Dung-associated arthropods influence foraging ecology and habitat selection in Black-necked Cranes (Grus nigricollis) on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

ABSTRACT: Variation in grassland vegetation structure influences the habitat selection of insectivorous birds. This variation presents a trade-off for insectivorous predators: Arthropod abundance increases with vegetation height and heterogeneity, but access to arthropod prey items decreases. In contrast, grazing by large herbivores reduces and homogenizes vegetation, decreasing total arthropod abundance and diversity. However, the presence of livestock dung may help counteract the overall reduction in invertebrates by increasing arthropods associated with dung. It is unclear, however, how the presence of arthropod prey in dung contributes to overall habitat selection for insectivorous birds or how dung-associated arthropods affect trade-offs between vegetation structure, arthropod abundance, and ac

SUBMITTER: Liu W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6392495 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature