Daphnia inhibits the emergence of spatial pattern in a simple consumer–resource system. Issue 4 (3rd April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Betini, Gustavo S.; Avgar, Tal; McCann, Kevin S.; Fryxell, John M.
• Is Part Of: Ecology. Volume 98:Issue 4(2017)
• Page Start: 1163
• Page End: 1170
• Publication Date: 2017-04-03
• Subjects: aquatic mesocosmos -- Chlorella vulgaris -- freshwater systems -- green algae -- movement -- predator–prey system -- scale‐dependent feedback -- self‐organization -- spatial variation; Ecology -- Periodicals; Ecology -- Periodicals; Écologie -- Périodiques; Ecologie; Écologie; Écologie animale; Écologie végétale; Ecology; Periodicals; 577.05
• DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1752
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0012-9658

Abstract

Abstract: Spatial self‐organization can occur in many ecosystems with important effects on food web dynamics and the maintenance of biodiversity. The consumer–resource interaction is known to generate spatial patterning, but only a few empirical studies have investigated the effect of the consumer on resource distribution. Here we report results from a large aquatic mesocosm experiment used to investigate the effect of the consumer Daphnia magna on the distribution of its resource, the green algae Chlorella vulgaris . We maintained large tanks with capacity for 26 , 000 L with either algae or both algae and Daphnia in different temperature conditions. We found that the presence of D. magna inhibited spatial structure in algal distribution that arose as a consequence of increasing temperature. We conjecture that this homogenization effect might be caused by a combination of high mobility combined with high rates of algal consumption by Daphnia . Our study emphasizes the importance of both local constraints on growth and behavioral responses in either promoting or suppressing spatial self‐organization in natural populations.