Linking patch-use behavior, resource density, and growth expectations in fish
(2006) In Ecology 87(8). p.1953-1959- Abstract
- Optimality theory rests on the assumptions that short-term foraging decisions are driven by variation in environmental quality, and that these decisions have important implications for long-term fitness. These assumptions, however, are rarely tested in a field setting. We linked behavioral foraging decisions in food patches with measures of environmental quality covering larger spatial (resource density) or temporal (growth parameters) scales. In 10 lakes, we measured the food density at which benthic fish give up foraging in experimental food patches (giving-up density, GUD), quantified the biomass of benthic invertebrates, and calculated the maximum individual size (L-infinity) of bream (Abramis brama L.), a typical benthivore in these... (More)
- Optimality theory rests on the assumptions that short-term foraging decisions are driven by variation in environmental quality, and that these decisions have important implications for long-term fitness. These assumptions, however, are rarely tested in a field setting. We linked behavioral foraging decisions in food patches with measures of environmental quality covering larger spatial (resource density) or temporal (growth parameters) scales. In 10 lakes, we measured the food density at which benthic fish give up foraging in experimental food patches (giving-up density, GUD), quantified the biomass of benthic invertebrates, and calculated the maximum individual size (L-infinity) of bream (Abramis brama L.), a typical benthivore in these lakes. We found positive relationships between resource density and both GUD and L-infinity, and a positive relationship between L-infinity and GUD. Prey characterized as vulnerable to predation contributed most to the relationships between resource density and either GUD or L-infinity. A path analysis showed that resource density and L-infinity directly explained 54% and 28%, respectively, of the variation in GUD, whereas 86% of the variation in L-infinity was explained by resource density, with mostly indirect contribution from GUD. We conclude that the short-term foraging behavior of benthivores matched our expectations based on optimality theory by being positively linked to variables on environmental quality operating at both a larger spatial scale and a longer temporal scale. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/162598
- author
- Persson, Anders LU and Stenberg, Marika LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2006
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Ecology
- volume
- 87
- issue
- 8
- pages
- 1953 - 1959
- publisher
- Ecological Society of America
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000239833400011
- scopus:33747043353
- ISSN
- 0012-9658
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ba50b8c2-4dfa-44a9-ae02-7c67b7d2990b (old id 162598)
- alternative location
- http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur?func=downloadFile&fileOId=625706
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 16:16:48
- date last changed
- 2022-01-28 18:34:03
@article{ba50b8c2-4dfa-44a9-ae02-7c67b7d2990b,
abstract = {{Optimality theory rests on the assumptions that short-term foraging decisions are driven by variation in environmental quality, and that these decisions have important implications for long-term fitness. These assumptions, however, are rarely tested in a field setting. We linked behavioral foraging decisions in food patches with measures of environmental quality covering larger spatial (resource density) or temporal (growth parameters) scales. In 10 lakes, we measured the food density at which benthic fish give up foraging in experimental food patches (giving-up density, GUD), quantified the biomass of benthic invertebrates, and calculated the maximum individual size (L-infinity) of bream (Abramis brama L.), a typical benthivore in these lakes. We found positive relationships between resource density and both GUD and L-infinity, and a positive relationship between L-infinity and GUD. Prey characterized as vulnerable to predation contributed most to the relationships between resource density and either GUD or L-infinity. A path analysis showed that resource density and L-infinity directly explained 54% and 28%, respectively, of the variation in GUD, whereas 86% of the variation in L-infinity was explained by resource density, with mostly indirect contribution from GUD. We conclude that the short-term foraging behavior of benthivores matched our expectations based on optimality theory by being positively linked to variables on environmental quality operating at both a larger spatial scale and a longer temporal scale.}},
author = {{Persson, Anders and Stenberg, Marika}},
issn = {{0012-9658}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{8}},
pages = {{1953--1959}},
publisher = {{Ecological Society of America}},
series = {{Ecology}},
title = {{Linking patch-use behavior, resource density, and growth expectations in fish}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4624357/625706.pdf}},
volume = {{87}},
year = {{2006}},
}