Ontogenetic niche shifts matter in community ecology: a review and future perspectives

Nakazawa, Takefumi

doi:10.1007/s10144-014-0448-z

Cited by 131 publications

(140 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…However, when length data were available for digested individual fish and crab prey, the corresponding undigested mass was estimated using species-and life history-specific length-weight relationships estimated from weight and length measurements of largely undigested prey (>75% intact; JCP Reum, unpublished data). Although authors have reasonably cautioned against using mean body sizes of either predators or prey to calculate PPMR (Nakazawa, 2015(Nakazawa, , 2017Nakazawa et al, 2011), we believe the benefits outweigh the risks in our analysis because body mass variation in the prey categories for which we had to estimate individual body mass was low (much less than an order of magnitude). First, if total mass and count information were available (64% of records), we calculated mean body mass by dividing the total recorded weight by number of individuals.…”

Section: Diet Datamentioning

confidence: 95%

Energetically relevant predator–prey body mass ratios and their relationship with predator body size

Reum

Holsman

Aydin

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Food web structure and dynamics depend on relationships between body sizes of predators and their prey. Species‐based and community‐wide estimates of preferred and realized predator–prey mass ratios (PPMR) are required inputs to size‐based size spectrum models of marine communities, food webs, and ecosystems. Here, we clarify differences between PPMR definitions in different size spectrum models, in particular differences between PPMR measurements weighting prey abundance in individual predators by biomass (r bio) and numbers (r num). We argue that the former weighting generates PPMR as usually conceptualized in equilibrium (static) size spectrum models while the latter usually applies to dynamic models. We use diet information from 170,689 individuals of 34 species of fish in Alaskan marine ecosystems to calculate both PPMR metrics. Using hierarchical models, we examine how explained variance in these metrics changed with predator body size, predator taxonomic resolution, and spatial resolution. In the hierarchical analysis, variance in both metrics emerged primarily at the species level and substantially less variance was associated with other (higher) taxonomic levels or with spatial resolution. This suggests that changes in species composition are the main drivers of community‐wide mean PPMR. At all levels of analysis, relationships between weighted mean r bio or weighted mean r num and predator mass tended to be dome‐shaped. Weighted mean r num values, for species and community‐wide, were approximately an order of magnitude higher than weighted mean r bio, reflecting the consistent numeric dominance of small prey in predator diets. As well as increasing understanding of the drivers of variation in PPMR and providing estimates of PPMR in the north Pacific Ocean, our results demonstrate that that r bio or r num, as well as their corresponding weighted means for any defined group of predators, are not directly substitutable. When developing equilibrium size‐based models based on bulk energy flux or comparing PPMR estimates derived from the relationship between body mass and trophic level with those based on diet analysis, weighted mean r bio is a more appropriate measure of PPMR. When calibrating preference PPMR in dynamic size spectrum models then weighted mean r num will be a more appropriate measure of PPMR.

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Section: Diet Datamentioning

confidence: 95%

Energetically relevant predator–prey body mass ratios and their relationship with predator body size

Reum

Holsman

Aydin

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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“…One persistent question associated with such structured life cycles is whether they promote or impede species coexistence (Miller and Rudolf , Nakazawa ). In simple, two‐species models with two discrete life stages (e.g., larvae and adults), coexistence of two species depends on the nature of change in the niche with stage, the asymmetry in the outcome of competition between the species at different stages, and which stage primarily limits the growth of each species (Haefner and Edson , Loreau and Ebenhoh , Moll and Brown , Ackleh and Chiquet , de Roos and Persson ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting coexistence in species with continuous ontogenetic niche shifts and competitive asymmetry

Bassar

Travis

Coulson

2017

Ecology

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A longstanding problem in ecology is whether structured life cycles impede or facilitate coexistence between species. Theory based on populations with only two discrete stages in the life-cycle indicates that for two species to coexist, at least one must shift its niche between stages and each species must be a better competitor in one of the niches. However, in many cases, niche shifts are associated with changes in an underlying continuous trait like body size and we have few predictions concerning conditions for coexistence for such a widespread form of ontogenetic development. We develop a framework for analyzing species coexistence based on Integral Projection Models (IPMs) that incorporates continuous ontogenetic changes in both the resource niche and competitive ability. We parameterize the model using experimental data from Trinidadian guppies and show how niche shifts and competitive symmetries impact species coexistence. Overall, our results show that the effects of competition on fitness depend upon trait-mediated niche-separation, trait-mediated competitive asymmetry in the part of the niche that is shared across body sizes, and the sensitivity of fitness to body size. Interactions among these processes generate multiple routes to coexistence. We discuss how our modeling framework expands results from two-stage models to mutli-stage or continuous stage models and allows for deriving predictions that can be tested in populations displaying continuous changes in niche use and competitive ability.

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“…Moreover, the ontogenetic effects on the structural network described in the present study may usefully be extended to other communities and habitats because ontogenetic dietary processes are common in the animal kingdom (e.g. Nakazawa 2015). This strongly emphasizes the need to include the ontogenetic dietary shifts of species into food web construction in order to improve the accuracy of the networks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Do age-related changes in feeding habits of brown trout alter structural properties of food webs?

Sánchez‐Hernández

2016

Aquat Ecol

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The aim of this study was to quantify changes in food webs based on ontogenetic dietary shifts of a top fish predator (here brown trout Salmo trutta L.). Here, the food web of a river in Central Spain (River Tormes) was studied to test the hypothesis that food web structural properties may change according to age-related changes in feeding habits of brown trout. Thus, the food web was established separately for age-0, age-1 and age-2 brown trout using a forward procedure (individual, modular and river networks); next the complete trophic networks were established. Overall, the networks were characterized by generalist predators with numerous prey types; specialized feeding was limited to a low number of taxa. Food web structural properties (number of links, connectance and linkage density) had the highest values in the age-1 scenario. The highest trophic level (i.e. the highest number of energy steps) was also found in the age-1 scenario, but the lowest in the age-0 scenario. Vulnerability and generalization tend to be higher in age-1 and age-0 scenarios, respectively. The present study exemplifies that agespecific brown trout predation on invertebrate predators emerged as the key factor to understand the changes in food web structural properties among age scenarios. I conclude that ontogenetic dietary shifts of brown trout promote changes in food web structural properties. This conclusion underscores the importance of considering different life history stages of species (i.e. to cover their ontogenetic dietary shifts) in food web construction.

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Ontogenetic niche shifts matter in community ecology: a review and future perspectives

Cited by 131 publications

References 72 publications

Energetically relevant predator–prey body mass ratios and their relationship with predator body size

Energetically relevant predator–prey body mass ratios and their relationship with predator body size

Predicting coexistence in species with continuous ontogenetic niche shifts and competitive asymmetry

Do age-related changes in feeding habits of brown trout alter structural properties of food webs?

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