Predator arrival elicits differential dispersal, change in age structure and reproductive performance in a prey population

A. Payo-Payo; A. Sanz-Aguilar; M. Genovart; A. Bertolero; J. Piccardo; D. Camps; J. Ruiz-Olmo; D. Oro

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-20333-0

Predator arrival elicits differential dispersal, change in age structure and reproductive performance in a prey population

A. Payo-Payo^*, A. Sanz-Aguilar, M. Genovart, A. Bertolero, J. Piccardo, D. Camps, J. Ruiz-Olmo, D. Oro

^*Corresponding author for this work

Aberdeen Centre For Environmental Sustainability

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

20 Citations (Scopus)

5 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Predators are an important ecological and evolutionary force shaping prey population dynamics. Ecologists have extensively assessed the lethal effects of invasive predators on prey populations. However, the role of non-lethal effects, such as physiological stress or behavioural responses like dispersal, has been comparatively overlooked and their potential population effects remain obscure. Over the last 23 years, we developed a mark-recapture program for the Audouin's gull and an intensive carnivore monitoring program to assess how the appearance and invasion of the study site by carnivores affects population dynamics. We evaluate changes in turnover of discrete breeding patches within the colony, age structure and breeding performance. Once carnivores entered the colony, the number of occupied patches increased, indicating a higher patch turnover. Breeders responded by moving to areas less accessible to carnivores. More importantly, the presence of carnivores caused differential (and density-independent) breeding dispersal: experienced, better-performing breeders were more likely to leave the colony than younger breeders. This differential dispersal modified the age structure and reduced the reproductive performance of the population. Our results confirm the importance experience in the study of populations. The role of differential dispersal for animal population dynamics might be more important than previously thought, especially under scenarios of global change.

Original language	English
Article number	20333
Number of pages	7
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	8
Issue number	1
Early online date	31 Jan 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-20333-0
Publication status	Published - 31 Jan 2018

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgements
We thank everyone monitoring colonies over the years, in particular Carles Domingo from the Ebro Delta NP Staff, Ràpita, Castelló and the Tarragona Port Authorities and José Manuel Igual from the Group of Ecology and Animal Demography. We also thank the editorial board and the reviewers for their constructive comments. RESET (ref.CGL2017-85210-P), FPU (ref. FPU2012-000869), IBISES (ref. CGL2013-42203-R) and MINOW (ref. H2020- 634495). ASA and MG are supported by a postdoctoral contract co-funded by the Regional Government of the Balearic Islands and the European Social Fund (ref. PD/003/2016 and PD/023/2015).

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Cite this

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title = "Predator arrival elicits differential dispersal, change in age structure and reproductive performance in a prey population",

abstract = "Predators are an important ecological and evolutionary force shaping prey population dynamics. Ecologists have extensively assessed the lethal effects of invasive predators on prey populations. However, the role of non-lethal effects, such as physiological stress or behavioural responses like dispersal, has been comparatively overlooked and their potential population effects remain obscure. Over the last 23 years, we developed a mark-recapture program for the Audouin's gull and an intensive carnivore monitoring program to assess how the appearance and invasion of the study site by carnivores affects population dynamics. We evaluate changes in turnover of discrete breeding patches within the colony, age structure and breeding performance. Once carnivores entered the colony, the number of occupied patches increased, indicating a higher patch turnover. Breeders responded by moving to areas less accessible to carnivores. More importantly, the presence of carnivores caused differential (and density-independent) breeding dispersal: experienced, better-performing breeders were more likely to leave the colony than younger breeders. This differential dispersal modified the age structure and reduced the reproductive performance of the population. Our results confirm the importance experience in the study of populations. The role of differential dispersal for animal population dynamics might be more important than previously thought, especially under scenarios of global change.",

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AU - Piccardo, J.

AU - Camps, D.

AU - Ruiz-Olmo, J.

AU - Oro, D.

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N2 - Predators are an important ecological and evolutionary force shaping prey population dynamics. Ecologists have extensively assessed the lethal effects of invasive predators on prey populations. However, the role of non-lethal effects, such as physiological stress or behavioural responses like dispersal, has been comparatively overlooked and their potential population effects remain obscure. Over the last 23 years, we developed a mark-recapture program for the Audouin's gull and an intensive carnivore monitoring program to assess how the appearance and invasion of the study site by carnivores affects population dynamics. We evaluate changes in turnover of discrete breeding patches within the colony, age structure and breeding performance. Once carnivores entered the colony, the number of occupied patches increased, indicating a higher patch turnover. Breeders responded by moving to areas less accessible to carnivores. More importantly, the presence of carnivores caused differential (and density-independent) breeding dispersal: experienced, better-performing breeders were more likely to leave the colony than younger breeders. This differential dispersal modified the age structure and reduced the reproductive performance of the population. Our results confirm the importance experience in the study of populations. The role of differential dispersal for animal population dynamics might be more important than previously thought, especially under scenarios of global change.

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Predator arrival elicits differential dispersal, change in age structure and reproductive performance in a prey population

Abstract

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