Prey persistence and abundance in systems with intraguild predation and type-2 functional responses

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Theoretical Ecology
• Population Dynamics

Background:

• Intraguild predation in high-productivity environments is paradoxical, as simple models predict prey extinction.
• Existing theoretical mechanisms to explain prey persistence are often considered narrowly applicable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate intraguild prey dynamics in models with type-2 functional responses and adaptive diet choice.
• To re-evaluate previously dismissed scenarios where predators have limited ability to subsist on basal resources alone or exhibit less functional response saturation than predators.

Main Methods:

• Utilized theoretical models incorporating type-2 functional responses for consumers.
• Included adaptive, imperfect diet choice by the top predator.
• Focused on two specific ecological scenarios: differential resource saturation and predator dependence on intraguild prey.

Main Results:

• Prey abundance and persistence ranges often increase with resource productivity in both examined scenarios.
• Intraguild prey can coexist with predators even with higher resource requirements.
• Diet choice dynamics significantly influence population responses to environmental enrichment.

Conclusions:

• The persistence and increased abundance of intraguild prey in productive environments are not puzzling.
• These observations align with theoretical models incorporating realistic ecological mechanisms like type-2 functional responses and adaptive foraging.