Long transients and dendritic network structure affect spatial predator–prey dynamics in experimental microcosms

  • Green, Matthew D
  • Woodie, Clara A
  • Whitesell, Megan
  • Anderson, Kurt E
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Publication date
July 2023
Publisher
eScholarship, University of California

Abstract

Spatial dynamics can promote persistence of strongly interacting predators and prey. Theory predicts that spatial predator-prey systems are prone to long transients, meaning that the dynamics leading to persistence or extinction manifest over hundreds of generations. Furthermore, the form and duration of transients may be altered by spatial network structure. Few empirical studies have examined the importance of transients in spatial food webs, especially in a network context, due to the difficulty in collecting the large scale and long-term data required. We examined predator-prey dynamics in protist microcosms using three experimental spatial structures: isolated, river-like dendritic networks and regular lattice networks. Densities and p...

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