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Updated: Jun 28, 2026
10:20
Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
Published on: March 12, 2013
Resource identity modifies the influence of predation risk on ecosystem function.
Geoffrey C Trussell1, Patrick J Ewanchuk, Catherine M Matassa
1Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, 430 Nahant Road, Nahant, Massachusetts 01908, USA. g.trussell@neu.edu
Ecology
|October 31, 2008
Summary
Predation risk significantly impacts food chains, with stronger effects observed in barnacle-based systems compared to mussel-based ones. This influences trait-mediated cascades and energy transfer efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Marine Biology
- Food Web Dynamics
Background:
- Predators influence prey not only through consumption but also by inducing fear, leading to trait-mediated cascades.
- The impact of predation risk on ecosystem processes is increasingly recognized but its dependence on environmental context requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how basal resource identity (barnacles vs. mussels) modifies the effects of predation risk on food chain dynamics.
- To quantify the influence of predation risk on trait-mediated cascades and energy transfer efficiency in rocky-shore ecosystems.
Main Methods:
- A factorial mesocosm experiment manipulated basal resource identity (barnacles or mussels) in two tritrophic food chains.
- The study involved the green crab (Carcinus maenas) as a predator and the snail (Nucella lapillus) as an intermediate consumer.
Main Results:
- Predation risk and trait-mediated cascades were significantly stronger in the barnacle food chain compared to the mussel food chain.
- Predation risk reduced energy transfer efficiency in the barnacle food chain but not in the mussel food chain.
Conclusions:
- Basal resource identity critically shapes the strength of indirect effects of predation risk and influences energy transfer.
- Understanding how prey perceive risk, influenced by their resources, is crucial for predicting ecosystem functioning.
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