Interactions among predators and plant specificity protect herbivores from top predators

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dc.contributor.authorBosc, Christopheren_ZA
dc.contributor.authorRoets, Francoisen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorHui, Cangen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorPauw, Antonen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2020-01-30T12:42:21Z
dc.date.available2020-01-30T12:42:21Z
dc.date.issued2018en_ZA
dc.descriptionCITATION: Bosc, C, et al. 2018. Interactions among predators and plant specificity protect herbivores from top predators. Ecology, 99(7):1602-1609, doi:10.1002/ecy.2377.en_ZA
dc.descriptionThe original publication is available at https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.comen_ZA
dc.description.abstractThe worldwide loss of top predators from natural and agricultural systems has heightened the need to understand how important they are in controlling herbivore abundance. The effect of top predators on herbivore species is likely to depend on (1) the importance of the consumption of intermediate predators by top predators (intra‐guild predation; IGP), but also on (2) plant specificity by herbivores, because specialists may defend themselves better (enemy‐free space; EFS). Insectivorous birds, as top predators, are generally known to effectively control herbivorous insects, despite also consuming intermediate predators such as spiders, but how this effect varies among herbivore species in relation to the cascading effects of IGP and EFS is not known. To explore this, we excluded birds from natural fynbos vegetation in South Africa using large netted cages and recorded changes in abundance relative to control plots for 199 plant‐dwelling intermediate predator and 341 herbivore morpho‐species that varied in their estimated plant specificity. We found a strong negative effect of birds on the total abundance of all intermediate predators, with especially clear effects on spiders (strong IGP). In contrast with previous studies, which document a negative effect of birds on herbivores, we found an overall neutral effect of birds on herbivore abundance, but the effect varied among species: some species were negatively affected by birds, suggesting that they were mainly consumed by birds, whereas others, likely released from spiders by IGP, were positively affected. Some species were also effectively neutrally affected by birds. These tended to be more specialized to plants compared to the other species, which may imply that some plant specialists benefited from protection provided by EFS from both birds and spiders. These results suggest that the response of herbivore species to top predators may depend on cascading effects of interactions among predators and on their degree of plant specificity.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttps://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.2377en_ZA
dc.description.versionPublisher's versionen_ZA
dc.format.extent8 pages : illustrationsen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBosc, C, et al. 2018. Interactions among predators and plant specificity protect herbivores from top predators. Ecology, 99(7):1602-1609, doi:10.1002/ecy.2377en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1939-9170 (online)
dc.identifier.issn0012-9658 (print)
dc.identifier.otherdoi:10.1002/ecy.2377
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/107401en_ZA
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherEcological Society of Americaen_ZA
dc.rights.holderEcological Society of Americaen_ZA
dc.subjectArthropodsen_ZA
dc.subjectPredatory animals -- Controlen_ZA
dc.subjectHerbivoresen_ZA
dc.subjectBirds -- Predators ofen_ZA
dc.subjectPlants, Protection ofen_ZA
dc.titleInteractions among predators and plant specificity protect herbivores from top predatorsen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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