Sensory and cognitive ecology of risk assessment in a changing world

不断变化的世界中风险评估的感官和认知生态学

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-04977
• 负责人: Ferrari, Maud
• 金额: $ 3.5万
• 依托单位: University of Saskatchewan
• 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=650672
• 关键词: Sensory; cognitive; ecology; risk; assessment

Most organisms live in environments that have been altered by humans via habitat destruction, the spread of exotic species, harvesting, pollution or climate change. These changes can alter the delicate balance between predators and prey, by altering the way prey can detect, recognize or assess the risk associated with potential threats. These situations occur if (1) the new environment itself masks the cues used by prey to detect predators; (2) a novel stressor or toxic compound prevents prey from properly recognizing a predation threat; or (3) prey misjudge a risky or safe situation because they use information that was reliable in their past environment, but no longer relevant in the modified one. ******In this grant, I will investigate if cognitive or behavioural plasticity, two traits put forward as main predictors of organism success, allow prey to avoid being caught within the context of the three scenarios outlined above. My work focuses on fish and I typically use stressors that are timely and of economic importance. A perfect example of environmental masking (scenario 1) occurs in coral reefs, where some fish species cannot detect alarm cues when they are surrounded by dead reefs (coral degradation). These chemicals are crucial as they mediate most antipredator responses. I will investigate if these fish can improve their odds of surviving by eavesdropping on other fish species nearby. If risk information can be obtained from other species, then they should have better odds despite their handicap. After last summer, 1/3 of the Great Barrier Reef corals are dead or dying. Many species are forced to survive in this habitat and their fate is currently unknown. A stressor known to cause a dramatic increase in mortality of fish is boat noise, which prevents fish from responding to predators, even when facing imminent death (scenario 2). Canada desperately needs to provide regulations for underwater noise pollution, a difficult task when so little is known. I will first determine the spatial scale for which this mortality issue arises, using species of economic importance to Canada. I will test if the noise handicap can be alleviated via habituation (can they become accustomed to it), or via anticipation (can they avoid it if they can predict it). This project will also tell us about the longer-term costs of noise exposure on fish growth and mortality. Finally, I will address scenario 3 by testing if early-life conditions can create a learning bias that allows prey to be less impacted by environmental change. For example, if prey experienced predation risk as embryos, are they more likely to treat unknown threats (eg, invasive predators) as potentially dangerous? Conversely, if they are exposed to safe environments, would they be less likely to treat humans as potential threats, or be quicker to habituate to them? It is critical for us to understand the extent to which prey can compensate and thrive in impacted environments. **

大多数生物生活在被人类通过栖息地破坏、外来物种传播、收获、污染或气候变化而改变的环境中。这些变化可以改变捕食者和猎物之间的微妙平衡，改变猎物检测、识别或评估潜在威胁相关风险的方式。如果（1）新环境本身掩盖了猎物用来探测捕食者的线索;（2）一种新的应激源或有毒化合物阻止猎物正确识别捕食威胁;或（3）猎物误判了危险或安全的情况，因为它们使用的信息在过去的环境中是可靠的，但在修改后的环境中不再相关。** 在这项资助中，我将研究认知或行为可塑性，这两个特征作为生物体成功的主要预测因素，允许猎物避免在上述三种情况下被捕获。我的工作重点是鱼类，我通常使用及时和经济重要性的压力源。环境掩蔽（情景1）的一个完美例子发生在珊瑚礁中，当一些鱼类被死礁包围时（珊瑚退化），它们无法察觉警报信号。这些化学物质是至关重要的，因为它们介导大多数反捕食者的反应。我将调查这些鱼是否可以通过偷听附近其他鱼类的声音来提高生存几率。如果可以从其他物种获得风险信息，那么尽管它们有障碍，但它们应该有更好的机会。去年夏天之后，大堡礁1/3的珊瑚已经死亡或濒临死亡。许多物种被迫在这个栖息地生存，它们的命运目前尚不清楚。已知导致鱼类死亡率急剧增加的应激源是船只噪音，这会阻止鱼类对捕食者做出反应，即使面临迫在眉睫的死亡（场景2）。加拿大迫切需要为水下噪音污染提供法规，这是一项艰巨的任务，因为人们对此知之甚少。我将首先确定这个死亡率问题出现的空间尺度，使用加拿大的经济重要性的物种。我将测试噪音障碍是否可以通过习惯化（他们能习惯它）或通过预期（如果他们能预测它，他们能避免它）来缓解。该项目还将告诉我们噪声暴露对鱼类生长和死亡的长期成本。最后，我将通过测试早期生活条件是否会产生一种学习偏差，使猎物受到环境变化的影响较小来解决场景3。例如，如果猎物在胚胎时期经历过捕食风险，它们是否更有可能将未知的威胁（例如入侵性捕食者）视为潜在的危险？相反，如果他们暴露在安全的环境中，他们是否不太可能将人类视为潜在的威胁，或者更快地适应人类？对我们来说，了解猎物在受影响的环境中能够补偿和茁壮成长的程度至关重要。**