Mismatch in microbial food webs: predators but not prey perform better in their local biotic and abiotic conditions.

ABSTRACT: Understanding how trophic levels respond to changes in abiotic and biotic conditions is key for predicting how food webs will react to environmental perturbations. Different trophic levels may respond disproportionately to change, with lower levels more likely to react faster, as they typically consist of smaller-bodied species with higher reproductive rates. This response could cause a mismatch between trophic levels, in which predators and prey will respond differently to changing abiotic or biotic conditions. This mismatch between trophic levels could result in altered top-down and bottom-up control and changes in interaction strength. To determine the possibility of a mismatch, we conducted a reciprocal-transplant experiment involving Sarracenia purpurea food webs consisting of bacteri

SUBMITTER: Parain EC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4979714 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature