Ecological uncertainty as a driver of neophobia in aquatic prey

生态不确定性是水生猎物恐惧症的驱动因素

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-06491
• 负责人: Brown, Grant
• 金额: $ 2.33万
• 依托单位: Concordia University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=646358
• 关键词: Ecological; uncertainty; driver; neophobia; aquatic

Prey use publicly available information about local habitat conditions to balance the conflicting demands of predator avoidance and other activities such as foraging and reproduction. However, environments undergo both short and long term changes resulting from a combination of natural and anthropogenic pressures, leading to increased uncertainty (the incomplete or imperfect information regarding local conditions) among prey animals. A major challenge for ecologists is to determine how prey can balance these conflicts when faced with ecological uncertainty. Given that the combined effects of global climate change, invasive species and anthropogenic habitat degradation are expected to dramatically alter environments, the need to explore the effects of ecological uncertainty is key. As a cognitive and behavioural ecologist, I examine `how aquatic prey use public information to adjust behavioural trade-offs to current environmental conditions'. Recently, I have focussed on neophobic predator recognition as an inducible response to elevated predation risk. However, mean predation risk is only one of many determinants of the ecological uncertainty experienced by prey. My long term objective for the next five years is to address the key question of how ecological uncertainty shapes the expression of neophobic predator avoidance and foraging patterns of prey and what are the cognitive cost associated with neophobia. Using a combination of innovative laboratory and field studies, I will address four specific questions. First, I will determine the role of predator diversity and spatial and temporal predictability of predation threats plays in shaping neophobic predator recognition. Second, the level of structural complexity within a habitat is known to determine what information is available to prey. I will examine the role habitat complexity plays in shaping the uncertainty of information. Third, the availability of suitable foraging opportunities is also expected to shape the decisions of prey. Thus, I will examine the potential links between neophobic predator recognition and neophobic foraging patterns. Finally, as prey increase their response to novel predator cues, they might be less attentive to novel foraging cues or situations. I will determine the cognitive (learning) costs associated with phenotypically plastic neophobia. This proposal will directly support 3 PhD, 3 MSc and several undergraduate students. Each will gain valuable experience in cognitive and behavioural ecology. While addressing fundamental questions, each of the goals presented here has clear links to real-life environmental issues. The HQP supported by these funds will benefit from the exposure to both fundamental and applied approaches. This exposure will ensure that students trained on this grant will become scientists that can make significant impacts as researchers and policy makers.

猎物利用公开的当地栖息地条件的信息，以平衡捕食者回避和其他活动，如觅食和繁殖的冲突需求。然而，由于自然和人为压力的共同作用，环境经历了短期和长期的变化，导致被捕食动物的不确定性增加（关于当地条件的信息不完整或不完善）。生态学家面临的一个主要挑战是确定当面临生态不确定性时，猎物如何平衡这些冲突。鉴于全球气候变化、入侵物种和人为生境退化的综合影响预计将大大改变环境，因此，必须探讨生态不确定性的影响。作为一个认知和行为生态学家，我研究“水生猎物如何利用公共信息来调整行为权衡当前的环境条件”。最近，我一直专注于新恐惧的捕食者识别作为一种诱导反应，以提高捕食风险。然而，平均捕食风险只是许多决定因素的生态不确定性所经历的猎物。我在未来五年的长期目标是解决生态不确定性如何塑造新恐惧症的捕食者回避和觅食模式的猎物和什么是与新恐惧症相关的认知成本的表达的关键问题。通过创新的实验室和实地研究相结合，我将解决四个具体问题。首先，我将确定捕食者的多样性和捕食威胁的空间和时间的可预测性在塑造新恐惧症捕食者识别的作用。第二，栖息地内的结构复杂性水平是已知的，以确定什么信息是可供猎物。我将研究栖息地的复杂性在塑造信息的不确定性中所起的作用。第三，合适的觅食机会的可用性也有望塑造猎物的决定。因此，我将研究neophobic捕食者识别和neophobic觅食模式之间的潜在联系。最后，随着猎物对新的捕食者线索的反应增加，它们可能不太注意新的觅食线索或情况。我将确定与表型可塑性新恐惧症相关的认知（学习）成本。该提案将直接支持3名博士，3名硕士和几名本科生。每个人都将获得认知和行为生态学方面的宝贵经验。在解决基本问题的同时，这里提出的每一个目标都与现实生活中的环境问题有着明确的联系。由这些资金支持的HQP将受益于基本方法和应用方法。这种接触将确保接受该补助金培训的学生将成为能够作为研究人员和政策制定者产生重大影响的科学家。