 Outbreak suppression by predators depends on spatial distribution of preyRiccardo Bommarco, Sascha O. Firle and Barbara Ekbom Ecological Modelling, 2007, vol. 201, issue 2, 163-170 Abstract: The capacity of a predator population to suppress a prey population that varies in abundance and spatial distribution is explored in a lattice simulation model. The model is based on empirically derived parameters for particular species. Within season predation by Pterostichus cupreus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of varying densities and distributions of the prey Rhopalosiphum padi (Homoptera: Aphididae) in spring cereals was simulated. From these spatially explicit simulations prey population suppression was found to be largely dependent on the spatial distribution of the prey. A possible mechanism was that high degrees of prey aggregation provided refuge for the prey that, when aggregated, escaped detection by P. cupreus. In contrast, P. cupreus was found to efficiently suppress incipient outbreaks for evenly distributed prey populations, even at high prey densities. A higher predator density compensated for the lowered control ability of the predators for highly aggregated prey populations and hastened the decline of the prey population. Keywords: Aphididae; Rhopalosiphum padi; Carabidae; Pest control; Foraging behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:201:y:2007:i:2:p:163-170 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2006.09.012 Access Statistics for this article Ecological Modelling is currently edited by Brian D. Fath More articles in Ecological Modelling from Elsevier |
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