Not worth the risk: apex predators suppress herbivory on coral reefs
Not worth the risk: apex predators suppress herbivory on coral reefs
复制标题
不值得冒险：顶级掠食者抑制珊瑚礁上的食草动物
DOI：
10.1111/oik.01318
复制
发表时间：
2014
期刊：
影响因子：
3.4
通讯作者：
M. McCormick
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
J. Rizzari;A. Frisch;A. Hoey;M. McCormick
众所周知，顶端捕食者通过直接或间接的捕食者-猎物相互作用产生强烈的生态效应。与直接相互作用相比，间接相互作用对生态群落的影响可能更大，因为这些影响是在整个种群中传播的，而不是只有一个人。顶端捕食者的间接影响在陆地环境中得到了很好的记录，但关于海洋环境的信息却很少。此外，与相关观察相反，缺乏操纵性研究来隔离顶端捕食者的影响。珊瑚礁是最多样化的生态系统之一，为研究顶端捕食者的生态作用及其对低营养层的影响提供了一个有用的模式系统。利用捕食者模型和移植的大型藻类，我们研究了捕食者对食草动物觅食行为的间接影响。我们发现，模型珊瑚鲨或大型珊瑚石斑鱼的存在导致食草性鱼类的咬合率和物种丰富度大幅下降，由于感知到的捕食风险，几乎完全局部性地停止了大型底栖动物的捕捞。较小的珊瑚石斑鱼也减少了食草动物的多样性和活动性，但程度低于较大的模型捕食者。顶端捕食者对食草动物觅食行为的这些间接影响可能会对大型藻类的生物量和分布以及珊瑚礁生态系统的功能产生流动效应。这突出表明，有助于生态系统复原力的生态相互作用和过程可能比之前假设的更加复杂。
Apex predators are known to exert strong ecological effects, either through direct or indirect predator–prey interactions. Indirect interactions have the potential to influence ecological communities more than direct interactions as the effects are propagated throughout the population as opposed to only one individual. Indirect effects of apex predators are well documented in terrestrial environments, however there is a paucity of information for marine environments. Furthermore, manipulative studies, as opposed to correlative observations, isolating apex predator effects are lacking. Coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems, providing a useful model system for investigating the ecological role of apex predators and their influence on lower trophic levels. Using predator models and transplanted macroalgae we examined the indirect effects of predators on herbivore foraging behaviour. We show that the presence of a model reef shark or large coral-grouper led to a substantial reduction in bite rate and species richness of herbivorous fishes and an almost absolute localized cessation of macroagal removal, due to the perceived risk of predation. A smaller-sized coral-grouper also reduced herbivore diversity and activity but to a lesser degree than the larger model predators. These indirect effects of apex predators on the foraging behaviour of herbivores may have flow-on effects on the biomass and distribution of macroalgae, and the functioning of coral reef ecosystems. This highlights that the ecological interactions and processes that contribute to ecosystem resilience may be more complex than previously assumed.
消费者多样性与猎物防御相互作用，推动生态系统功能。
影响因子：
4.8
作者：
Rasher,DouglasB;Hoey,AndrewS;Hay,MarkE
通讯作者：
Hay,MarkE