Handling- or digestion-limited predators : the role of body mass and habitat complexity in predator functional response
Hu, Nan LU ; Huang, Yajuan ; Yu, Zhenglin ; Zhang, Tao ; Liu, Dapeng and Lee, Marcus LU
(2023)
In Marine Ecology Progress Series
725.
p.1-14
- Abstract
The predator functional response quantifies the per capita feeding rate of predators as a function of prey density and is a key element of feeding interactions. Variations in its parameters are strongly associated with interaction strength and population dynamics. We examined 18 functional responses within marine whelk−bivalve systems, varying predator body size, prey species, and habitat structure. Our findings suggest that the marine whelk Rapana venosa is handling-limited, a predator type that has received less attention in previous research. We propose further categorizing handling-limited predators into 2 types: pursuit-limited (where maximum feeding rate could be influenced by habitat complexity) and ingestion-limited (where... (More)
The predator functional response quantifies the per capita feeding rate of predators as a function of prey density and is a key element of feeding interactions. Variations in its parameters are strongly associated with interaction strength and population dynamics. We examined 18 functional responses within marine whelk−bivalve systems, varying predator body size, prey species, and habitat structure. Our findings suggest that the marine whelk Rapana venosa is handling-limited, a predator type that has received less attention in previous research. We propose further categorizing handling-limited predators into 2 types: pursuit-limited (where maximum feeding rate could be influenced by habitat complexity) and ingestion-limited (where maximum feeding rate is impacted not by habitat complexity, but by predator−prey body mass ratios and prey defense strategy). We found that handling time scales negatively with predator−prey body mass ratios, but this trend exhibits layers of complexity. We propose that the transition from handling to digestion limitation with increasing predator−prey body mass ratios underlies this trend. Our study also confirms the importance of prey types, in addition to known effects of body mass ratios and habitat structure. In summary, our study reveals that simple assumptions about body masses and prey defense strategy may usefully refine estimates of feeding interactions in complex food webs.
(Less)
- author
- Hu, Nan
LU
; Huang, Yajuan
; Yu, Zhenglin
; Zhang, Tao
; Liu, Dapeng
and Lee, Marcus
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Body masses, Feeding interactions, Functional responses, Habitat complexity, Handling-limited predator, Prey types, Rapana venosa
- in
- Marine Ecology Progress Series
- volume
- 725
- pages
- 14 pages
- publisher
- Inter-Research
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85181497166
- ISSN
- 0171-8630
- DOI
- 10.3354/meps14469
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 45211d4b-cb9d-47fb-9e7e-02309226d103
- date added to LUP
- 2024-02-15 15:37:37
- date last changed
- 2024-02-20 14:29:15
@article{45211d4b-cb9d-47fb-9e7e-02309226d103,
abstract = {{<p>The predator functional response quantifies the per capita feeding rate of predators as a function of prey density and is a key element of feeding interactions. Variations in its parameters are strongly associated with interaction strength and population dynamics. We examined 18 functional responses within marine whelk−bivalve systems, varying predator body size, prey species, and habitat structure. Our findings suggest that the marine whelk Rapana venosa is handling-limited, a predator type that has received less attention in previous research. We propose further categorizing handling-limited predators into 2 types: pursuit-limited (where maximum feeding rate could be influenced by habitat complexity) and ingestion-limited (where maximum feeding rate is impacted not by habitat complexity, but by predator−prey body mass ratios and prey defense strategy). We found that handling time scales negatively with predator−prey body mass ratios, but this trend exhibits layers of complexity. We propose that the transition from handling to digestion limitation with increasing predator−prey body mass ratios underlies this trend. Our study also confirms the importance of prey types, in addition to known effects of body mass ratios and habitat structure. In summary, our study reveals that simple assumptions about body masses and prey defense strategy may usefully refine estimates of feeding interactions in complex food webs.</p>}},
author = {{Hu, Nan and Huang, Yajuan and Yu, Zhenglin and Zhang, Tao and Liu, Dapeng and Lee, Marcus}},
issn = {{0171-8630}},
keywords = {{Body masses; Feeding interactions; Functional responses; Habitat complexity; Handling-limited predator; Prey types; Rapana venosa}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{1--14}},
publisher = {{Inter-Research}},
series = {{Marine Ecology Progress Series}},
title = {{Handling- or digestion-limited predators : the role of body mass and habitat complexity in predator functional response}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps14469}},
doi = {{10.3354/meps14469}},
volume = {{725}},
year = {{2023}},
}