult newts on larval amphibian communities. Based on previous work with newts and zooplankton, we hypothesized that male and female newts would have differing effects on prey communities. We found that female newts consumed one prey species more than male newts did and no newt treatments. There were no differences between the sexes in prey consumption of another prey species. Size at metamorphosis was greater in the presence of newts (either male or female) for wood frogs and in the presence of female newts for spotted salamanders in comparison with no newt treatments. Our findings indicate that sexual dimorphism within a known keystone predator can have differential effects on prey. Indeed, our results indicate that while the effects of predators on one response (survival) can differ between sexes, the impacts on another response (prey fitness; measured as size at metamorphosis) were similar. Our research to understand the effects of sexual dimorphism is timely as sex ratios of predators may become skewed in nature due to anthropogenic change. If intraspecific differences exist via top-down effects, then downstream impacts on prey communities may go unnoticed.

Dataset Information

The far-reaching effects of genetic process in a keystone predator species, grey wolves.

Publications

The far-reaching effects of genetic process in a keystone predator species, grey wolves.

Similar Datasets

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