Prey Behavior and Predator-Prey Coexistence in a Patchy Environment

捕食者-食饵理论认为，决定斑块环境中捕食者和猎物共存的关键因素包括：1)有捕食者的斑块中的捕食率；2)没有捕食者的斑块中的猎物适合度；以及3)斑块之间的运动模式。拟议的研究将在两个空间尺度上审查影响小口火蜥蜴幼体与捕食性太阳鱼共存的因素：在溪流池中和在由一系列池子组成的溪流中，其中一些池子缺少鱼。拟议的工作包括三个部分：A)现场调查，以估计幼虫在有鱼和无鱼的池塘中的存活以及幼虫在池塘之间的移动；B)关于幼虫行为对在有鱼和无鱼的池塘中生存和扩散的影响的现场研究；以及C)关于鱼池中的存活的现场实验。令人惊讶的是，很少有实证研究考察在致病环境中行为对捕食者-猎物共存的影响。这项研究将包括：1)关于行为对影响共存的三个因素(如上所列)的影响的详细数据；以及2)可以对共存模式产生重要的间接影响的行为相关性的评估。

Predator-prey theory suggests that key factors determining predator-prey coexistence in a patchy environment include: 1) predation rates in patches with predators; 2) prey fitness in patches without predators; and 3) patterns of movement among patches. The proposed research will examine factors that influence the coexistence of small-mouthed salamander larvae with predatory sunfish at two spatial scales: in stream pools and in streams consisting of a series of pools, some of which lack fish. The proposed work includes 3 components: A) field surveys to estimate larval survivorship in fish and fishless pools, and larval movement among pools; B) field studies on the effects of larval behaviors on survivorship and dispersal among fish and fishless pools; and C) field experiments on the survivorship in fish pools. Surprisingly few empirical studies have examined the effects of behavior on predator-prey coexistence in a pathcy environment. This study will include: 1) detailed data on the effects of behavior on the three factors affecting coexistence (listed above); and 2) assessments of behavioral correlations that can produce important indirect effects on coexistence patterns.