Integrating temporal refugia into landscapes of fear: prey exploit predator downtimes to forage in risky places

Smith, Justine A.; Donadío, Emiliano; Pauli, Jonathan N.; Sheriff, Michael J.; Middleton, Arthur D.

doi:10.1007/s00442-019-04381-5

Cited by 95 publications

(143 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Counter to these predictions, pumas are the clear winner in the llano. One explanation for this disconnect is the scale of our analysis; although vicuñas are forced by nutritional demands to select for vegetation in the llano, they may employ spatiotemporal riskavoidance behaviors that still allow use of the refuge during risky times (Smith et al 2019). Vicuñas are more vigilant in vegetated than open areas, indicating that they also mitigate risk through temporal (i.e., activity budget) risk-avoidance strategies (Donadio and Buskirk 2016) and may be able to seek refuge if a predator is detected.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Predators search for their prey; prey avoid their predators. This ecological adage has been conceptualized as a behavioral "response race" in which both prey and predators are mobile and make decisions about space use, resulting in spatially varying and dynamic levels of predation (Sih 1984(Sih , 2005. Predators win the race by successfully finding and killing their prey.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Any limitation on predator hunting conditions (i.e., required stalking cover) allows prey to mitigate their predation risk by utilizing areas where predator hunting efficacy is diminished (Sih 1984, Cresswell et al 2010, Schmitz et al 2017. However, when prey depend on a limited and patchy food resource they may be forced to endure higher spatial overlap with predators, as predators are able to readily predict prey location (Sih 2005). The outcome of the behavioral response race between predator and prey is therefore contingent on which of the two players is more constrained in their shared landscape.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The prey response could be predicted to dominate because the presence of a refuge allows prey to successfully avoid hunting predators (Sih 1984). Conversely, the predator response could be predicted to dominate as is often the case when patches vary in resource availability and prey are reliant on a fixed distribution of resources (Sih 2005). Joint spatial anchors therefore confuse the dynamics of the predatorprey space race and our ability to predict whether habitat limitation will favor predator or prey.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Habitat complexity mediates the predator–prey space race

Smith

Donadío

Pauli

et al. 2019

Ecology

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The spatial relationship between predator and prey is often conceptualized as a behavioral response race, in which prey avoid predators while predators track prey. Limiting habitat types can create spatial anchors for prey or predators, influencing the likelihood that the predator or prey response will dominate. Joint spatial anchors emerge when predator and prey occupy similar feeding habitat domains and risk and reward become spatially conflated, confusing predictions of which player will win the space race. These spatial dynamics of risk‐foraging trade‐offs are often obscured by habitat heterogeneity and community complexity in large vertebrate systems, fueling ambiguity regarding the generality of predictions from predator–prey theory. To test how habitat distribution influences the predator–prey space race, we examine correlation in puma and vicuña habitat selection and space use at two sites, one of which generates a distinct risk–foraging trade‐off at a joint spatial anchor. The distribution of vegetation, which serves as both forage for vicuñas and stalking cover for pumas, differs between the sites; the llano contains a single central meadow that acts as a joint spatial anchor, while the canyon is characterized by more heterogeneous vegetation. Puma–vicuña habitat selection correlation was positive in the llano and negative in the canyon, and similarly, utilization distributions were more strongly correlated in the llano than the canyon. Vicuña locations occurred at higher values of puma habitat selection and utilization in the llano than in the canyon. Similarly, puma locations in the llano occurred at higher values of vicuña habitat selection and utilization than in the canyon. Although pumas consistently selected for and utilized vegetative and topographic cover regardless of habitat distribution, vicuñas only selected against vegetation in the heterogeneous canyon site, reducing spatial correlation with pumas. Our work suggests a joint spatial anchor favors pumas in the space race due to the inability for vicuñas to avoid crucial foraging habitat. The outcome of the predator–prey space race appears to be strongly informed by the distribution of habitat, whereby corresponding predictability of predator and prey favors predators in the spatial game.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Habitat complexity mediates the predator–prey space race

Smith

Donadío

Pauli

et al. 2019

Ecology

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“…crepuscular predators), for example, and their cues would not constitute a threat outside those times (e.g. [5,6]). In such cases, prey have the opportunity to learn temporal patterns of risk and safety [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time-dependent latent inhibition of predator-recognition learning

2019

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To optimally manage an environment with predators, prey must correctly distinguish between cues that are risky and cues that are safe. Even a specific cue that is safe in one area or at a certain time may be dangerous in other situations, and vice versa. Latent inhibition is a cognitive mechanism by which animals fail to learn that a stimulus as risky because they have already learned it as non-threatening via previous encounters with the stimulus in the absence of negative consequences. Here, we demonstrate that latent inhibition of predator-recognition learning in wood frog tadpoles, Lithobates sylvaticus , depends on the timing of their learning opportunities. For 6 days, tadpoles were exposed daily to an initially novel stimulus (salamander odour), either in the morning (11.00–13.00 h) or evening (16.00–18.00 h). The following day, we conditioned tadpoles to recognize the salamander odour as a predator by pairing it with injured tadpole cues, either at the same time as their previous experience or at the opposite time. When tested the following day, latent inhibition occurred under each scenario where the timing of conditioning matched the timing of the pre-exposure. However, tadpoles tested in the morning showed learned fright responses when conditioned in the morning if their pre-exposure had occurred in the evening, whereas individuals tested in the evening showed learned fright responses when conditioned in the evening if their pre-exposure had occurred in the morning. This is the first report of time-dependent latent inhibition of predator-recognition learning, which is likely an important mechanism for correctly managing predation risk and safety.

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Risky business: How an herbivore navigates spatiotemporal aspects of risk from competitors and predators

Holbrook

2022

Ecological Applications

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Understanding factors that influence animal behavior is central to ecology.Basic principles of animal ecology imply that individuals should seek to maximize survival and reproduction, which means carefully weighing risk against reward. Decisions become increasingly complex and constrained, however, when risk is spatiotemporally variable. We advance a growing body of work in predator-prey behavior by evaluating novel questions where a prey species is confronted with multiple predators and a potential competitor. We tested how fine-scale behavior of female mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) during the reproductive season shifted depending upon spatial and temporal variation in risk from predators and a potential competitor. We expected female deer to

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Integrating temporal refugia into landscapes of fear: prey exploit predator downtimes to forage in risky places

Cited by 95 publications

References 40 publications

Habitat complexity mediates the predator–prey space race

Habitat complexity mediates the predator–prey space race

Time-dependent latent inhibition of predator-recognition learning

Risky business: How an herbivore navigates spatiotemporal aspects of risk from competitors and predators

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