Predation Lecture Notes

Flashcards for reviewing key vocabulary and concepts related to predation.

Osprey Predation

Hunting of fish by ospreys

Predation

Interaction between a consumer and a resource. Example: plant (prey) consumed by herbivore (predator) or larval fish (prey) consumed by lionfish (predator)

Inter v. Intra Species Interactions

Interaction between different species versus interaction within the same species.

Why are species interactions important?

Influence population dynamics and define the structure of ecological systems, providing the context for evolution.

Population Dynamics

Populations can be limited by what they eat (resources) or by what eats them (predators), often leading to cyclic changes in population sizes of both predator and prey.

Factors Affecting Predation Rates

Predation rates and population dynamics vary based on the relative abundances of predators and prey, and relative sizes of predators and prey.

Factors Affecting Predation Rates (cont.)

Predation rates and population dynamics vary based on predator sex and prey physical/behavioral attributes (e.g., cryptic color, escape mechanisms).

Factors Affecting Predation Rates (cont. 2)

Predation rates and population dynamics vary based on prey's energetic quality and predator condition or 'gut fullness.'

Factors Affecting Predation Rates (cont. 3)

Predation rates and population dynamics vary based on predator experience and habitat heterogeneity.

Trade-Offs

The concept that organisms must allocate finite energy, time, attention, and resources for different aspects of their lives, such as morphology, feeding, and mating.

Trade-off between eating & being eaten

Maximize food intake & minimize predation; benefit of an action must be greater than the cost.

Optimal Foraging Theory (OFT)

Maximize food intake & minimize predation. Benefit of foraging > Cost of watching out for predator or being eaten. Benefit of eating prey > Cost of finding, capturing & consuming prey

Foraging Trade-Offs

Time/attention split between foraging & looking out for predators. Resource Supply How much food is available in the area.

Giving Up Density (GUD)

How much food to leave behind in an area when a predator approaches.

Flight-Initiation Distance (FID)

When a predator approaches, the distance that the predator is from the prey that initiates flight response in the prey.

Group Size

How many individuals to forage with. Safety in big numbers but less food per individual due to competition

Activity Time & Level

Deciding how quickly to move, when to forage a lot, how long to forage for, etc.

Handling Time

The amount of time it takes for a predator to catch and then eat a certain prey item after finding it.

Landscape of Fear

Fear of predators can structure the distribution and behavior of animals across landscapes.

Non-Consumptive Effects of Predation

Effects of predation that are not due to the direct consumption of prey.

Predation Effect: Life History

Pike cichlid eats large, sexually mature guppies. Giant rivulus eats small, immature guppies. Blue acara doesn't eat guppies. Predators can select for changes in life history.

Predation Effect: Morphology

Predators can select for changes in morphology, but changes in phenotype also depend on other selection pressures, such as sexual selection (mate choice).