Omnivory and Conditional Life-Histories in a Freshwater Community

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9411161 Crowley The patterns of organismal growth, development, and survival form in the context of ecological communities. But especially for animals with complex life cycles, causal linkages between life stages of the organism - and among organisms within populations and communities - are often difficult to establish and understand. In particular, the effects of predators feeding on both other predators and their prey (omnivory), and the role of intraspecific predation (cannibalism) clearly require additional attention. The objectives of this proof of concept award are to (1) develop and evaluate laboratory and semifield methods for the Epitheca cynosura system, (2) construct the quonset array to assess feasibility of experiments, (3) initiate laboratory culture and develop semifield methods for the Ischnura verticalis system, and (4) locate pond systems for surveys of population dynamics. %%% This project will directly contribute to development of life-history theory and to empirical testing of theory in an integrated, mutually stimulatory way. The proposed work will substantially enhance understanding of life history dynamics and its effects on population and community structure. Finally, this research will provide insight into how complex life cycles respond to their community context.