No detectable role for predators mediating effects of aquatic habitat size and permanence on populations and communities of container‐dwelling mosquitoes.

ABSTRACT: General theory from aquatic ecology predicts that smaller aquatic habitats have shorter hydroperiods favouring species that are better resource competitors and complete development quickly. Larger habitats are predicted to have longer hydroperiods enabling longer-lived predators to persist. Habitats with long hydroperiods and predators are predicted to favour slower-developing, predator resistant species, rather than competitive species.In a field experiment, we manipulated independently habitat size and hydroperiod in water-filled containers, to test these hypotheses about processes structuring aquatic communities. We used human-made containers that are dominated by mosquitoes that vary in desiccation resistance, competitive ability, and predation resistance.Habitat size and drying had si

SUBMITTER: Westby KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5612503 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature