Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Predator-Prey Interactions

Predator-Prey Interactions

Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.Although predation is commonly associated with carnivory, for...

Optimal Foraging

Optimal Foraging

How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.

Microbial Interactions: Predation

Microbial Interactions: Predation

Microbial predation refers to the process by which one microorganism kills and consumes another to obtain nutrients and energy. It encompasses both bacterial and protozoan predators. This interaction plays a crucial role in shaping microbial communities and regulating nutrient cycling.Bacterial Predators: Epibiotic vs. EndobioticBacterial predators are classified based on their mode of attack as either epibiotic or endobiotic. Epibiotic predators, such as Vampirococcus, attach to the surface of...

Timing and Consequences on Behavior

Timing and Consequences on Behavior

In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective.
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...

Frequency-dependent Selection

Frequency-dependent Selection

When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.Positive Frequency-Dependent SelectionIn positive...

Pharmacodynamic Models: Direct Effect Model and Indirect Response Model

Pharmacodynamic Models: Direct Effect Model and Indirect Response Model

Pharmacodynamic models are essential tools in understanding the relationship between drug concentrations and their effects on biological systems. By characterizing the dynamics of drug action, these models guide dose selection, optimize therapeutic efficacy, and inform the development of new drugs. Two major classes of pharmacodynamic models include direct effect and indirect response models.Direct Effect ModelsDirect effect models describe the immediate relationship between drug concentration...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Climate warming, acorn masting and the dynamics of rodent populations: Comparing long-term studies.

The Journal of animal ecology·2026

Same author

A laboratory study estimating blacklegged tick adhesion rates to host species of varying permissiveness.

Acta tropica·2026

Same author

Ecological and Epidemiological Consequences of Tick-Control Interventions in Residential Neighborhoods: A Synthesis of The Tick Project.

Transboundary and emerging diseases·2026

Same author

Emerging patterns in rodent-borne zoonotic diseases.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2024

Same author

Responses of juvenile blacklegged ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) to hosts of varying quality.

Journal of medical entomology·2024

Same author

Effects of residential acaricide treatments on patterns of pathogen coinfection in blacklegged ticks.

Parasitology·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

A Real-Time Interactive System for Studying Confrontational Pursuit Behavior in Rodents

A Real-Time Interactive System for Studying Confrontational Pursuit Behavior in Rodents

Published on: May 16, 2025

Numerical and behavioral effects within a pulse-driven system: consequences for shared prey.

Kenneth A Schmidt¹, Richard S Ostfeld

¹Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, MS 3131, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA. kenneth.schmidt@ttu.edu

|May 8, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Resource pulses from mast-producing trees create cascading effects in forests. These pulses impact rodent and predator populations, ultimately influencing thrush population dynamics and survival rates.

More Related Videos

Assaying Predatory Feeding Behaviors in Pristionchus and Other Nematodes

Assaying Predatory Feeding Behaviors in Pristionchus and Other Nematodes

Published on: September 4, 2016

Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction

Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction

Published on: February 26, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

A Real-Time Interactive System for Studying Confrontational Pursuit Behavior in Rodents

A Real-Time Interactive System for Studying Confrontational Pursuit Behavior in Rodents

Published on: May 16, 2025

Assaying Predatory Feeding Behaviors in Pristionchus and Other Nematodes

Assaying Predatory Feeding Behaviors in Pristionchus and Other Nematodes

Published on: September 4, 2016

Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction

Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction

Published on: February 26, 2014

Area of Science:

Ecology
Population Dynamics
Forest Ecology

Background:

Resource pulses, like tree masting, create predictable yet variable food availability.
These pulses trigger numerical and behavioral responses in consumer populations.
Forest ecosystems exhibit complex trophic interactions driven by pulsed resource availability.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the cascading effects of resource pulses on thrush population dynamics.
To link acorn production to small mammal abundance and subsequent predator responses.
To understand how pulsed resource availability influences avian prey survival and reproduction.

Main Methods:

Eight-year study of thrush demography, acorn production, and small mammal abundance.
Analysis of regional adult thrush population trends using Breeding Bird Survey data.
Review of literature on avian prey in pulsed systems and predator-prey interactions.

Main Results:

Demonstrated a sequence of primary (seed) to tertiary (predator) pulses influencing thrush populations.
Showed that factors limiting thrush population growth vary with acorn production.
Confirmed ubiquitous numerical and behavioral predator responses in pulsed systems.

Conclusions:

Cascading resource pulses significantly impact avian prey populations through indirect interactions like apparent competition.
Temporal variability in resource pulses contributes to fluctuations in avian reproduction and survivorship.
Understanding these pulse dynamics is crucial for managing forest ecosystems and their inhabitants.