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51 results for “generalist predator”
Data from: Prey killing rate of a generalist predator may be enhanced by macronutrient manipulation
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European bird declines: do we need to rethink approaches to the management of abundant generalist predators?
<ol> <li>Bird species are declining across Europe. Current European policy, i.e. the Birds and Habitats Directives, focus on habitat management as a way of halting the declines. This paper explores the role of predation in causing bird population declines and asks if we need to reconsider our approach to the management of generalist predators. </li> <li>We analysed bird population trends and distribution changes across Europe, Britain and Ireland, reflecting an increasing gradient of generalist predator abundance (principally red fox <i>Vulpes vulpes </i>and species of the family <i>Corvidae</i>). We tested if ground-nesting bird species, considered more vulnerable to predation,were in greater decline compared to other nesting strategies. We also compared Annex I designated species to non-designated species as a proxy for habitat management.</li> <li>We found that across Europe, 74% of ground-nesting bird species were in decline, compared to 41% of other species. This was especially evident in Britain, where the pattern was 66% compared to 31%, and in Ireland, 71% compared to 20%. Ground-nesting species were significantly more likely to be declining than other species.</li> <li>These patterns are consistent with the idea that population declines are at least partially related to the increased abundance of generalist predators. In Britain, ground-nesting species were less likely to be in decline if covered by Annex I designation. However, in Europe and Ireland, Annex I status did not mitigate the effect of nesting strategy. </li> <li> <i>Policy implications</i><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>. Current legislation is clearly insufficient to prevent widespread declines in ground-nesting birds, and this is the case across Europe, in Britain and Ireland. Ignoring the role of generalist predators in modern landscapes may lead to further declines and losses. We urgently need large-scale experiments to establish causality in the impact of generalist predators on ground-nesting birds in different landscapes. If we value our ground-nesting bird species, consideration needs to be given to the control of widespread generalist predators, at least until landscapes are restored.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </li> </ol> <div> <div> <div class="msocomtxt"> <p class="MsoCommentText"> </p> </div> </div> </div>
Data from: The difference between generalist and specialist: the effects of wide fluctuations in main food abundance on numbers and reproduction of two co-existing predators
<p>Specialist individuals within animal populations have shown to be more efficient foragers and/or to have higher reproductive success than generalist individuals, but interspecific reproductive consequences of the degree of diet specialisation in vertebrate predators have remained unstudied. Eurasian pygmy owls (hereafter POs) have less vole-specialised diets than Tengmalm's owls (TOs), both of which mainly subsist on temporally fluctuating food resources (voles). To test whether the specialist TO is more limited by the main prey abundance than the generalist PO, we studied breeding densities and reproductive traits of co-existing POs and TOs in central-western Finland during 2002-2019. Breeding densities of POs increased with augmenting densities of voles in the previous autumn, whereas breeding densities of TOs increased with higher vole densities in both the previous autumn and the current spring. In years of vole scarcity, PO females started egg-laying earlier than TOs, whereas in years of vole abundance TO females laid eggs substantially earlier than PO females. The yearly mean clutch size and number of fledglings produced of both POs and TOs increased with abundance of voles in the current spring. POs laid large clutches and produced large broods in years of both high and low vole abundance, whereas TOs were able to do so only in years of high vole abundance. POs were able to raise on average 73% of the eggs to fledglings whereas TOs only 44%. The generalist foraging strategy of POs including flexible switching from main prey to alternative prey (small birds) appeared to be more productive than the strictly vole-specialized foraging strategy of TOs. In contrast to earlier studies at the individual-level, specialist predators at the species level (in this case TOs) appear to be less effective than generalists (POs), but diet specialisation was particularly costly under conditions when scarcity of main foods limited offspring production.</p>
Data from: Temperature dependence of predation stress and the nutritional ecology of a generalist herbivore
Prey at risk of predation may experience stress and respond physiologically by altering their metabolic rates. Theory predicts that such physiological changes should alter prey nutrient demands from N-rich to C-rich macronutrients and shift the balance between maintenance and growth/reproduction. Theory further suggests that for ectotherms, temperature stands to exacerbate this stress. Yet, the interactive effects of predation stress and temperature stress on diet, metabolism, and survival of ectotherms are not well known. This knowledge gap was addressed with a laboratory study in which wild juvenile grasshoppers were collected, assigned to one of three groups, and raised at three different temperatures. All grasshoppers had access to equal quantities of two diets composed of opposite carbohydrate:protein ratios. Half of the individuals in each temperature group were exposed to predation risk cues from spider predators, while the other half were kept in risk free conditions. Grasshoppers consumed more carbohydrates when exposed to predation risk, but consumption favored greater protein intake as temperature increased. Moreover, the difference in carbohydrate intake between risk cue and risk free treatments diminished as temperature increased. Furthermore, variability between individual consumption patterns both within and between treatments decreased markedly as temperature increased, suggesting that higher temperatures promote more consistent individual consumption behaviors. Grasshoppers grew faster and larger as temperature increased, which translated into higher survival rates at higher temperatures. Warmer grasshoppers also did not alter their metabolic rates in response to predation risk cues, in contrast to colder grasshoppers. Digestive efficiency increased with temperature as well, further indicating that lower temperatures were much more stressful than higher temperatures for grasshoppers. The study shows that physiological responses of ectothermic herbivores to predation stress are highly plastic and temperature dependent, with higher temperatures promoting increased protein intake, growth, development, survival, and digestive efficiency relative to colder temperatures. These findings help to reconcile why dietary responses (proportion of protein vs. carbohydrate intake) to predation stress may vary among different prey taxa studied previously.
Data from: Biological control in winter: novel evidence for the importance of generalist predators
1. The role of generalist predators in pest control has been neglected because generalists are not able to track pest populations. Generalist predators are suggested to be important in spring before specialist predators become active. 2. Here, we show that some generalist predators are important even during winter, when the majority of arthropod pests and their enemies are dormant. We quantified the role of winter-active generalist predators on the suppression of pear psylla during winter using a discrete nonlinear model of an intraguild predation system. 3. To parameterize our model, we conducted a series of experiments on (i) functional responses, (ii) prey preferences and (iii) ontogenetic development and made observations on the population densities of spiders and potential prey. We ran the model for different winter scenarios, that is, for very cold and very warm winters. 4. Synthesis and applications. We found that winter-active predators considerably suppressed the pear psylla population. Predators exerted a stronger effect in a warmer winter than in a colder one. Orchard growers thus should avoid use of non-selective pesticides during this period and instead aim to support the community of generalist predators. Our results suggest more attention should be given to encouraging generalist predator populations in other systems, even in periods when crops are not producing.
Data from: Associations between gamebird releases and generalist predators
1. The release of more than 40 million captive-bred Pheasants and Red-legged Partridges in Britain annually represents a significant addition to the potential food resource base for predators and scavengers. If this extra food availability subsidises predator populations, gamebird releases could increase predation pressure on other wild birds, affecting their populations. 2. Using three extensive datasets, we examined the spatial relationships between reared and free-roaming gamebirds (Pheasant Phasianus colchicus and Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa), and explored spatial and temporal associations between these gamebirds and five species of avian predator (Buzzard Buteo buteo, Jay Garrulus glandarius, Raven Corvus corax, Magpie Pica pica, and Hooded Corvus cornix and Carrion Corvus corone Crows combined) in lowland rural Britain. 3. Patterns of spatial variation in the abundance of free-roaming gamebirds across Britain appear to be largely determined by gamebird releases, over and above any effects of land-use or habitat. Predominantly positive associations between gamebird abundance (both reared and free-roaming) and the abundance and inter-annual population growth rates of predators tested suggest that large-scale variation in avian predator populations may be positively affected by gamebird releases. 4. Synthesis and applications. The positive associations between large-scale gamebird release and predator populations shown here may have implications for prey populations if this causes increased predation pressure. If this occurred, game management could have an indirect negative impact on some prey species partially counteracting previously reported positive or benign effects of game management on wider biodiversity. Overall impacts of gamebird releases are likely to be determined by complex interactions between multiple factors, including induced predation pressure, better understanding of which would be possible with compulsory recording of releases and numbers of predators killed. Restriction of releases warrants further investigation and consideration as a potential conservation tool for wild bird populations.
Data from: The difference between generalist and specialist: the effects of wide fluctuations in main food abundance on numbers and reproduction of two co-existing predators
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Biological control in winter: novel evidence for the importance of generalist predators
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Associations between gamebird releases and generalist predators
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Temperature dependence of predation stress and the nutritional ecology of a generalist herbivore
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
European bird declines: do we need to rethink approaches to the management of abundant generalist predators?
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
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