Variability of public information and the cognitive ecology of prey in a changing world

被捕食动物有各种各样的认知能力，使它们能够对局部捕食风险的时间和空间变化做出反应。这种令人印象深刻的行为灵活性的关键是可靠地获取有关当地威胁的存在、身份和强度的信息。在水生生态系统中，猎物严重依赖化学和视觉线索（公开信息）来不断更新其风险评估并优化行为权衡。然而，这些线索的可用性可能会受到许多生态参数（即污染、浑浊、栖息地退化）的干扰，从而导致认知过程的损害，例如学习和保留捕食者识别，以及新恐惧症。然而，检查信息中断的研究通常只操纵单个参数的平均值。在现实中，猎物可能面临着多种生态参数，这些参数可能在空间和/或时间上变化，或者可能相互独立地变化。鉴于气候变化、栖息地退化、污染物和入侵物种的复合（通常是不可预测的）影响，生态学家现在面临的紧迫问题是，猎物如何应对自然和人为诱导的跨多个生态参数的信息异质性？本文以特立尼达孔雀鱼为模型系统，提出了一系列创新的实验室和野外实验，以解决猎物如何应对风险评估信息变化的问题。最初，已知栖息地的复杂性在细微的空间尺度上有所不同。生境复杂性的程度和可变性应影响视觉和化学品风险评估信息的可得性。我们的第一个目标是测试栖息地复杂性对信息空间变异性的影响，以及由此对猎物认知能力的影响。其次，由于偶发性干扰，风险评估信息可能在幅度（“可获得多少信息”）和频率（“发现信息的频率”）上发生变化。我们的第二个目标是测试“一大vs多小”的信息中断对猎物学习能力的影响。最后，猎物很少（如果有的话）只受制于单一生态参数的变化。相反，多个参数可以是协变的，也可以是相互独立的。我们的第三个目标将采用控制的中观研究，系统地调查多种生态参数变化对野生捕获的孔雀鱼诱导的新恐惧症和学习的强度和保留的复合影响。提高我们预测多种形式的人类干扰对自然生态系统的影响的能力，将使管理人员和保护当局能够在日益变化的世界中优先考虑他们的努力。当前提案的概念是为了解决这一主要的知识差距。

Prey animals have at their disposal a variety of cognitive abilities, allowing them to respond to temporal and spatial variation in local predation risks. Key to this impressive degree of behavioural flexibility is the reliable acquisition of information regarding the presence, identity, and intensity of local threats. Within aquatic ecosystems, prey rely heavily on chemical and visual cues cues (public information) to continually update their assessment of risk and to optimize behavioural trade-offs. The availability of these cues, however, can be disrupted by a number of ecological parameters (i.e. pollution, turbidity, habitat degradation), resulting in impairments of cognitive processes such as learning and retention of predator recognition, and neophobia. However, studies examining the disruption of information typically manipulate the mean value of only a single parameter. In reality, prey are likely faced with multiple ecological parameters that may vary in space and/or time or parameters that may vary independently of one another. In light of the compounded (and often unpredictable) effects of climate change, habitat degradation, pollutants, and invasive species, the pressing question for ecologists is now how do prey respond to natural and anthropogenically induced heterogeneity of information across multiple ecological parameters? Here, using Trinidadian guppies as a model system, we propose a series of innovative laboratory and field experiments, addressing the question of how prey cope with variation of risk assessment information. Initially, habitat complexity is known to vary over fine spatial scales. The degree and variability of habitat complexity should influence the availability of visual and chemical risk assessment information. Our first objective will test the impact habitat complexity has on the spatial variability of information and resulting effects on cognitive abilities of prey. Secondly, due to episodic disturbances, risk assessment information may vary both in amplitude (`how much information is available') and frequency (`how often information is detected'). Our second objective will test the impact of `one large vs. many small' disruptions of information on the learning abilities of prey. Finally, prey are rarely, if ever, subject to variation in only a single ecological parameter. Rather, multiple parameters may either covary or vary independent of each other. Our third objective will employ controlled mesocosm studies, to systematically investigate the compounded effects of variation across multiple ecological parameters on the strength and retention of induced neophobia and learning in wild-caught guppies. Increasing our ability to predict the impact of variation across multiple forms of human disturbances on natural ecosystems will allow managers and conservation authorities to prioritize their efforts in an increasingly changing world. The current proposal was conceptualized to address this major knowledge gap.