Environmental stress gradients regulate the relative importance of predator density‐ and trait‐mediated indirect effects in oyster reef communities

Pruett, Jessica L.; Weissburg, Marc J.

doi:10.1002/ece3.7082

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 73 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Nonetheless, our PIE synthesis demonstrates predators also have important ecological effects that function at the individual or patch scale regardless of whether the predator(s) substantially affect prey populations. This does not mean the mechanisms cannot co-occur in predator-prey systems, as is often the case with density-and trait-mediated indirect effects (Peacor & Werner 2001;Preisser et al 2005;Pruett & Weissburg 2021;Werner & Peacor 2003). For example, in Yellowstone National Park, wolves affected both the population density (Peterson et al 2014;Vucetich et al 2005) and, to a lesser degree, space use of elk (Cervus canadensis) (Cusack et al 2019;Kohl et al 2018), which had a weak but measurable cascading effect on aspen (Populus tremuloides) recruitment (density-and trait-mediated effects; (Brice et al 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patchy indirect effects: predators contribute to landscape heterogeneity and ecosystem function via localized pathways

Johnson‐Bice

Gable

Roth

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Predators are widely recognized for their irreplaceable roles regulating the abundance and altering the traits of lower trophic levels. Predators also have irreplaceable roles in shaping community interactions and ecological processes via highly localized pathways, irrespective of their influence on prey density or behavior. We synthesized empirical and theoretical research describing how predators have indirect ecological effects confined to discrete patches on the landscape, processes we have termed patchy indirect effects of predation. Predators generate patchy indirect effects via three main pathways: generating and distributing prey carcasses, creating biogeochemical hotspots by concentrating nutrients derived from prey, and killing ecosystem engineers that create patches. In each pathway, the indirect ecological effects are limited to discrete areas with measurable spatial and temporal boundaries (i.e., patches). Our synthesis reveals the diverse and complex ways that predators indirectly affect other species via discrete patches, ranging from mediating scavenger interactions to interspecific parasite/disease transmission risk, and from altering ecosystem biogeochemistry to facilitating local species biodiversity. We also show how existing multi-scale ecological frameworks (metapopulation, meta-ecosystem, and patch dynamics concepts) offer insight into the mechanisms underlying the formation of these patches within ecosystems. We then provide basic guidelines on how these effects can be quantified at both the patch and landscape scales, and discuss how these predator-mediated patches ultimately increase landscape heterogeneity and contribute to ecosystem functioning. Whereas density- and trait-mediated indirect effects of predation generally occur through population-scale changes, patchy indirect effects of predation occur through individual- and patch-level pathways. Our synthesis provides a more holistic view of the functional role of predation in ecosystems by addressing how predators create patchy landscapes via localized pathways, in addition to influencing the abundance and behavior of lower trophic levels.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patchy indirect effects: predators contribute to landscape heterogeneity and ecosystem function via localized pathways

Johnson‐Bice

Gable

Roth

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Patchy indirect effects are a distinct mechanism from density-or trait-mediated mechanisms because i) they do not require predators to substantially alter the population density or behavior of prey, and ii) they are limited to the spatial and temporal boundaries of the created patch (carcass pathway, nutrient accumulation pathway) or affected patch (ecosystem engineer pathway). This does not mean the mechanisms cannot cooccur in predator-prey systems, as is often the case with density-and trait-mediated indirect effects (Peacor & Werner 2001;Werner & Peacor 2003;Preisser et al 2005;Pruett & Weissburg 2021). For example, in Yellowstone National Park, wolves affected both the population density (Vucetich et al 2005;Peterson et al 2014) and, to a lesser degree, space use of elk (Cervus canadensis ) (Kohl et al 2018;Cusack et al 2019), which had a weak but measurable cascading effect on aspen (Populus tremuloides ) recruitment (density-and trait-mediated effects; Brice et al 2022).…”

Section: Identifying and Quantifying Patchy Indirect Effects Of Preda...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Patchy indirect effects: how predators drive landscape heterogeneity and influence ecosystem dynamics via localized pathways

Johnson‐Bice

Gable

Roth

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Predators are widely recognized for their irreplaceable roles in regulating the abundance and altering the traits of lower trophic levels. Yet, predators also have irreplaceable roles in shaping community interactions and ecological processes in highly localized pathways, irrespective of their influence on prey density or behavior. We introduce a conceptual framework, patchy indirect effects, that outlines how predators indirectly affect other organisms via landscape patches. We focus on three main pathways and provide examples and detailed case studies herein: generating and distributing prey carcasses, creating biogeochemical hotspots by concentrating nutrients derived from prey, and killing ecosystem engineers that create patches. In each pathway, indirect effects of predation are localized within discrete areas with measurable spatial and temporal boundaries. Whereas density- and trait-mediated indirect effects function via population-scale changes, the patchy indirect effects concept outlines how predators drive landscape heterogeneity and influence ecosystem dynamics – including scavenger interactions, nutrient cycling, parasite/disease transmission risk, and local biodiversity – through pathways that function at individual- and patch-level scales. Our synthesis provides a more holistic view of the functional role of predation in ecosystems by addressing how predators create patchy landscapes via localized pathways, in addition to influencing the abundance and behavior of lower trophic levels.

show abstract

“…Warming and acidification have the potential to interact and simultaneously influence predator control, so the ecological outcome will depend on initial relative importance of CEs and NCEs in the system of interest (Figure 4C) and the magnitude of the response. For example, changes to CEs and NCEs in oyster reefs have been studied with other environmental stressors such as turbulence and flow (Pruett and Weissburg, 2021). In low sensory stress environments (i.e.…”

Section: Factormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In summary, this study suggests that warming may increase physical stress, while acidification does not affect sensory transmission and detection. Weakened consumptive effects may strengthen the relative importance of non-consumptive effects in this system, especially behavioral cascades to basal prey (Pruett and Weissburg, 2018;Pruett and Weissburg, 2021). If warming becomes too extreme, both predator and prey may be physically stressed in ways that could reduce distribution and survival of populations and consequently affect other members of the community.…”

Section: Factormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mud crabs are small, cryptic xanthid crabs that live within oyster beds (Meyer, 1994) and are important consumers of oysters (Bisker and Castagna, 1987). As a result, blue crab predation on mud crabs (CEs) and foraging suppression in mud crabs when they sense blue crab predators (NCEs) both increase oyster survival (Grabowski et al, 2008;Hill and Weissburg, 2013;Pruett and Weissburg, 2021). Limited studies have examined predator-prey interactions with these species in response to climate change stressors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Differential effects of warming and acidification on chemosensory transmission and detection may strengthen non-consumptive effects of blue crab predators (Callinectes sapidus) on mud crab prey (Panopeus herbstii)

Draper

Weissburg

2022

Front. Mar. Sci.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Predators control prey abundance and behavior, both of which strongly influence community dynamics. However, the relative importance of these predator effects may shift with climate change stressors, suggesting understanding the potential effects on these different processes is critical to predicting effects of climate change on community function. We investigated the effects of global warming and ocean acidification on the transmission and detection of chemical cues from blue crab predators (Callinectes sapidus) by mud crab prey (Panopeus herbstii). We measured mud crab feeding rates in the presence of blue crab predator cues, using either predator cues stressed in acidified conditions or mud crabs stressed in warmed and acidified conditions. Mud crabs consumed less food in the presence of predator cues, but acidifying the cues or subjecting mud crabs receiving the cues to acidified environment did not affect this antipredator response. Mud crabs in warmed conditions consumed significantly less food regardless of predator cue, but this effect was reversed in ambient conditions. Therefore, climate change may produce shifts in community regulation as warming potentially compromises consumptive effects of predators by reducing motor function, whereas non-consumptive effects mediated by sensory transmission and detection remain unaffected by acidification. Overall, warming may have stronger effects than acidification on community dynamics in oyster reefs as global temperatures continue to rise.

show abstract

Environmental stress gradients regulate the relative importance of predator density‐ and trait‐mediated indirect effects in oyster reef communities

Cited by 8 publications

References 73 publications

Patchy indirect effects: predators contribute to landscape heterogeneity and ecosystem function via localized pathways

Patchy indirect effects: predators contribute to landscape heterogeneity and ecosystem function via localized pathways

Patchy indirect effects: how predators drive landscape heterogeneity and influence ecosystem dynamics via localized pathways

Differential effects of warming and acidification on chemosensory transmission and detection may strengthen non-consumptive effects of blue crab predators (Callinectes sapidus) on mud crab prey (Panopeus herbstii)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About