Behavioral plasticity and the valence of indirect interactions
Ashkaan K Fahimipour1,2, Michael A Gil3, Andrew M Hein4
1Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA.
Ecology
|July 21, 2025
Summary
Animal behaviors can unexpectedly alter species interactions within ecological networks. Routine predator evasion by prey can shift interactions from competition to mutualism, impacting community structure.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Behavioral Ecology
- Theoretical Ecology
Background:
- Behavioral plasticity in animals can lead to unpredictable indirect interactions within ecological networks.
- Understanding how these behaviors shape community dynamics is crucial for predicting ecological stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how changes in species behavior influence indirect interactions and ecological network dynamics using coarse-grained models.
- To examine how predator-prey interactions are affected by prey behavioral plasticity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized coarse-grained ecological models to simulate species interactions.
- Analyzed a specific example of predators feeding on two prey types with post-evasion activity reduction behavior.
Main Results:
- Prey behavior shifts the indirect interaction between prey species from apparent competition to mutualism or parasitism.
- These shifts occur when predator capture efficiency falls below a critical threshold, leading to frequent hunting failures.
- One prey species can indirectly promote the growth of another by reducing its density dependence, increasing predator biomass despite reduced hunting success.
Conclusions:
- Routine animal behaviors can fundamentally alter the nature (valence) of species interactions.
- These behavioral changes cascade through ecological networks, reshaping community structure.
- The findings highlight the significant, yet often unpredictable, role of behavior in community ecology.
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