Individual Competition and the Emergence of Density-Dependent Exposure to Predation: How Behaviors Influence Population Processes

Authored by J Hsuan Lammers, Kevin Warburton, Bronwen W Cribb

Date Published: 2010

DOI: 10.1177/1059712310361791

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: No platforms listed

Model Documentation: ODD

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

Resource competition acts at both the individual and the population levels. Stable dynamics result in a persistent system whereas unstable dynamics can result in extinction. This study explores how localized competition between individuals, over spatially distributed resources, influences exposure to predation. Using data from real-world experiments to inform a simulation, individual behaviors are linked to density-dependent population processes. The prominent emergent property is density-dependent exposure to predation. Depending on the population size and the availability of refugia, different aspects of the competitive behaviors drive the density-dependent effect. The results of the model provide a conceptual base for how specific interactions between individuals can bring about emergent population level processes.

Tags

Mortality Prey Choice Size Persistence Fresh-water prawn Macrobrachium-australiense Fish predators Stream fish Antipredator