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Abundant top predators increase species interaction network complexity in northeastern Chinese forests.
Wen She1,2, Marcel Holyoak3, Jiayin Gu1
1Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.
The Journal of Animal Ecology
|February 22, 2025
Summary
Top predators significantly influence mammal community interactions, increasing network complexity. Mesopredators, however, create sparser networks, highlighting predator roles in ecosystem structure and conservation.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Community Ecology
- Wildlife Conservation
Background:
- Species interactions are crucial for community dynamics, stability, and ecosystem functioning.
- The specific role of top predators in structuring these interaction networks remains poorly understood.
- Understanding these dynamics is vital for effective conservation and management strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between top predator densities and mammal interaction network structure.
- To determine how top predators and mesopredators influence network complexity, connectance, nestedness, and species specialization.
- To explore the indirect effects of top predators on interaction networks.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a 5-7-year time series of mammal species detections in protected areas.
- Quantification of interaction network properties (connectance, nestedness, average degree).
- Statistical analysis to correlate predator densities with network structure metrics.
Main Results:
- Higher top predator densities correlated with increased network complexity (connectance, nestedness, average degree).
- Increased mesopredator densities were linked to sparser, less nested, and more centralized networks.
- Top predators shifted interactions, specializing highly interactive species and generalizing less abundant ones, likely via indirect effects.
Conclusions:
- Top predators play a pivotal role in structuring mammal interaction networks in northeastern China.
- Predator-induced changes in interaction patterns have significant implications for community stability and conservation.
- Conservation efforts should consider the cascading effects of predator presence on ecosystem dynamics.
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