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Ecology

Title:		Cascading diversity effects transmitted exclusively by behavioral interactions
Author(s):		Steffan SA; Snyder WE;
Address:		"Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, USA. shawn_steffan@wsu.edu"
Journal Title:		Ecology
Year:		2010
Volume:		91
Issue:		8
Page Number:		2242 - 2252
DOI:		10.1890/09-0787.1
ISSN/ISBN:		0012-9658 (Print) 0012-9658 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Consumer diversity generally increases resource consumption. Consumers can also impact other species by altering their behavior, but it is unclear how such nonconsumptive effects scale with diversity. We independently manipulated predator species richness and the consumptive and nonconsumptive effects of predator communities to measure the role of each factor in protecting Brassica oleracea plants from caterpillar herbivory. Plant biomass was greatest when diverse predator assemblages induced antipredator behaviors in herbivores, an effect not further strengthened when predators could also kill caterpillars. Predators within diverse communities were more likely to forage on plants and to disrupt herbivore feeding, reflecting greater aversion to foraging among conspecific than heterospecific competitors. Predator diversity, therefore, initiated behavioral changes at the predator and then herbivore trophic levels, both to the benefit of plants. Our results indicate that strong, emergent species-richness effects can be transmitted entirely through behavioral interactions, independent of resource consumption"
Keywords:		Animals *Biodiversity Insecta/*physiology Predatory Behavior/*physiology;
Notes:		"MedlineSteffan, Shawn A Snyder, William E eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. 2010/09/15 Ecology. 2010 Aug; 91(8):2242-52. doi: 10.1890/09-0787.1"