Abstract
Predation can both reduce prey abundance directly (through density-dependent effects) and indirectly through prey trait-mediated effects. Over the years, many studies have focused on describing the density-area relationship (DAR). However, the mechanisms responsible for the DAR are not well understood. Loss and fragmentation of habitats, owing to human activities, creates landscape-level spatial heterogeneity wherein patches of varying size, isolation and quality are separated by a human-modified “matrix” of varying degrees of hostility and has been a primary driver of species extinctions and declining biodiversity. How matrix hostility in combination with trait-mediated effects influence DAR, minimum patch size, and species coexistence remains an open question. In this paper, we employ a theoretical spatially explicit predator–prey population model built upon the reaction-diffusion framework to explore effects of predator-induced emigration (trait-mediated emigration) and matrix hostility on DAR, minimum patch size, and species coexistence. Our results show that when trait-mediated response strength is sufficiently strong, ranges of patch size emerge where a nonlinear hump-shaped prey DAR is predicted and other ranges where coexistence is not possible. In a conservation perspective, DAR is crucial not only in deciding whether we should have one large habitat patch or several-small (SLOSS), but for understanding the minimum patch size that can support a viable population. Our study lends more credence to the possibility that predators can alter prey DAR through predator-induced prey dispersal.
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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. DMS-1853359, DMS-1853372, DMS-1853352, DMS-2150945, DMS-2150946, & DMS-2150947.
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Cronin, J.T., Goddard II, J., Muthunayake, A. et al. Predator-induced prey dispersal can cause hump-shaped density-area relationships in prey populations. J. Math. Biol. 88, 20 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00285-023-02040-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00285-023-02040-1
Keywords
- Predator-induced emigration
- Trait-mediated emigration
- Density–area relationship
- Reaction diffusion model
- Ecological release
- Dispersal release