Nonconsumptive effects in a multiple predator system reduce the foraging efficiency of a keystone predator.

ABSTRACT: Many studies have demonstrated that the nonconsumptive effect (NCE) of predators on prey traits can alter prey demographics in ways that are just as strong as the consumptive effect (CE) of predators. Less well studied, however, is how the CE and NCE of multiple predator species can interact to influence the combined effect of multiple predators on prey mortality. We examined the extent to which the NCE of one predator altered the CE of another predator on a shared prey and evaluated whether we can better predict the combined impact of multiple predators on prey when accounting for this influence. We conducted a set of experiments with larval dragonflies, adult newts (a known keystone predator), and their tadpole prey. We quantified the CE and NCE of each predator, the extent to which NCEs

SUBMITTER: Davenport JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3790551 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature