狼通过塑造生态系统工程师的中央食行为来改变森林的轨迹
Thomas D Gable1, Sean M Johnson-Bice2, Austin T Homkes1
1Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circles, St Paul, MN 55108, USA.
Proceedings. Biological sciences
|November 7, 2023
概括
狼通过改变海的食行为来影响森林生态系统. 通过在远离水的海上捕食,狼限制了海改变的森林区域,影响了北极森林的动态.
科学领域:
- 生态生态学 生态生态学
- 行为生态学 行为生态学
- 森林生态 森林生态
背景情况:
- 捕食者通过直接掠食和感知风险来影响猎物的食行为.
- Beavers (Castor canadensis) 是生态系统工程师,他们的食对森林结构产生重大影响.
- 间接的生态效应通过食物网并改变生态系统过程.
研究的目的:
- 为了调查狼的掠食风险如何影响海的食行为.
- 通过海活动了解狼捕食对北极森林动态的间接影响.
- 为了确定狼的掠食是否有选择地压迫海从水中寻找食物的距离.
主要方法:
- 观察性研究分析了海上的狼掠食模式.
- 对海寻路径和接近水域的时空空间分析.
- beaver 寻找食物之旅的行为分析,与路径长度相对而言,旅程的持续时间和频率.
主要成果:
- 狼们最喜欢捕食使用更长的食路径,远离水域的海.
- 在较长的路径上寻找食物的野涉及更多的旅行和在陆地上花费的时间增加,从而增加了掠食风险.
- 狼的掠食行为作为一种选择性压力,限制了海在靠近水域的地区寻找食物.
结论:
- 狼的掠食间接地塑造了北极森林的组成和结构,通过限制海介导的息地变化的程度.
- 雄鹿的食行为是一个关键的自然干扰,受到狼捕食者-猎物动态的显著影响.
- 这种捕食者与猎物的相互作用表明,大型食肉动物与森林生态系统轨迹之间存在关键联系.
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