Effects of enhanced productivity of resources shared by predators in a food-web module: Comparing results of a field experiment to predictions of mathematical models of intra-guild predation.

ABSTRACT: We compared the response to resource enhancement of a simple empirical model of intra-guild predation (IGP) to the predictions of published, simple mathematical models of asymmetric IGP (a generalist IG Predator that feeds both on a specialist IG Prey and a Resource that it shares with the IG Prey). The empirical model was a food-web module created by pooling species abundances across many families in a speciose community of soil micro-arthropods into three categories: IG Predator (large predatory mites), IG Prey (small predatory mites), and a shared Resource (fungivorous mites and springtails). By pooling abundances of species belonging to broadly defined functional groups, we tested the hypothesis that IGP is a dominant organizing principle in this community. Simple mathematical models o

SUBMITTER: Wise DH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8668814 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature