Emergent effects of structural complexity and temperature on predator-prey interactions

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dc.contributor.authorWasserman, R. J.en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorAlexander, M. E.en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorWeyl, O. L. F.en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBarrios-O'Neill, D.en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorFroneman, P. W.en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorDalu, T.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-06-28T07:17:22Z
dc.date.accessioned2021-08-25T12:30:48Z
dc.date.available2016-06-28T07:17:22Z
dc.date.available2021-08-25T12:30:48Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.descriptionCITATION: Wasserman, R. J. et al. 2016. Emergent effects of structural complexity and temperature on predator-prey interactions. Ecosphere, 7(2):e01239, doi:10.1002/ecs2.1239.
dc.descriptionThe original publication is available at https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
dc.description.abstractEphemeral aquatic environments are important habitats for a variety of species. They are highly variable with regards to vegetation structure and physico-chemical features that potentially mediate outcomes of biotic interactions. Multiple environmental variables and their emergent impacts on the relationship between prey consumption rate by a predator and prey density (functional response), however, are rarely assessed. Here, we investigated the combined effects of temperature and habitat complexity on the functional response of the freshwater predatory notonectid Enithares sobria on the cladoceran prey organism Daphnia longispina. A Type II functional response was observed for E. sobria predating on D. longispina and while temperature and habitat complexity had no effect on the response type, these environmental variables interacted with consequences for the magnitude of the functional responses. Overall, structural complexity favored the predator as greater consumption was observed in the most complex habitat treatment. Temperature effects were also evident although these effects were not unidirectional with regard to treatment factor gradients as predators were the most successful at intermediary temperatures. Furthermore, there was a complex interplay between habitat complexity and temperature, with attack rates being greatest at low and high complexities within intermediate temperatures, while at zero complexity attack rates were greatest at the lowest temperature. The effect of habitat on handling times was only evident in the low temperature treatments which decreased steadily with each increase in complexity. Through the application of functional responses the synergistic effects of multiple environmental drivers on predator–prey interaction outcomes have been highlighted, adding insight into how interactions among species may be affected by natural or artificially induced environmental variability.en
dc.description.sponsorshipRhodes University (Grant number 39124500305)
dc.description.sponsorshipNational Research Foundation, South Africa
dc.description.versionPublisher's version
dc.format.extent470597 bytes
dc.format.extent11 pages : illustrationsen_ZA
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.citationWasserman, R.J.; Alexander, M.E.; Weyl, O.L.F.; Barrios-O’Neill, D.; Froneman, P.W.; Dalu, T. (2016) Emergent effects of structural complexity and temperature on predator-prey interactions. Ecosphere, 7(2): e01239en
dc.identifier.citationWasserman, R. J. et al. 2016. Emergent effects of structural complexity and temperature on predator-prey interactions. Ecosphere, 7(2):e01239, doi:10.1002/ecs2.1239.
dc.identifier.issn2150-8925 (online)
dc.identifier.otherdoi:10.1002/ecs2.1239
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/112526
dc.publisherEcological Society of Americen
dc.publisherWiley Online
dc.rights.holderAuthors retain copyright
dc.subjectDaphnia longispinaen_ZA
dc.subjectEarly colonizersen_ZA
dc.subjectEnithares sobriaen_ZA
dc.subjectEphemeral ponds -- Habitaten_ZA
dc.subjectFunctional responseen_ZA
dc.subjectPredator-prey interactionsen_ZA
dc.subjectFreshwater ecology -- Effect of global warming onen_ZA
dc.subjectPredation (Biology) -- Effect of habitat modification onen_ZA
dc.subjectFreshwater predatory -- Effect of temperature onen_ZA
dc.titleEmergent effects of structural complexity and temperature on predator-prey interactionsen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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