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Predator water balance alters intraguild predation in a streamside food web
Israel L Leinbach1,2, Kevin E McCluney1,3, John L Sabo1,4
1School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.
Ecology
|January 30, 2019
Summary
Animal water balance impacts food webs. Stressed predators eat water-rich prey, while hydrated predators switch to energy-rich prey, altering intraguild predation dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Animal Behavior
- Physiological Ecology
Background:
- Animal water balance is a key factor influencing trophic interactions.
- Predators may adjust prey consumption to meet water demands, but the interplay with energy needs is less understood.
- Shifting environmental conditions necessitate understanding how water and energy needs interact to shape food webs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how predator water balance and prey water/energy content influence trophic interactions.
- To determine the effect of water stress on predator choice between water-laden and energy-rich prey.
- To assess the impact on intraguild predation frequency under varying resource conditions.
Main Methods:
- Manipulative field experiments were conducted.
- Top predators (large spiders) and their prey (crickets and small spiders) were manipulated.
- Prey water and energy content ratios were contrasted.
- Predator water stress was experimentally altered.
Main Results:
- Water-stressed top predators preferentially impacted water-laden basal prey (crickets), particularly males with higher water content.
- When water stress was alleviated, top predators shifted to negatively impacting energy-rich midlevel predators (small spiders).
- The relative water and energy content of prey, alongside predator water demand, altered intraguild predation.
Conclusions:
- Predator water balance is a critical, yet often overlooked, driver of trophic interactions.
- The interplay between water and energy needs shapes predator foraging decisions and food web structure.
- Multiresource approaches are essential for predicting ecological responses to global change.
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