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Indirect effects of the generalist avian predator, the goshawk, on life history of an uncommon prey species, the stock dove

  • Population ecology – original research
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Abstract

Predators account for lethal effects in their prey, but importantly also for non-lethal indirect effects through the presence and the activity of predators. Such non-lethal effects include altered timing of reproduction, incidence of reproduction, clutch size and quality of offspring produced. We investigated the effects of goshawks Accipiter gentilis on reproduction of the stock dove Columba oenas in 1723 breeding events during 2006–2015 in Northern Denmark, while simultaneously accounting for effects of climate on reproduction of stock doves. Stock doves were consumed by goshawks 36 times less frequently than expected from their abundance, showing that lethal effects of predation were negligible. Laying date advanced at higher temperatures and stronger winds. Laying was delayed when the population size of goshawks increased, and the effects of goshawks interacted wind speed. The frequency of eggs that did not hatch increased with the population size of goshawks, and with increasing temperatures. Recruitment rate of stock doves decreased with increasing population size of goshawks and stock doves. These findings show that indirect effects of predation by goshawks on stock doves were much larger than direct lethal effects and that climate change interacted with predator–prey interactions.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the landowners for access to their properties. J. Sundell and an anonymous reviewer provided constructive comments.

Author contribution statement

APM conceived and designed the study. EFJ and JTN collected the data. APM analyzed the data. APM with the help of all other authors wrote the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405, Orsay Cedex, France

    Anders Pape Møller

  2. Cypresvej 1, 9700, Brønderslev, Denmark

    Einar Flensted-Jensen

  3. Espedal 4, Tolne, 9870, Sindal, Denmark

    Jan Tøttrup Nielsen

Authors
  1. Anders Pape Møller
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  2. Einar Flensted-Jensen
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  3. Jan Tøttrup Nielsen
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Correspondence to Anders Pape Møller.

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Communicated by Janne Sundell.

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Møller, A.P., Flensted-Jensen, E. & Nielsen, J.T. Indirect effects of the generalist avian predator, the goshawk, on life history of an uncommon prey species, the stock dove. Oecologia 182, 1045–1052 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-016-3709-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-016-3709-z

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