Predation 2 Flashcards
Animal strategies for avoiding predation
behavioural
signaling
physical features
Behavioural strategies
-seeking refuge
-nocturnality
-defencive circle
-mobbing
-attacking – > chemicals, or physical
-playing dead
-distraction
does reaching refugia cost anything?
costs energy and disrupts foraging ability, however, better unfed than dead
Signaling strategies
-aposematic coloration
-mimicry
-bluffing
Aposematic coloration
prey species that display light and conspicuous colors
-signal that they are distasteful or contain toxins
what happens after a predator encounters a aposematic colored signal and eats the mf or is injured?
-pred wont do dat shi again
-other members of that species can also learn about that
batesian mimicry
non toxic species which resemble a toxic one
mullerian mimicry
toxic species resembles another toxic species
-increased learning effect
bluffing- signaling
make self look bigger–> mayfly
Physical features
-body size
-predator satiation
-rapid movement
-body armor
-autonomy- body amputation
interspecific social dominance
when mimicry is used to reduce competition from other species
pros and cons of body size
pros- not dying(too big)
cons- takes a lot of energy to maintain large body
example of safety in numbers
cicadas emerge in insane quantities every 10 year, satiate predators and reproduce
Gauses predation experiments on refuge
-when put predator and prey in water they both go extinct,
-replicate immigration by restocking,
then voterra model predictions
rescue effect:
individuals from larger pop may immigrate and rescue smaller pop
How do plants defend themselves
- resistance
- tolerance
plant structural defences
pointy stuff
trichomes
hard leaves
trichomes
extention of epidermis
crypsis
defence mechanism where plant hides
-wilting
-blending in
Secondary metabolites
compounds not used for photosynthesis, respiration, growth, or development
alkaloids
noxious odours - mint, sage
repellent taste- quinine
excessive stimulation- caffine
-lethargy- opioids
capsaicin
spice that affects mammals but not birds
Constitutive defences (plants)
pros and cons
-permanent defences
-produced continuously
pro- no need to worry about sudden attacks
con- costs lots of eneergy to maintain, herbivore can coevolve
Induced defences
pros and cons
phenotypic plasticity
concentrations of a defensive chemical increases rapidly in response to herbivore damage
pro- no constant maintenence
con- sudden attacks
constitutive defences example
toxins
digestion reducing chemicals–> tannins
induced chemical defence
tomato plant increase volatile compuond after spider mite infestation
why are alkaloids more common in tropical plants
because more diverse predators need more diverse defences
why do plants not have warning colors?
because they need chlorophyll
the three trophic levels and how shit happens
what type of tropic system follows these rules?
plants limited by resources
herbivores limited by predators
predators limited by food limits-herbivores r rarer
odd number trophic system
