1
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Haak CR, Power M, Wilson ADM, Danylchuk AJ. Stable isotopes and foraging behaviors support the role of antipredator benefits in driving the association between two marine fishes. Oecologia 2023:10.1007/s00442-023-05390-1. [PMID: 37291257 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05390-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Research from terrestrial communities shows that diminished predation risk is a principal driver of heterospecific grouping behavior, with foraging ecology predicting the roles that species play in groups, as more vulnerable foragers preferentially join more vigilant ones from whom they can benefit. Meanwhile, field studies examining the adaptive significance of heterospecific shoaling among marine fish have focused disproportionately on feeding advantages such as scrounging or prey-flushing. Juvenile bonefish (Albula vulpes) occur almost exclusively among mojarras (Eucinostomus spp.) and even elect to join them over conspecifics, suggesting they benefit from doing so. We evaluated the roles of risk-related and food-related factors in motivating this pattern of affiliation, estimating: (1) the relative levels of risk associated with each species' search and prey capture activities, via behavioral vulnerability traits discerned from in situ video of heterospecific shoals, and (2) resource use redundancy, using stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S) to quantify niche overlap. Across four distinct metrics, bonefish behaviors implied a markedly greater level of risk than those of mojarras, typified by higher activity levels and a reduced capacity for overt vigilance; consistent with expectations if their association conformed to patterns of joining observed in terrestrial habitats. Resource use overlap inferred from stable isotopes was low, indicating that the two species partitioned resources and making it unlikely that bonefish derived substantive food-related benefits. Collectively, these findings suggest that the attraction of juvenile bonefish to mojarras is motivated primarily by antipredator advantages, which may include the exploitation of risk-related social cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Haak
- Department of Environmental Conservation and Intercampus Marine Science Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Michael Power
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Alexander D M Wilson
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, Devon, UK
| | - Andy J Danylchuk
- Department of Environmental Conservation and Intercampus Marine Science Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
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2
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Zhou L, Peabotuwage I, Luo K, Quan RC, Goodale E. Using playback to test leadership in mixed-species flocks and compare flocking with mobbing. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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3
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Martínez AE, Parra E, Gomez JP, Vredenburg VT. Shared predators between primate groups and mixed species bird flocks: the potential for forest‐wide eavesdropping networks. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ari E. Martínez
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Dept of Integrative Biology, Univ. of California Berkeley CA USA
- Dept of Biological Sciences, California State Univ. Long Beach CA USA
| | - Eliseo Parra
- Dept of Biology, San Francisco State Univ. San Francisco CA USA
| | - Juan Pablo Gomez
- Depto de Química y Biología, Univ. del Norte Barranquilla Colombia
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4
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Ratnayake CP, Zhou Y, Dawson Pell FSE, Potvin DA, Radford AN, Magrath RD. Visual obstruction, but not moderate traffic noise, increases reliance on heterospecific alarm calls. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Animals rely on both personal and social information about danger to minimize risk, yet environmental conditions constrain information. Both visual obstructions and background noise can reduce detectability of predators, which may increase reliance on social information, such as from alarm calls. Furthermore, a combination of visual and auditory constraints might greatly increase reliance on social information, because the loss of information from one source cannot be compensated by the other. Testing these possibilities requires manipulating personal information while broadcasting alarm calls. We therefore experimentally tested the effects of a visual barrier, traffic noise, and their combination on the response of Australian magpies, Cracticus tibicen, to heterospecific alarm calls. The barrier blocked only visual cues, while playback of moderate traffic noise could mask subtle acoustic cues of danger, such as of a predator’s movement, but not the alarm-call playback. We predicted that response to alarm calls would increase with either visual or acoustic constraint, and that there would be a disproportionate response when both were present. As predicted, individuals responded more strongly to alarm calls when there was a visual barrier. However, moderate traffic noise did not affect responses, and the effect of the visual barrier was not greater during traffic-noise playback. We conclude that a reduction of personal, visual information led to a greater reliance on social information from alarm calls, confirming indirect evidence from other species. The absence of a traffic-noise effect could be because in Australian magpies hearing subtle cues is less important than vision in detecting predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaminda P Ratnayake
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, 46 Sullivan’s Creek Road, Australian National University, Canberra 2600, Australia
| | - You Zhou
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, 46 Sullivan’s Creek Road, Australian National University, Canberra 2600, Australia
| | - Francesca S E Dawson Pell
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, 46 Sullivan’s Creek Road, Australian National University, Canberra 2600, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Dominique A Potvin
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, 46 Sullivan’s Creek Road, Australian National University, Canberra 2600, Australia
| | - Andrew N Radford
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Robert D Magrath
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, 46 Sullivan’s Creek Road, Australian National University, Canberra 2600, Australia
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5
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Holzner A, Balasubramaniam KN, Weiß BM, Ruppert N, Widdig A. Oil palm cultivation critically affects sociality in a threatened Malaysian primate. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10353. [PMID: 33990658 PMCID: PMC8121792 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89783-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Human-induced habitat alterations globally threaten animal populations, often evoking complex behavioural responses in wildlife. This may be particularly dramatic when negatively affecting social behaviour, which fundamentally determines individual fitness and offspring survival in group-living animals. Here, we provide first evidence for significant behavioural modifications in sociality of southern pig-tailed macaques visiting Malaysian oil palm plantations in search of food despite elevated predation risk. Specifically, we found critical reductions of key positive social interactions but higher rates of aggression in the plantation interior compared to the plantation edge (i.e. plantation areas bordering the forest) and the forest. At the plantation edge, affiliation even increased compared to the forest, while central positions in the macaques' social network structure shifted from high-ranking adult females and immatures to low-ranking individuals. Further, plantations also affected mother-infant relationships, with macaque mothers being more protective in the open plantation environment. We suggest that although primates can temporarily persist in human-altered habitats, their ability to permanently adapt requires the presence of close-by forest and comes with a trade-off in sociality, potentially hampering individual fitness and infant survival. Studies like ours remain critical for understanding species' adaptability to anthropogenic landscapes, which may ultimately contribute to facilitating their coexistence with humans and preserving biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Holzner
- Department of Human Behaviour, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Krishna N Balasubramaniam
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Brigitte M Weiß
- Department of Human Behaviour, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nadine Ruppert
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
- Malaysian Primatological Society, 09000, Kulim, Kedah, Malaysia.
| | - Anja Widdig
- Department of Human Behaviour, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
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6
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Tóth Z, Jaloveczki B, Tarján G. Diffusion of Social Information in Non-grouping Animals. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.586058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent findings indicate that the utilization of social information, produced inadvertently by other individuals through their spatial location and/or interaction with the environment, may be ubiquitous in the animal kingdom. If so, social information-mediated effects on population growth and interspecies interactions may be more prevalent than previously thought. However, little is known about how social information may spread among non-grouping individuals, i.e., in animals that do not form cohesive groups and therefore social attraction among group-mates does not facilitate information diffusion. Are there any perception-related, temporal, and/or spatial parameters that may facilitate or limit the spread of social information in temporary aggregations or among dispersed individuals in a population? We argue that living in cohesive groups is not necessarily required for the diffusion of social information and for social information-mediated effects to emerge in a population. We propose that while learning complex problem-solving techniques socially is less likely to occur in non-grouping animals, the spread of adaptive responses to social stimuli, especially to non-visual cues, can be common and may affect population, and/or community dynamics in a wide range of taxa. We also argue that network-based diffusion analysis could be a suitable analytical method for studying information diffusion in future investigations, providing comparable estimations of social effects on information spread to previous studies on group-living animals. We conclude that more studies are warranted to verify what intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence information propagation among incidentally and/or indirectly interacting individuals if we are to better understand the role of social information in animal populations and how the social and ecological characteristics of species are related to information spread in natural communities.
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7
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Jiang D, Sieving KE, Meaux E, Goodale E. Seasonal changes in mixed-species bird flocks and antipredator information. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:5368-5382. [PMID: 32607159 PMCID: PMC7319245 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals acquire information produced by other species to reduce uncertainty and avoid predators. Mixed-species flocks (MSFs) of birds are ubiquitous in forest ecosystems and structured, in part, around interspecific information transfer, with "nuclear" species providing information that other species eavesdrop on. We hypothesized that in a seasonal tropical forest, the amount of information produced by birds about predation would be dynamic and particularly would decrease inside MSFs when the nuclear species leave MSFs to breed. We obtained baseline information on MSF encounter rate and species composition along established sampling routes over 9 months near the Sino-Vietnamese border. We also conducted three experiments to quantify information produced by different species in response to typical predator encounters, including a moving predator stimulus presented inside of MSFs, and a stationary predator model presented both inside and outside of MSFs. MSFs were much less frequent in the breeding season with fewer individuals of the nuclear species, David's Fulvetta (Alcippe davidi), participating, though the diversity of other species remained stable. Fulvettas were the dominant producer of alarm-related information both to the moving and stationary stimuli in MSFs and were also among the most active mobbers to stimuli presented outside of MSFs. In the breeding season, they tended to call less to the moving stimulus, and substantially fewer individuals responded to the in-flock stationary stimulus. Other species increased their own information production at stationary predator stimuli (inside and outside of MSFs) during the breeding season, perhaps due to their increased investment in offspring during this time. Yet even during the breeding season, David's Fulvetta remained the highest producer of information about predators in MSFs. Hence, while we show that information production in MSFs can be somewhat dynamic, we describe a continually asymmetric communication system, in which a nuclear species is important to the whole community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demeng Jiang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ConservationCollege of ForestryGuangxi UniversityNanningChina
| | - Kathryn E. Sieving
- Department of Wildlife Ecology & ConservationUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Estelle Meaux
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ConservationCollege of ForestryGuangxi UniversityNanningChina
| | - Eben Goodale
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ConservationCollege of ForestryGuangxi UniversityNanningChina
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8
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Demir E, Yaman YI, Basaran M, Kocabas A. Dynamics of pattern formation and emergence of swarming in Caenorhabditis elegans. eLife 2020; 9:52781. [PMID: 32250243 PMCID: PMC7202895 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Many animals collectively form complex patterns to tackle environmental difficulties. Several biological and physical factors, such as animal motility, population densities, and chemical cues, play significant roles in this process. However, very little is known about how sensory information interplays with these factors and controls the dynamics of pattern formation. Here, we study the direct relation between oxygen sensing, pattern formation, and emergence of swarming in active Caenorhabditis elegans aggregates. We find that when thousands of animals gather on food, bacteria-mediated decrease in oxygen level slows down the animals and triggers motility-induced phase separation. Three coupled factors—bacterial accumulation, aerotaxis, and population density—act together and control the entire dynamics. Furthermore, we find that biofilm-forming bacterial lawns including Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strongly alter the collective dynamics due to the limited diffusibility of bacteria. Additionally, our theoretical model captures behavioral differences resulting from genetic variations and oxygen sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esin Demir
- Bio-Medical Sciences and Engineering Program, Koç University, Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Y Ilker Yaman
- Department of Physics, Koç University, Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Basaran
- Bio-Medical Sciences and Engineering Program, Koç University, Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Askin Kocabas
- Bio-Medical Sciences and Engineering Program, Koç University, Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey.,Department of Physics, Koç University, Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey.,Koç University Surface Science and Technology Center, Koç University, Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey.,Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine, Koç University, Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey
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9
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Goodale E, Sridhar H, Sieving KE, Bangal P, Colorado Z GJ, Farine DR, Heymann EW, Jones HH, Krams I, Martínez AE, Montaño-Centellas F, Muñoz J, Srinivasan U, Theo A, Shanker K. Mixed company: a framework for understanding the composition and organization of mixed-species animal groups. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:889-910. [PMID: 32097520 PMCID: PMC7383667 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Mixed-species animal groups (MSGs) are widely acknowledged to increase predator avoidance and foraging efficiency, among other benefits, and thereby increase participants' fitness. Diversity in MSG composition ranges from two to 70 species of very similar or completely different phenotypes. Yet consistency in organization is also observable in that one or a few species usually have disproportionate importance for MSG formation and/or maintenance. We propose a two-dimensional framework for understanding this diversity and consistency, concentrating on the types of interactions possible between two individuals, usually of different species. One axis represents the similarity of benefit types traded between the individuals, while the second axis expresses asymmetry in the relative amount of benefits/costs accrued. Considering benefit types, one extreme represents the case of single-species groups wherein all individuals obtain the same supplementary, group-size-related benefits, and the other extreme comprises associations of very different, but complementary species (e.g. one partner creates access to food while the other provides vigilance). The relevance of social information and the matching of activities (e.g. speed of movement) are highest for relationships on the supplementary side of this axis, but so is competition; relationships between species will occur at points along this gradient where the benefits outweigh the costs. Considering benefit amounts given or received, extreme asymmetry occurs when one species is exclusively a benefit provider and the other a benefit user. Within this parameter space, some MSG systems are constrained to one kind of interaction, such as shoals of fish of similar species or leader-follower interactions in fish and other taxa. Other MSGs, such as terrestrial bird flocks, can simultaneously include a variety of supplementary and complementary interactions. We review the benefits that species obtain across the diversity of MSG types, and argue that the degree and nature of asymmetry between benefit providers and users should be measured and not just assumed. We then discuss evolutionary shifts in MSG types, focusing on drivers towards similarity in group composition, and selection on benefit providers to enhance the benefits they can receive from other species. Finally, we conclude by considering how individual and collective behaviour in MSGs may influence both the structure and processes of communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eben Goodale
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, China
| | - Hari Sridhar
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560012, India.,National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560012, India
| | - Kathryn E Sieving
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, U.S.A
| | - Priti Bangal
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560012, India
| | - Gabriel J Colorado Z
- Departamento de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, 050034, Colombia
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitätsstrasse 10, D-78464, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, D-78464, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, D-78464, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Eckhard W Heymann
- Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Harrison H Jones
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, U.S.A.,Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611, U.S.A
| | - Indrikis Krams
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51410, Estonia.,Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, 1004, Latvia
| | - Ari E Martínez
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, CA, 90840, U.S.A
| | - Flavia Montaño-Centellas
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, U.S.A.,Instituto de Ecologia, Universidad Mayor de San Andres, La Paz, 10077, Bolivia
| | - Jenny Muñoz
- Zoology Department and Biodiversity Research Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1ZA, Canada
| | - Umesh Srinivasan
- Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08540, U.S.A
| | - Anne Theo
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560012, India
| | - Kartik Shanker
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560012, India.,Dakshin Foundation, Bengaluru, 560092, India
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10
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Jones HH, Sieving KE. Foraging ecology drives social information reliance in an avian eavesdropping community. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11584-11597. [PMID: 31695870 PMCID: PMC6822049 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrates obtain social information about predation risk by eavesdropping on the alarm calls of sympatric species. In the Holarctic, birds in the family Paridae function as sentinel species; however, factors shaping eavesdroppers' reliance on their alarm calls are unknown. We compared three hypothesized drivers of eavesdropper reliance: (a) foraging ecology, (b) degree of sociality, and (c) call relevance (caller-to-eavesdropper body-size difference). In a rigorous causal-comparative design, we presented Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) alarm calls to 242 individuals of 31 ecologically diverse bird species in Florida forests and recorded presence/absence and type (diving for cover or freezing in place) of response. Playback response was near universal, as individuals responded to 87% of presentations (N = 211). As an exception to this trend, the sit-and-wait flycatcher Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) represented 48% of the nonresponses. We tested 12 predictor variables representing measures relevant to the three hypothesized drivers, distance to playback speaker, and vulnerability at time of playback (eavesdropper's microhabitat when alarm call is detected). Using model-averaged generalized linear models, we determined that foraging ecology best predicted playback response, with aerial foragers responding less often. Foraging ecology (distance from trunk) and microhabitat occupied during playback (distance to escape cover) best predicted escape behavior type. We encountered a sparsity of sit-and-wait flycatchers (3 spp.), yet their contrasting responses relative to other foraging behaviors clearly identified foraging ecology as a driver of species-specific antipredator escape behavior. Our findings align well with known links between the exceptional visual acuity and other phenotypic traits of flycatchers that allow them to rely more heavily on personal rather than social information while foraging. Our results suggest that foraging ecology drives species-specific antipredator behavior based on the availability and type of escape cover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harrison H. Jones
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
- Department of BiologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Kathryn E. Sieving
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
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11
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Camerlenghi E, Tellaroli P, Griggio M, Martínez AE. Information about Predators Varies across an Amazonian Rain Forest as a Result of Sentinel Species Distribution. Am Nat 2019; 194:E134-E139. [PMID: 31613671 DOI: 10.1086/705242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Information about predation risk is of fundamental value in biological communities. Because many prey species have shared predators, eavesdropping on other species' alarms is a widely recognized mechanism underlying the formation of mixed-species groups. However, information transfer may vary both across and within groups because some species provide higher-quality information about predators than others. We tested this phenomenon in Amazonian understory mixed-species flocks of birds in which two sentinel species-the bluish-slate antshrike (Thamnomanes schistogynus) and the dusky-throated antshrike (Thamnomanes ardesiacus)-occupy different habitats and provide alarm calls that are used by eavesdropping flock mates. In a playback experiment, two associate species responded significantly more strongly to alarm calls from the same sentinel species, reflecting the greater reliability of information about predator threats that could affect survival and habitat choice. Our work provides evidence of a repeated asymmetry across space in the available information about threats.
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12
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Martínez AE, Parra E, Collado LF, Vredenburg VT. Deconstructing the landscape of fear in stable multi-species societies. Ecology 2018. [PMID: 28632944 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Animal distributions are influenced by variation in predation risk in space, which has been described as the "landscape of fear." Many studies suggest animals also reduce predation risk by eavesdropping on heterospecific alarm calls, allowing them to occupy otherwise risky habitats. One unexplored area of study is understanding how different species' alarms vary in quality, and how this variation is distributed in the landscape. We tested this phenomenon in a unique system of avian mixed species flocks in Amazonian rainforests: flock mates (eavesdropping species) strongly associate with alarm-calling antshrikes (genus Thamnomanes), which act as sentinel species. Up to 70 species join these flocks, presumably following antshrike behavioral cues. Since flocks in this region of the Amazon are exclusively led by a single antshrike species, this provides a unique natural system to compare differences in sentinel quality between flocks. We simulated predation threat by flying three species of live trained raptors (predators) towards flocks to compare sentinel probability to (1) produce alarm calls, and (2) encode information about magnitude and type of threat within such alarm calls. Our field experiments show significant differences in the probability of different sentinel species to produce alarm calls and distinguish predators. This variation may have important fitness consequences and shape the "landscape of fear" for eavesdropping species.
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Affiliation(s)
- A E Martínez
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, California, 94132, USA
| | - E Parra
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, California, 94132, USA
| | - L F Collado
- Colka Raptors SAC, Mza. C Lote 10-L Urb. San Eduardo Piura, Piura, Peru
| | - V T Vredenburg
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, California, 94132, USA
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13
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Martínez AE, Parra E, Muellerklein O, Vredenburg VT. Fear-based niche shifts in neotropical birds. Ecology 2018; 99:1338-1346. [PMID: 29787637 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Predation is a strong ecological force that shapes animal communities through natural selection. Recent studies have shown the cascading effects of predation risk on ecosystems through changes in prey behavior. Minimizing predation risk may explain why multiple prey species associate together in space and time. For example, mixed-species flocks that have been widely documented from forest systems, often include birds that eavesdrop on sentinel species (alarm calling heterospecifics). Sentinel species may be pivotal in (1) allowing flocking species to forage in open areas within forests that otherwise incur high predation risk, and (2) influencing flock occurrence (the amount of time species spend with a flock). To test this, we conducted a short-term removal experiment in an Amazonian lowland rainforest to test whether flock habitat use and flock occurrence was influenced by sentinel presence. Antshrikes (genus Thamnomanes) act as sentinels in Amazonian mixed-species flocks by providing alarm calls widely used by other flock members. The alarm calls provide threat information about ambush predators such as hawks and falcons which attack in flight. We quantified home range behavior, the forest vegetation profile used by flocks, and the proportion occurrence of other flocking species, both before and after removal of antshrikes from flocks. We found that when sentinel species were removed, (1) flock members shifted habitat use to lower risk habitats with greater vegetation cover, and (2) species flock occurrence decreased. We conclude that eavesdropping on sentinel species may allow other species to expand their realized niche by allowing them to safely forage in high-risk habitats within the forest. In allowing species to use extended parts of the forest, sentinel species may influence overall biodiversity across a diverse landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ari E Martínez
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, 94132, USA
| | - Eliseo Parra
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, 94132, USA
| | - Oliver Muellerklein
- Department of Environmental, Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Vance T Vredenburg
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, 94132, USA
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Martínez AE, Pollock HS, Kelley JP, Tarwater CE. Social information cascades influence the formation of mixed-species foraging aggregations of ant-following birds in the Neotropics. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Hua F, Yong DL, Janra MN, Fitri LM, Prawiradilaga D, Sieving KE. Functional traits determine heterospecific use of risk-related social information in forest birds of tropical South-East Asia. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:8485-8494. [PMID: 28031800 PMCID: PMC5167021 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Revised: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In birds and mammals, mobbing calls constitute an important form of social information that can attract numerous sympatric species to localized mobbing aggregations. While such a response is thought to reduce the future predation risk for responding species, there is surprisingly little empirical evidence to support this hypothesis. One way to test the link between predation risk reduction and mobbing attraction involves testing the relationship between species’ attraction to mobbing calls and the functional traits that define their vulnerability to predation risk. Two important traits known to influence prey vulnerability include relative prey‐to‐predator body size ratio and the overlap in space use between predator and prey; in combination, these measures strongly influence prey accessibility, and therefore their vulnerability, to predators. Here, we combine community surveys with behavioral experiments of a diverse bird assemblage in the lowland rainforest of Sumatra to test whether the functional traits of body mass (representing body size) and foraging height (representing space use) can predict species’ attraction to heterospecific mobbing calls. At four forest sites along a gradient of forest degradation, we characterized the resident bird communities using point count and mist‐netting surveys, and determined the species groups attracted to standardized playbacks of mobbing calls produced by five resident bird species of roughly similar body size and foraging height. We found that (1) a large, diverse subcommunity of bird species was attracted to the mobbing calls and (2) responding species (especially the most vigorous respondents) tended to be (a) small (b) mid‐storey foragers (c) with similar trait values as the species producing the mobbing calls. Our findings from the relatively lesser known bird assemblages of tropical Asia add to the growing evidence for the ubiquity of heterospecific information networks in animal communities, and provide empirical support for the long‐standing hypothesis that predation risk reduction is a major benefit of mobbing information networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyuan Hua
- State Key Laboratory of BioControl College of Ecology and Evolution/School of Life Sciences Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou Guangdong China; Program in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs Princeton University Princeton NJ USA
| | - Ding Li Yong
- Fenner School of Environment and Society the Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Muhammad Nazri Janra
- Biology Department Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science Andalas University Padang West Sumatra Indonesia
| | - Liza M Fitri
- Biology Department Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science Andalas University Padang West Sumatra Indonesia
| | | | - Kathryn E Sieving
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation College of Agriculture and Life Sciences University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
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