Trophic interaction strengths driven by multiple traits in addition to predator and prey size
Publication in Journal of Animal Ecology shows that the inclusion of commonly available data on predator and prey traits, other than body size, could substantially increase realism of food web descriptions.
Predation is one of the most important processes shaping populations and communities. It is size selective, but the role of other predator and prey traits in predation strength is little known. This study published in the September issue of Journal of Animal Ecology provides the first quantitative evidence that additional traits such as predator and prey microhabitat use, foraging strategies and morphology of the predators and escape ability of the prey modify the underlying predator-prey allometry and predation strength. It is based on laboratory experiments with common predatory freshwater insects (diving beetles, dragonfly and damselfly larvae and water bugs) and their prey. The results indicate that the inclusion of commonly available qualitative data on foraging traits of predators and vulnerability traits of prey could substantially increase biological realism of food web descriptions, which rely predominately on body size data.
J. Klecka, D.S. Boukal (2013) Foraging and vulnerability traits modify predator-prey body mass allometry: freshwater macroinvertebrates as a case study. Journal of Animal Ecology 82: 1031-1041. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.12078/abstract
