Temperature dependence of predation depends on the relative performance of predators and prey

The temperature dependence of predation rates is a key issue for understanding and predicting the responses of ecosystems to climate change. Using a simple mechanistic model, we demonstrate that differences in the relative performances of predator and prey can cause strong threshold effects in the t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences Biological sciences, 2015-01, Vol.282 (1799), p.20142254-20142254
Main Authors: Öhlund, Gunnar, Hedström, Per, Norman, Sven, Hein, Catherine L., Englund, Göran
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Behavior, Animal
Brown Trout
Climate Change
Ecosystem
Esocidae - physiology
Esox lucius
Northern Pike
Population Dynamics
Predation
Predatory Behavior
Salmo trutta
Seasons
Swimming
Swimming Speed
Temperature
Tipping Points
Trout - physiology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The temperature dependence of predation rates is a key issue for understanding and predicting the responses of ecosystems to climate change. Using a simple mechanistic model, we demonstrate that differences in the relative performances of predator and prey can cause strong threshold effects in the temperature dependence of attack rates. Empirical data on the attack rate of northern pike (Esox lucius) feeding on brown trout (Salmo trutta) confirm this result. Attack rates fell sharply below a threshold temperature of +11°C, which corresponded to a shift in relative performance of pike and brown trout with respect to maximum attack and escape swimming speeds. The average attack speed of pike was an order of magnitude lower than the escape speed of brown trout at 5°C, but approximately equal at temperatures above 11°C. Thresholds in the temperature dependence of ecological rates can create tipping points in the responses of ecosystems to increasing temperatures. Thus, identifying thresholds is crucial when predicting future effects of climate warming.
ISSN:0962-8452
1471-2954
1471-2954
DOI:10.1098/rspb.2014.2254