REU: Causes of Selective Predation and Costs of Predator- Avoidance by Stream Insects

REU：溪流昆虫选择性捕食的原因和躲避捕食者的成本

• 批准号: 8906737
• 负责人: Barbara Peckarsky
• 金额: $ 26.5万
• 依托单位: Cornell Univ - State: AWDS MADE PRIOR MAY 2010
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1990
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1990-01-01 至 1993-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=8906737&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; Causes; Selective; Predation; Costs

The objectives of this research are to resolve the mechanistic and evolutionary causation of selective predation by stream dwelling stoneflies and measure the lethal and sublethal costs of disturbance by mayflies, feeding rates, growth rates and fecundity. Videotaped behavioral observations, and predation trials will test for frequency-dependent prey selection, induction of feeding preference, responses of predators and prey to hydrodynamic clues, and the "threat sensitivity hypothesis", which states that predator-avoidance behavior esculates with risk of predation. Replicated circular stream channel experiments will test for microhabitat overlap of predators and prey, enable comparison of growth rates and fecundities of stoneflies. Choice chamber experiments will test effects of predators on mayfly use of periphyton resource patches. Functional response and benthic data will be used to determine the potential impact of lethal and sublethal effects of stonefly predation on prey population dynamics. The key contributions of the research will be tests of new hypotheses on behavioral mechanisms underlying patterns of selective predation and predator-avoidance and the first known experimental study of why natural selection might have favored certain predator and prey behaviors.

这项研究的目的是解决溪栖石蝇选择性捕食的机制和进化原因，并测量蚂蚁干扰的致死和亚致死代价、取食率、生长率和繁殖力。录像的行为观察和捕食试验将测试依赖于频率的猎物选择、摄食偏好的诱导、捕食者和猎物对流体动力学线索的反应，以及“威胁敏感性假说”，即捕食者回避行为与捕食风险相关联。重复的环形河道实验将测试捕食者和猎物的微生境重叠，从而能够比较石蝇的生长速度和繁殖力。选择室实验将测试捕食者对蚂蚁利用周边植物资源斑块的影响。将利用功能反应和底栖生物数据来确定石蝇捕食的致死和亚致死效应对猎物种群动态的潜在影响。这项研究的关键贡献将是测试关于选择性捕食和捕食者回避模式背后的行为机制的新假说，以及已知的第一项关于为什么自然选择可能有利于某些捕食者和猎物行为的实验研究。