Predator-prey networks, defensive alkaloids

在“物种相互作用网络的重组”研究单元中，分项目“捕食者-猎物网络，防御性生物碱”侧重于生物碱在形成青蛙和猎物之间的营养网络方面的作用。生物碱在植物和各种节肢动物如蚂蚁和甲螨中起着重要的防御作用。然而，毒镖蛙会将猎物中的生物碱隔离到自己的皮肤上。它们的生活史取决于大多数捕食者不喜欢它们，因此也取决于它们是猎物专家。相比之下，大多数其他青蛙是猎物多面手。我们将评估森林恢复年代序列中含有生物碱的节肢动物的可用性以及有毒和非有毒无尾两栖动物的捕食谱。我们预计，无尾两栖动物-猎物网络重组(恢复)的准确性和速度与对含有生物碱的猎物物种的依赖和可获得性直接相关。此外，我们将比较节肢动物猎物物种的生物碱分布与青蛙皮肤的生物碱分布，从而追踪各自青蛙物种的生物碱营养转移的个别途径。

Within the research unit "Reassembly of species interaction networks", the subprojet "Predator-prey networks, defensive alkaloids" focuses on the role of alkaloids in shaping trophic networks between frogs and their prey. Alkaloids play an important role as defensive chemicals in plants and various arthropod groups, i.e., ants and oribatid mites. However, poison dart frogs sequester alkaloids from their prey to their own skin. Their life-history depends on being unpalatable to most predators, and thus on being prey specialists. In contrast, most other frogs are prey generalists. We will assess the availability of alkaloid-containing arthropods and the prey spectrum of poisons and non-poisons anurans along a forest recovery chronosequence. We expect that accuracy and speed of reassembly (recovery) of anuran-prey networks is directly linked to the dependency on and availability of alkaloid containing prey species. In addition, we will compare alkaloid profiles of arthropod prey species with those from the frogs’ skins, and thus track the individual routes of alkaloid trophic transfers for the respective frog species.