Collaborative Research: Linking Dispersal to Landscape-level Dynamics of a Predator and Prey

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Fragmentation and loss of native habitats have been implicated in the decline of biodiversity worldwide. As a consequence, movement of organisms among habitat fragments is essential for their persistence. Characterizing the movement behavior of organisms in real landscapes is daunting and laborious, especially when considering interacting species such as a predator and its prey. Through previous NSF funding, Cronin has amassed a comprehensive data set on how landscape structure (fragment size, isolation, and composition of surrounding habitat) affects the movement behavior of a planthopper and its primary predator (a parasitoid) that exist among discrete patches of a tall-grass prairie species (prairie cordgrass). The main objective is to develop a spatially realistic, landscape-level model that will reveal the mechanisms underlying the effects of habitat fragmentation and loss, and the invasion of exotic plant species on the persistence of predator-prey populations. The landscape model will be developed using movement data obtained by Cronin. A primary goal in the development of this model is to create a suite of software programs that can be applied to a wide range of predator-prey systems. It is hoped that these programs will lead to a more informed landscape-level approach to developing successful conservation strategies for threatened or endangered species. This project will provide training for 2 PhD students and 4-6 undergraduates in North Dakota. Students will be encouraged to play a leadership role in the research. Both PIs will teach courses that address the effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity and on landscape modeling.