Predicting ecological consequences of marine top predator declines

Heithaus, Michael R.; Frid, Alejandro; Wirsing, Aaron J.; Worm, Boris

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2008.01.003

Cited by 1,128 publications

(973 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…This means that algal recruits were controlled by consumer-induced mortality or resource-limited growth, while the response of the gastropods may also have been behaviorally mediated since they were able to escape predators or low-resource conditions by migrating. Behaviorally mediated indirect effects of both resource availability and predation risk often contribute strongly to numerical effects on prey density (Heithaus et al 2008), likely strengthening the effects on the gastropod grazers in our experiment since there were numerous alternative predator-free resource patches for them to escape to. This is a significant difference compared to the original EEH by Oksanen et al (1981) which is an equilibrium theory with all trophic levels at their population capacity.…”

Section: Factormentioning

confidence: 75%

“…Changes in ecosystem configuration following declines in higher trophic level predators are often explained by fitting a simple trophic cascade model to time-series data of a limited number of species (e.g., McLaren and Peterson 1994;Estes et al 1998;Heithaus et al 2008). However, the top-down control of food web dynamics depends on complex interactions between environmental conditions, resource supply, individual species traits, and food web complexity (Polis and Strong 1996;Polis 1999;Menge 2000;Oksanen and Oksanen 2000;Shurin et al 2002;Hopcraft et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cascading predator control interacts with productivity to determine the trophic level of biomass accumulation in a benthic food web

Eriksson¹,

Rubach

Batsleer

et al. 2011

Ecological Research

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Large-scale exploitation of higher trophic levels by humans, together with global-scale nutrient enrichment, highlights the need to explore interactions between predator loss and resource availability. The hypothesis of exploitation ecosystems suggests that topdown and bottom-up control alternate between trophic levels, resulting in a positive relationship between primary production and the abundance of every second trophic level. Specifically, in food webs with three effective trophic levels, primary producers and predators should increase with primary production, while in food webs with two trophic levels, only herbivores should increase. We provided short-term experimental support for these model predictions in a natural benthic community with three effective trophic levels, where the number of algal recruits, but not the biomass of gastropod grazers, increased with algal production. In contrast, when the food web was reduced to two trophic levels by removing larger predators, the number of algal recruits was unchanged while gastropod grazer biomass increased with algal production. Predator removal only affected the consumer-controlled early life-stages of algae, indicating that both the number of trophic levels and the life-stage development of the producer trophic level determine the propagation of trophic cascades in benthic systems. Our results support the hypothesis that predators interact with resource availability to determine food-web structure.

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Section: Factormentioning

confidence: 75%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cascading predator control interacts with productivity to determine the trophic level of biomass accumulation in a benthic food web

Eriksson¹,

Rubach

Batsleer

et al. 2011

Ecological Research

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“…The severe and extensive depletion of apex predators worldwide has disrupted predator-prey relationships, inducing cascading effects through foodwebs. This has been demonstrated with evidence of changes in community composition [1,2], and prey population dynamics and behaviour [3][4][5], leading to major simplification of the Earth's ecosystems [6]. Indirect effects of predators on prey, mediated through prey behaviour to avoid the risk of predation, can be as important at a population level as the direct fitness consequences of predation [1,7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relaxation of risk-sensitive behaviour of prey following disease-induced decline of an apex predator, the Tasmanian devil

et al. 2015

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Apex predators structure ecosystems through lethal and non-lethal interactions with prey, and their global decline is causing loss of ecological function. Behavioural changes of prey are some of the most rapid responses to predator decline and may act as an early indicator of cascading effects. The Tasmanian devil ( Sarcophilus harrisii ), an apex predator, is undergoing progressive and extensive population decline, of more than 90% in long-diseased areas, caused by a novel disease. Time since local disease outbreak correlates with devil population declines and thus predation risk. We used hair traps and giving-up densities (GUDs) in food patches to test whether a major prey species of devils, the arboreal common brushtail possum ( Trichosurus vulpecula ), is responsive to the changing risk of predation when they forage on the ground. Possums spend more time on the ground, discover food patches faster and forage more to a lower GUD with increasing years since disease outbreak and greater devil population decline. Loss of top–down effects of devils with respect to predation risk was evident at 90% devil population decline, with possum behaviour indistinguishable from a devil-free island. Alternative predators may help to maintain risk-sensitive anti-predator behaviours in possums while devil populations remain low.

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“…Thus, knowledge of potential ecological consequences of declines in the abundance of predators is critical for fisheries and marine ecosystem management (Heithaus et al, 2008). For this reason, information on feeding habits and trophic interactions between species are very important and necessary ecological parameters for the correct management and protection of fisheries (Navia et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet composition and feeding habits of the eyespot skate, Atlantoraja cyclophora (Elasmobranchii: Arhynchobatidae), off Uruguay and northern Argentina

Barbini

Lucifora

2016

Neotrop. ichthyol.

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The eyespot skate, Atlantoraja cyclophora, is an endemic species from the southwestern Atlantic, occurring from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to northern Patagonia, Argentina. The feeding habits of this species, from off Uruguay and north Argentina, were evaluated using a multiple hypothesis modelling approach. In general, the diet was composed mainly of decapod crustaceans, followed by teleost fishes. Molluscs, mysidaceans, amphipods, isopods, lancelets and elasmobranchs were consumed in lower proportion. The consumption of shrimps drecreased with increasing body size of A. cyclophora. On the other hand, the consumption of teleosts increased with body size. Mature individuals preyed more heavily on crabs than immature individuals. Teleosts were consumed more in the south region (34º -38ºS) and crabs in the north region (38º -41ºS). Shrimps were eaten more in the warm season than in the cold season. Prey size increased with increasing body size of A. cyclophora, but large individuals also consumed small teleosts and crabs. Atlantoraja cyclophora has demersal-benthic feeding habits, shifts its diet with increasing body size and in response to seasonal and regional changes in prey availability and distribution.La raya de círculos, Atlantoraja cyclophora, es una especie endémica del Atlántico Sudoccidental, que se distribuye desde Río de Janeiro, Brasil, hasta el norte de la Patagonia, Argentina. Los hábitos alimentarios de esta especie fueron evaluados frente a la costa de Uruguay y norte de Argentina, utilizando un enfoque de modelado de múltiples hipótesis. En general, la dieta estuvo compuesta principalmente por crustáceos decápodos (71,37 %IRI), seguido de peces teleósteos (28,54 %IRI). En menor proporción fueron consumidos moluscos, misidáceos, anfípodos, isópodos, anfioxos y elasmobranquios. El consumo de decápodos Natantia disminuyó con el incremento del tamaño del cuerpo de A. cyclophora. Por otro lado, el consumo de teleósteos se incrementó con el incremento del tamaño del cuerpo. Individuos maduros consumieron cangrejos en mayor proporción que individuos inmaduros. Los teleósteos fueron consumidos mayormente en la región sur (34º -38ºS) y los cangrejos en la región norte (38º -41ºS). Los decápodos Natantia fueron más consumidos en la estación cálida que en la estación fría. El tamaño de las presas consumidas se incrementó con el aumento del tamaño corporal de A. cyclophora, pero individuos de mayor tamaño no abandonadon el consumo de pequeños cangrejos y teleósteos. Atlantoraja cyclophora presenta hábitos alimentarios demersal-bentónicos, cambia su dieta con el incremento del tamaño corporal y en respuesta a cambios estacionales y regionales en la disponibilidad y distribución de las presas.

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Predicting ecological consequences of marine top predator declines

Cited by 1,128 publications

References 64 publications

Cascading predator control interacts with productivity to determine the trophic level of biomass accumulation in a benthic food web

Cascading predator control interacts with productivity to determine the trophic level of biomass accumulation in a benthic food web

Relaxation of risk-sensitive behaviour of prey following disease-induced decline of an apex predator, the Tasmanian devil

Diet composition and feeding habits of the eyespot skate, Atlantoraja cyclophora (Elasmobranchii: Arhynchobatidae), off Uruguay and northern Argentina

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