A ‘dynamic’ landscape of fear: prey responses to spatiotemporal variations in predation risk across the lunar cycle

Palmer, Meredith S.; Fieberg, John; Swanson, Alexandra; Kosmala, Margaret; Packer, Craig

doi:10.1111/ele.12832

Cited by 128 publications

(125 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…To date, many ecologists have, implicitly or explicitly, assumed that an LOF is a fixed spatial pattern as long as the predator is present (but see Palmer et al. ). The underlying rationale is that a constant possibility of predation enforces a chronic state of apprehension in the prey (Schmitz et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diel predator activity drives a dynamic landscape of fear

Kohl

Stahler

Metz

et al. 2018

Ecological Monographs

199

155

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A “landscape of fear” (LOF) is a map that describes continuous spatial variation in an animal's perception of predation risk. The relief on this map reflects, for example, places that an animal avoids to minimize risk. Although the LOF concept is a potentially unifying theme in ecology that is often invoked to explain the ecological and conservation significance of fear, little is known about the daily dynamics of an LOF. Despite theory and data to the contrary, investigators often assume, implicitly or explicitly, that an LOF is a static consequence of a predator's mere presence within an ecosystem. We tested the prediction that an LOF in a large‐scale, free‐living system is a highly dynamic map with “peaks” and “valleys” that alternate across the diel (24‐h) cycle in response to daily lulls in predator activity. We did so with extensive data from the case study of Yellowstone elk (Cervus elaphus) and wolves (Canis lupus) that was the original basis for the LOF concept. We quantified the elk LOF, defined here as spatial allocation of time away from risky places and times, across nearly 1,000‐km2 of northern Yellowstone National Park and found that it fluctuated with the crepuscular activity pattern of wolves, enabling elk to use risky places during wolf downtimes. This may help explain evidence that wolf predation risk has no effect on elk stress levels, body condition, pregnancy, or herbivory. The ability of free‐living animals to adaptively allocate habitat use across periods of high and low predator activity within the diel cycle is an underappreciated aspect of animal behavior that helps explain why strong antipredator responses may trigger weak ecological effects, and why an LOF may have less conceptual and practical importance than direct killing.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diel predator activity drives a dynamic landscape of fear

Kohl

Stahler

Metz

et al. 2018

Ecological Monographs

199

155

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…We further speculate that effects on growth are mediated by “fear effects” (e.g., Palmer et al. ). If our speculations are true, then we suggest that moonlight may have important (and until now, unappreciated) indirect effects on dispersing larvae of reef associated organisms, mediated by induced changes to the migratory behavior of these mesopelagic predators.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…Moonlight affects behavior and demographic rates of a wide range of organisms (Kronfeld-Schor et al 2013, Palmer et al 2017. Moonlit nights can enhance foraging activity, but may also increase predation risk (Prugh and Golden 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moonlight enhances growth in larval fish

Shima

Swearer

2018

Ecology

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Moonlight mediates trophic interactions and shapes the evolution of life‐history strategies for nocturnal organisms. Reproductive cycles and important life‐history transitions for many marine organisms coincide with moon phases, but few studies consider the effects of moonlight on pelagic larvae at sea. We evaluated effects of moonlight on growth of pelagic larvae of a temperate reef fish using “master chronologies” of larval growth constructed from age‐independent daily increment widths recorded in otoliths of 321 individuals. We found that daily growth rates of fish larvae were enhanced by lunar illumination after controlling for the positive influence of temperature and the negative influence of cloud cover. Collectively, these results indicate that moonlight enhances growth rates of larval fish. This pattern is likely the result of moonlight's combined effects on foraging efficiency and suppression of diel migrations of mesopelagic predators, and has the potential to drive evolution of marine life histories.

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“…Prey animals use costly defensive behaviours at the expense of other beneficial activities to mitigate predation risks (Lima & Bednekoff, ; Lima & Dill, ; Zaguri, Zohar, & Hawlena, ). Predation risks vary greatly over space and time (Palmer, Fieberg, Swanson, Kosmala, & Packer, ; Sih, ) forcing the prey to constantly adjust their antipredator behaviour to match those changes (Helfman, ; Lima & Bednekoff, ; Lima & Dill, ). To avoid excessive costs of defensive overreaction or the mortal danger of underestimating predation, prey must accurately and reliably estimate the risk using updated perceptual information (Blumstein & Bouskila, ; Zaguri et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Odours of non‐predatory species help prey moderate their risk assessment

Zaguri

Hawlena

2020

Functional Ecology

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Prey use contemporary information to update their risk estimation, and accordingly, optimize their anti‐predator reactions. Conceptualization of this process is largely focused on information that reflects predator activity. We aimed to complement this unilateral view by testing whether prey also use cues of non‐predatory species to update their risk perception. We focused our investigation on the desert isopod Hemilepistus reaumuri that reacts defensively to excavated soil mounds even in the absence of direct predator cues. We located in the field 19 isopod burrows and surrounded each with six soil mounds. One mound remained odourless and the other five were supplemented by odours of a major isopod predator, the golden scorpion, and four sympatric species that do not prey on isopods but excavate soil. Isopods augmented their defensive responses towards mounds supplemented by scorpion odours and lessened their anti‐predator reactions towards mounds with odours of herbivore rodents. Isopods’ responses to the odours of the two insectivorous species that do not eat isopods were similar to the reaction towards the odourless control mounds. Our results suggest that prey use non‐predatory species cues to moderate their risk estimation. Therefore, we need to consider this potentially important source of information in studies of predator–prey interactions. Our findings also indicate that odours or vocalization of non‐predatory species may not be adequate as control treatments to predator cues. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

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A ‘dynamic’ landscape of fear: prey responses to spatiotemporal variations in predation risk across the lunar cycle

Cited by 128 publications

References 73 publications

Diel predator activity drives a dynamic landscape of fear

Diel predator activity drives a dynamic landscape of fear

Moonlight enhances growth in larval fish

Odours of non‐predatory species help prey moderate their risk assessment

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