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Functional responses of the rough-legged buzzard in a multi-prey system

  • Population ecology - Original research
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Abstract

The functional response is a key element of predator–prey interactions. Basic functional response theory explains foraging behavior of individual predators, but many empirical studies of free-ranging predators have estimated functional responses by using population-averaged data. We used a novel approach to investigate functional responses of an avian predator (the rough legged-buzzard Buteo lagopus Pontoppidan, 1763) to intra-annual spatial variation in rodent density in subarctic Sweden, using breeding pairs as the sampling unit. The rough-legged buzzards responded functionally to Norwegian lemmings (Lemmus lemmus L. 1758), grey-sided voles (Myodes rufocanus Sundevall, 1846) and field voles (Microtus agrestis L. 1761), but different rodent prey were not utilised according to relative abundance. The functional response to Norwegian lemmings was a steep type II curve and a more shallow type III response to grey-sided voles. The different shapes of these two functional responses were likely due to combined effects of differences between lemmings and grey-sided voles in habitat utilisation, anti-predator behaviour and size-dependent vulnerability to predation. Diet composition changed less than changes in relative prey abundance, indicating negative switching, with high disproportional use of especially lemmings at low relative densities. Our results suggest that lemmings and voles should be treated separately in future empirical and theoretical studies in order to better understand the role of predation in this study system.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Johan S. Eklöf for field work, and to Peter Lindberg who conducted surveys in our study area during 1966–1978. Charles J. Krebs gave instructive comments on rodent trapping methods. Geir A. Sonerud, Peter Abrams, Bertil Borg, Love Dalén, Hannu Ylönen, Janne Sundell and anonymous referees provided constructive comments that improved the manuscript. Vattenfall AB, Porjus, supported us with lodging facilities. This project was financed by grants to A. Angerbjörn from The Strategic Foundation for Environmental Research (to the Mountain-MISTRA project), Formas, and Swedish Polar Research Secreteriat/Swedish Research Council. P. Hellström received financial support from Alvin’s foundation for bird protection, the CLUB 300 foundation for bird protection and the Göran Gustafsson foundation.

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  1. Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

    P. Hellström, J. Nyström & A. Angerbjörn

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  1. P. Hellström
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  2. J. Nyström
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  3. A. Angerbjörn
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Correspondence to P. Hellström.

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Communicated by Janne Sundell.

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Hellström, P., Nyström, J. & Angerbjörn, A. Functional responses of the rough-legged buzzard in a multi-prey system. Oecologia 174, 1241–1254 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-013-2866-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-013-2866-6

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