Alternative prey and the dynamics of intraguild predation: theoretical perspectives

A rich body of theoretical literature now exists focused on the three-species module of intraguild predation (IGP), in which a top predator both attacks and competes with an intermediate predator. Simple models of intraguild predation are often unstable, either because one consumer is excluded, or b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology (Durham) 2007-11, Vol.88 (11), p.2706-2712
Main Authors: Holt, R.D, Huxel, G.R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural resources
alternative prey
Animal populations
Animals
asymmetry
City states
Communities
community modules
Competitive Behavior - physiology
Ecological competition
Ecological modeling
Ecology
Ecosystem
Food Chain
intraguild predation
mathematical models
Modeling
Models, Biological
Natural resources
Population Dynamics
Population Growth
Predation
predator-prey relationships
Predators
Predatory Behavior - physiology
prediction
Productivity
simulation models
Special Feature: Intraguild Predation: New Theoretical and Empirical Perspectives
Species Specificity
Trophic relationships
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Summary:A rich body of theoretical literature now exists focused on the three-species module of intraguild predation (IGP), in which a top predator both attacks and competes with an intermediate predator. Simple models of intraguild predation are often unstable, either because one consumer is excluded, or because sustained oscillations emerge from long feedback loops. Yet, many natural IGP systems robustly persist. Standard models of intraguild predation simplify natural systems in crucial ways that could influence persistence; in particular, many empirical IGP systems are embedded in communities with alternative prey species. We briefly review the key conclusions of standard three-species IGP theory, and then present results of theoretical explorations of how alternative prey can influence the persistence and stability of a focal intraguild predation interaction.
ISSN:0012-9658
1939-9170
DOI:10.1890/06-1525.1