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Research article2007Peer reviewed

Outbreak suppression by predators depends on spatial distribution of prey

Bommarco R, Firle SO, Ekbom B

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. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved

Published in

Ecological Modelling
2007, Volume: 201, number: 2, pages: 163-170
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

      SLU Authors

      • Ekbom, Barbara

        • Department of Entomology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

      UKÄ Subject classification

      Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use
      Agricultural Science

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2006.09.012

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/14019