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17 results for “trait-mediated effects”
Relyea, R. A., and K. L. Yurewicz. 2002. Predicting community outcomes from pairwise interactions: Integrating density- and trait-mediated effects. Oecologia 131:569-579.
Understanding how species interactions shape the structure of ecological communities based on pairwise comparisons has been a difficult undertaking for ecologists because effects in reassembled communities can be different than simple density-mediated interactions would suggest. Part of this complexity occurs because many species change their behavior and morphology with different predators and competitors and, thus, change their per-capita interaction rates (i.e. trait-mediated interactions). Our objective was to use a simple experimental community of two predators (larval dragonflies, Anax longipes, and larval salamanders, Ambystoma tigrinum), two prey (larval green frogs, Rana clamitans, and larval bullfrogs, R. catesbeiana), and a shared prey resource to determine whether we can predict interactions in a reassembled community by combining our knowledge of density- and trait-mediated interactions,. We combined pairwise laboratory experiments on predation rates and predator-induced behaviors with a mesocosm experiment to examine density- and trait-mediated effects. We used a factorial combination of no predators, caged Anax (to induce anti-predator traits without changing prey density), and lethal Anax crossed with no predators, caged Ambystoma, and lethal Ambystoma. The species interactions in the reassembled community were qualitatively predictable based on the pairwise experiments. Lethal Anax preyed upon Ambystoma and green frogs while lethal Ambystoma only preyed upon green frogs. Anax also reduced the activity of the green frogs; this caused a decrease in salamander predation on green frogs, a decrease in green frog acquisition of resources, and an increase in bullfrog acquisition of resources. Ambystoma had no effect on green frog activity, no effect on resource acquisition by green frogs, and no effect on resource acquisition by bullfrogs. These results suggest that we can better understand how species interact in natural communities if we have a more deta
Relyea, R. A. 2000. Trait-mediated indirect effects in larval anurans: Reversing competition with the threat of predation. Ecology 81:2278-2289.
Ecologists recently have been focusing on the role that trait-mediated indirect effects can have on community structure and composition. To date, this work has primarily focused on the effects of predator-induced behavioral plasticity on communities. However, predator-induced morphological plasticity, which has been documented in many taxa, might also lead to trait-mediated indirect effects. Here, I examined how predators altered the behavior and morphology of larval wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) and leopard frogs (R. pipiens) and how these phenotypic changes altered the outcome of competition between the two species. Competition in the absence of caged predators was asymmetric; when reared separately, leopard frogs grew more than wood frogs, but when competing (without predators), wood frogs grew faster than leopard frogs. The presence of caged predators reversed the outcome of competition between the two anuran prey. In the presence of larval dragonflies (Anax spp.) or caged mudminnows (Umbra limi), leopard frogs grew faster than wood frogs while total tadpole biomass production remained unchanged. Thus, there was a predator-mediated indirect effect. Because predators alter both the behavior and morphology of larval anurans and both of these traits are known to affect resource consumption and growth, both are potential mechanisms to explain the change in competitive outcome. Changes in behavior were not related to changes in growth, but changes in morphology (specifically mouth width and tail length) were related to changes in growth. When competitors were added (without predators), wood frogs increased their mouth width by 10% and their tail length by 3%, while leopard frogs increased their mouth width by 5% and did not change their tail length. The greater increase in mouth width for wood frogs should increase their forage intake, since tadpoles feed by scraping periphyton; the importance of a 3% longer tail in competitive ability is unknown. The presence of the p
Data from: Bottom-up trait-mediated indirect effects decrease pathogen transmission in a tritrophic system
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Risk of predation increases susceptibility to parasitism via trait-mediated indirect effects
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Herbivory of a biocontrol agent on a native plant causes an indirect trait-mediated non-target effect on a native insect
<p>Identifying food web linkages between biocontrol agents of invasive plants and native species is crucial for predicting indirect non-target effects. Biocontrol insects can integrate into food webs within recipient habitats and influence native insects through apparent competition (altering shared natural enemies) or density-mediated exploitation competition (changing density of native plants). However, whether and how trait-mediated exploitation competition (modifying native plant chemical defenses and volatiles profiles) can produce indirect non-target effects remains largely overlooked, despite plant phenotypic responses to insect herbivory being common and widely documented.</p> <p>The beetle <em>Agasicles hygrophila</em> was introduced into China for management of weedy <em>Alternanthera philoxeroides</em>, but it also attacks the native congener <em>A. sessilis</em>, which may have indirect non-target effects on the native beetle <em>Cassida piperata </em>that also feeds on <em>A. sessilis</em>. Here, we examined the relationships among the abundance of <em>A. hygrophila</em> and <em>C. piperata</em>, and <em>A. sessilis</em> coverage in the field. Then, we investigated the impact of <em>A. hygrophila</em> herbivory on <em>C. piperata</em> development and oviposition, as well as<em> A. sessilis</em> primary metabolites and leaf volatiles.</p> <p><em>Cassida piperata</em> abundance was not related to <em>A. sessilis</em> coverage, but <em>C. piperata</em> was less abundant on plants with more<em> A. hygrophila</em> in the field survey and on plants with more prior<em> A. hygrophila</em> damage in the field cage experiment. <em>Cassida piperata </em>development was inhibited by prior <em>A. hygrophila </em>herbivory in bioassays in enemy-free conditions and they preferred to oviposit on <em>A. sessilis </em>plants that had experienced little or no <em>A. hygrophila</em> damage. <em>Agasicles hygrophila</em> herbivory decreased <em>A. sessilis</em> foliar glucose and protein, and substantially changed its leaf volatile blend.</p> <p>Synthesis. Our results show that <em>A. hygrophila</em> has its major indirect non-target effects on <em>C. piperata </em>through trait-mediated exploitation competition, rather than apparent competition or density-mediated exploitation competition. Our results demonstrate a new mechanism for indirect non-target effects of biocontrol agents. Furthermore, our results indicate that minor and temporary negative impacts on non-target plants might propagate to higher trophic levels and such negative impacts can strengthen with increasing intensity of the direct non-target effect.</p>
Data from: Direct and plant trait-mediated effects of the local environmental context on butterfly oviposition patterns
Variation in the intensity of plant-animal interactions over different spatial scales is widespread and might strongly influence fitness and trait selection in plants. Differences in traits among plant individuals have been shown to influence variation in interaction intensities within populations, while differences in environmental factors and community composition are shown to be important for variation over larger scales. However, little is still known about the relative importance of the local environmental context vs. plant traits for the outcome of interactions within plant populations. We investigated how oviposition by the seed-predator butterfly Phengaris alcon on its host plant Gentiana pneumonanthe was related to host plant traits and to local environmental variation, as well as how oviposition patterns translated into effects on host plant fruit set. We considered the local environmental context in terms of height of the surrounding vegetation and abundance of the butterfly's second host, Myrmica ants. The probability of oviposition was higher in plants that were surrounded by lower vegetation, and both the probability of oviposition and the number of eggs increased in early-flowering and tall plants with many flowers in the three study populations. Flowering phenology, shoot height and flower production were, in turn, related to higher surrounding vegetation. Myrmica abundance was correlated with vegetation height, but had no effect on oviposition patterns. Oviposition and subsequent seed predation by the caterpillars strongly reduced host plant fruit set. Our results show that plant-animal interactions are context-dependent not only because the context influences the abundance or the behavior of the animal interactor, but also because it influences the expression of plant traits that affect the outcome of the interaction. The results also demonstrate that heterogeneity in environmental conditions at a very local scale can be important for the outcomes of interactions.
Environmental stress gradients regulate the relative importance of predator density- and trait-mediated indirect effects in oyster reef communities
<p>Predators affect community structure by influencing prey density and traits, but the importance of these effects often is difficult to predict. We measured the strength of blue crab predator effects on mud crab prey consumption of juvenile oysters across a flow gradient that inflicts both physical and sensory stress to determine how the relative importance of top predator density-mediated indirect effects (DMIEs) and trait-mediated indirect effects (TMIEs) change within systems. Overall, TMIEs dominated in relatively benign flow conditions where blue crab predator cues increased oyster survivorship by reducing mud crab oyster consumption. Blue crab DMIEs became more important in high sensory stress conditions, which impaired mud crab perception of blue crab chemical cues. At high physical stress, the environment benefitted oyster survival by physically constraining mud crabs. Thus, factors that structure communities may be predicted based on an understanding of how physical and sensory performances change across environmental stress gradients.</p>
Environmental stress gradients regulate the relative importance of predator density- and trait-mediated indirect effects in oyster reef communities
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Data from: Direct and plant trait-mediated effects of the local environmental context on butterfly oviposition patterns
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Herbivory of a biocontrol agent on a native plant causes an indirect trait-mediated non-target effect on a native insect
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Data from: Bottom-up and trait-mediated effects of resource quality on amphibian parasitism
Leaf litter subsidies are important resources for aquatic consumers like tadpoles and snails, causing bottom-up effects on wetland ecosystems. Recent studies have shown that variation in litter nutritional quality can be as important as litter quantity in driving these bottom-up effects. Resource subsidies likely also have indirect and trait-mediated effects on predation and parasitism, but these potential effects remain largely unexplored. We generated predictions for differential effects of litter nutrition and secondary polyphenolic compounds on tadpole (Lithobates sylvatica) exposure and susceptibility to Ribeiroia ondatrae, based on ecological stoichiometry and community-ecology theory. We predicted direct and indirect effects on key traits of the tadpole host (rates of growth, development and survival), the trematode parasite (production of the cercaria infective stages) and the parasite's snail intermediate host (growth and reproduction). To test these predictions, we conducted a large-scale mesocosm experiment using a natural gradient in the concentrations of nutrients (nitrogen) and toxic secondary compounds (polyphenolics) of nine leaf litter species. To differentiate between effects on exposure vs. susceptibility to infection, we included multiple infection experiments including one with constant per capita exposure. We found that increased litter nitrogen increased tadpole survival, and also increased cercaria production by the snail intermediate hosts, causing opposing effects on tadpole per capita exposure to trematode infection. Increased litter polyphenolics slowed tadpole development, leading to increased infection by increasing both their susceptibility to infection and the length of time they were exposed to parasites. Based on these results, recent shifts in forest composition towards more nitrogen-poor litter species should decrease trematode infection in tadpoles via density- and trait-mediated effects on the snail intermediate hosts. However, these shifts also involve increased abundance of litter species with high polyphenolic levels, which should increase trematode infection via trait-mediated effects on tadpoles. Future studies will be needed to determine the relative strength of these opposing effects in natural wetland communities.
Data from: The demographic and life history costs of fear: trait-mediated effects of threat of predation on Aedes triseriatus
1. Predators alter prey populations via direct lethality (density-mediated effects), but in many taxa the indirect nonlethal threat of predation may be almost as strong an effect, altering phenotypically plastic traits such as prey morphology, behaviour, and life history (trait-mediated effects). There are costs to anti-predator defences and the strength of prey responses to cues of predation likely depends on both the perceived level of risk and food availability. 2. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that the costs of nonlethal trait-mediated interactions impacting larvae can have carryover effects that alter life history traits, adult characteristics, and ultimately population dynamics. 3. The effects of Toxorhynchites rutilus kairomones and chemical alarm cues on Aedes triseriatus were assessed in a two-level factorial design manipulating nutrient level (low or high) and chemical cues of predation (present or absent). 4. Nonlethal chemical cues of predation significantly decreased female survivorship, and significantly decreased female size. Females emerged as adults significantly earlier when exposed to predation cues when there was high nutrient availability. When raised in the low nutrient treatment and exposed to predator cues adult females had 2.1 times the hazard of death compared to high nutrient-no predator cues. Females raised in the high nutrient and predator cue treatment blood fed sooner than did females from other combinations. 5. Fear of predation can substantially alter prey life history traits and behaviour, which can cascade into dramatic population, community, and ecosystem effects. Exposure to predator cues significantly decreased estimated cohort rate of increase, potentially altering the expected population density of the next generation.
Data from: Density- and trait-mediated effects of a parasite and a predator in a tri-trophic food web
1. Despite growing interest in ecological consequences of parasitism in food webs, relatively little is known about effects of parasites on long-term population dynamics of non-host species or about whether such effects are density- or trait- mediated. 2. We studied a tri-trophic food chain comprised of: (i) a bacterial basal resource (Serratia fonticola), (ii) an intermediate consumer (Paramecium caudatum), (iii) a top predator (Didinium nasutum), and (iv) a parasite of the intermediate consumer (Holospora undulata). A fully-factorial experimental manipulation of predator and parasite presence/absence was combined with analyses of population dynamics, modelling, and analyses of host (Paramecium) morphology and behavior. 3. Predation and parasitism each reduced the abundance of the intermediate consumer (Paramecium), and parasitism indirectly reduced the abundance of the basal resource (Serratia). However, in combination, predation and parasitism had non-additive effects on the abundance of the intermediate consumer, as well as on that of the basal resource. In both cases, the negative effect of parasitism seemed to be effaced by predation. 4. Infection of the intermediate consumer reduced predator abundance. Modelling and additional experimentation revealed that this was most likely due to parasite reduction of intermediate host abundance (a density-mediated effect), as opposed to changes in predator functional or numerical response. 5. Parasitism altered morphological and behavioural traits, by reducing host cell length and increasing the swimming speed of cells with moderate parasite loads. Additional tests showed no significant difference in Didinium feeding rate on infected and uninfected hosts, suggesting that the combination of these modifications does not affect host vulnerability to predation. However, estimated rates of encounter with Serratia based on these modifications were higher for infected Paramecium than for uninfected Paramecium. 6. A mixture of density-mediated and trait-mediated indirect effects of parasitism on non-host species creates rich and complex possibilities for effects of parasites in food webs that should be included in assessments of possible impacts of parasite eradication or introduction.
Data from: Density- and trait-mediated effects of a parasite and a predator in a tri-trophic food web
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Data from: The demographic and life history costs of fear: trait-mediated effects of threat of predation on Aedes triseriatus
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Data from: Ecosystem engineering strengthens bottom-up and weakens top-down effects via trait-mediated indirect interactions
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Data from: Bottom-up and trait-mediated effects of resource quality on amphibian parasitism
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
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DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
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The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
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