Behavioral interference and facilitation in the foraging cycle shape the functional response

Summary, in English

Individual forager behaviors should affect per capita intake rates and thereby population and consumer-resource properties. We consider and incorporate conspecific facilitation and interference during the separate foraging-cycle stages in a functional response model that links individual behavioral interactions with consumer-resource processes. Our analyses suggest that failing to properly consider and include all effects of behavioral interactions on foraging-cycle stage performances may either over- or underestimate effects of interactions on the shape of both functional responses and predator zero-growth isoclines. Incorporation of prey- and predator-dependent interactions among foragers in the model produces predator isoclines with potentials for highly complex consumer-resource dynamics. Facilitation and interference during the foraging cycle are therefore suggested as potent behavioral mechanisms to cause patterns of community dynamics. We emphasize that correct estimations of interaction-mediated foraging-cycle efficiencies should be considered in empirical and theoretical attempts to further our understanding of the mechanistic link between social behaviors and higher order processes.

• Författare: Anders Nilsson; Per Lundberg; Christer Brönmark; Anders Persson; Håkan Turesson
• Avdelning/ar: Enhet akvatisk ekologi; Evolutionär ekologi; Biologiska institutionen; Akvatisk ekologi
• Publiceringsår: 2007
• Språk: Engelska
• Sidor: 354-357
• Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie: Behavioral Ecology
• Volym: 18
• Issue: 2
• Länkar: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arl094
• Dokumenttyp: Artikel i tidskrift
• Förlag: Oxford University Press
• Ämne: Biological Sciences; Ecology
• Status: Published
• Forskningsgrupp: Aquatic Ecology
• ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt: ISSN: 1045-2249