Aerial surveillance by a generalist seed predator: food resource tracking by Meyer's parrotPoicephalus meyeriin the Okavango Delta, Botswana

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rutledge S. Boyes ◽  
Michael R. Perrin
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Aerial Surveillance ◽  
Seed Predator ◽  
Resource Abundance ◽  
Resource Decisions ◽  
Landscape Level ◽  
Foraging Time

Abstract:As a proven food resource generalist, Meyer's parrot (Poicephalus meyeri) was expected to track the availability of all significant food resources in its diet over time. Here we recorded all feeding activity during 366 standardized road transects for correlation with an index of relative food resource abundance over 18 mo. As expected, Meyer's parrot made food resource decisions according to relative abundance at landscape level. Feeding activity on food resources available throughout the year (e.g. ripeKigelia africanafruit) or not visible from the air (e.g. unripeDiospyros lycoidesfruit), however, did not correlate significantly with fluctuations in their relative resource abundance. In addition, over 70% of all feeding bouts were in the high canopy and over 70% of all food items consumed formed bi-coloured displays. The influence of estimated protein and energy acquisition rates from different food resources was insignificant. Therefore, important selection criteria for utilization by Meyer's parrot include relative abundance and visibility from the air (i.e. food resources with the highest probability of encounter when dispersing from a central roost). Sensitivity to fluctuations in resource abundance at landscape level demonstrates the relative importance of maximizing net gain per unit foraging time by minimizing foraging flight distance.

scholarly journals Diet seasonality and food overlap of the fish assemblage in a pantanal pond

2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisele Caroline Novakowski ◽  
Norma Segatti Hahn ◽  
Rosemara Fugi
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblage ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Diet Breadth ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Trophic Guilds ◽  
Trophic Specialization ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Mean Values

We assessed the trophic structure of the fish fauna in Sinhá Mariana pond, Mato Grosso State, from March 2000 to February 2001. The aim was to determine the feeding patterns of the fish species during the rainy and dry seasons. The diets of 26 species (1,294 stomach contents) were determined by the volumetric method. Insects and fish were the most important food resources: insects were the dominant food of 23% and 27% of the species, respectively, in the rainy and dry season, and fish was the dominant item for 31% of the species in both seasons. Cluster analysis (Euclidean Distance) identified seven trophic guilds in the rainy season (detritivores, herbivores, insectivores, lepidophages, omnivores, piscivores and planktivores), and five trophic guilds in the dry season (detritivores, insectivores, lepidophages, omnivores and piscivores). The smallest mean values of diet breadth were observed for the specialist guilds (detritivores, lepidophages and piscivores), in both seasons. The widest means for diet breadth were observed for the omnivores, regardless of the season. In general, there was no seasonal variation in feeding overlap among the species studied. At the community level, diet overlap values between species were low (< 0.4) for 80% of the pairs in each season, suggesting wide partitioning of the food resource. The fish assemblage showed a tendency toward trophic specialization, regardless of the season, although several species changed their diets. We might consider two non-excludent hypothesis: that there is no pattern on the use of seasonal food resources and/or probably there are several patterns, because each one is based on characteristics of the studied site and the taxonomic composition of the resident species.

scholarly journals The relationship between resource abundance and insect herbivory on islands

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0256183
Author(s):  
Bora Shin ◽  
Jae-Young Lee ◽  
Nang-Hee Kim ◽  
Sei-Woong Choi
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Phytophagous Insects ◽  
Feeding Guild ◽  
Resource Abundance ◽  
Variable Effect ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
External Feeding ◽  
Number Of Plant Species

We examined the relationship between resource abundance and the feeding activity of phytophagous insects on three common island plants. The aim was to investigate the correlation between phytophagous insects’ abundance and availability of food and island geography. We collected 30,835 leaves from three tree species groups (Mallotus japonicus, Prunus species, and Quercus species) on 18 islands in southwest Korea. The number of plant resources for herbivores varied: the number of leaves per shoot was the highest in Mallotus, leaf weight and the water content per leaf was significantly lower in Quercus species. External feeding was higher for Prunus and Quercus species, whereas the internal feeding type was significantly higher for Quercus species. Geography (area and distance), elevation and food resource (elevation, number of plant species, and the forest cover rate) had a variable effect on phytophagous insects feeding activities: distance and the number of plant species were more explainable to the external feeding guild. In contrast, area and forest cover were more to the internal feeding guild.

Freshwater Mussels as a Prehistoric Food Resource

1974 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul W. Parmalee ◽  
Walter E. Klippel
Keyword(s):  
Mississippi River ◽  
Freshwater Mussels ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Eastern North America ◽  
Subsistence Economies ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Food Potential ◽  
Prehistoric Subsistence

AbstractThe explication of prehistoric subsistence economies has been of increasing interest to archaeologists. This emphasis is reflected, in part, by the considerable attention afforded faunal analyses in the recent archaeological literature. However, little effort has been made toward developing methods that permit meaningful comparisons of food resources at the interspecies level. Data pertinent to the calculation of both quantitative and qualitative food potential of many of the vertebrate animals represented in archaeological contexts are extant. These data are lacking for freshwater mussels, frequently found in archaeological sites in eastern North America. Information relevant to determining the food energy provided by freshwater mussels common to much of the Mississippi River drainage is presented. Results are applicable to more credible interpretations of prehistoric subsistence as related to animal food resources.

scholarly journals Aquatic insects as the main food resource of fish the community in a Neotropical reservoir

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 701-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Paula Vidotto-Magnoni ◽  
Edmir Daniel Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Insects ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Gravimetric Method ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Main Food ◽  
Tietê River ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Terrestrial Insects

We evaluated the feeding of fish species of the Nova Avanhandava Reservoir, low Tietê River, São Paulo State, Brazil. Fishes were collected in two stretches of the reservoir: Santa Bárbara (14 samples) and Bonito (two samples) between September 2002 and March 2004, using gill and seining nets. The results of stomach contents analysis were expressed with the frequency of occurrence and gravimetric method, combined in the Alimentary Index (AI). The 20 species studied consumed 52 food items, grouped in 10 food categories: aquatic insects, terrestrial insects, crustaceans, fish, macroinvertebrates, microcrustaceans, algae, vegetal matter, detritus/sediment and scales. The aquatic insects (mainly Chironomidae, Odonata and Ephemeroptera) were the most common food resources, consumed by 18 species. The diet composition of the community (species grouped) indicated that the dominant food category in the diet of fishes was aquatic insects (AI = 77.6%), followed by crustaceans (AI = 7.1%). Four trophic guilds were identified according a cluster analysis (Pearson distance): insectivorous (10 species), omnivorous (4 species), detritivorous (3 species) and piscivorous/carcinophagous (3 species). Despite the highest number of species, the insectivorous guild was responsible for more than 80% in captures in number and biomass (CPUEn and CPUEb). The low values of niche breadth presented by all species, along with the low values of diet overlap between species pairs indicate a high degree of food resources partitioning among species. The aquatic insects, despite being the main food resource of insectivorous fishes, also complemented the diet of other species, which demonstrate the importance of this food resource for the fish community, sustaining a high diversity, abundance and biomass of fishes.

Analysis of the food niche of Glossiphonia complanata (Hirudinoidea: Glossiphoniidae)

1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (11) ◽  
pp. 2136-2142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick J. Wrona ◽  
Ronald W. Davies ◽  
L. Linton
Keyword(s):  
Age Differences ◽  
Feeding Ecology ◽  
Temporal Trend ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Late Spring ◽  
Predator Size ◽  
Prey Utilization ◽  
Food Niche

The food niche of Glossiphonia complanata was evaluated in the field using a serological technique. The feeding ecology of the species was similar in the two field sites examined, both populations displaying similar trends in prey utilization on a temporal and weight (size–age) basis. Field "prey range" of G. complanata was determined to consist of Gastropoda, which formed the highest proportion of the diet, followed in decreasing magnitude by Oligochaeta, Chironomidae, and Amphipoda, respectively. Feeding activity was lowest in winter and early spring and highest in late spring and summer. The temporal trend in prey utilization (winter to summer) was a continual decrease in Chironomidae and Amphipoda consumption, with a corresponding increase in the proportion of Gastropoda and Oligochaeta utilized. Glossiphonia complanata was found to partition food resources on the basis of weight (size–age) differences. Separation in food niche utilization by the weight classes was determined to be a function of a decrease in the proportion of Oligochaeta utilized and an increase in the amount of Chironomidae and Amphipoda consumed with increased predator size. Possible explanations for the observed temporal and weight (size–age) differences in prey utilization are forwarded.

Quantifying dominance of adult female white-tailed deer in the presence of abundant food

Behaviour ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 153 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric S. Michel ◽  
Stephen Demarais ◽  
Bronson K. Strickland ◽  
Jerrold L. Belant ◽  
Joshua J. Millspaugh
Keyword(s):  
Odocoileus Virginianus ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Adult Female ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Consistency Index ◽  
Resource Abundance ◽  
Testosterone Levels ◽  
Plastic Behaviour ◽  
Abundant Food ◽  
Behavioural Mechanism

Dominance is a behavioural mechanism that allows individuals to access and monopolize resources which should ultimately improve their fitness. Hierarchy strength should be strongest when resources are limited; however, this relationship is not consistent. We provided abundant food to assess whether hierarchy strength was consistent with resource abundance using 9 groups of captive female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We further assessed how body mass, age and testosterone levels were associated with rank position. Deer displayed a weak hierarchy with a mean linearity () of 0.39 (SD = 0.09) and a mean directional consistency index of 0.83 (SD = 0.06). Rank was related to body mass (, slope = 0.011), but not age or testosterone levels (). We demonstrate that hierarchy strength was weak in the presence of abundant food resources and suggest the possibility that dominance is a plastic behaviour that may vary with resource abundance.

Tree lizard distribution and mating system: the influence of habitat and food resources

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (10) ◽  
pp. 2083-2089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert T. M'Closkey ◽  
Richard J. Deslippe ◽  
Christopher P. Szpak ◽  
Keith A. Baia
Keyword(s):  
Mating System ◽  
Sonoran Desert ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Territory Quality ◽  
Soil Hardness ◽  
Male Tree ◽  
Tree Lizards ◽  
Tree Lizard

We examined the distribution of an insectivorous iguanid lizard (Iguanidae: Urosaurus ornatus, tree lizard) in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona in 1984, 1986, and 1987. The purpose of the investigation was to examine the ecological correlates of lizard distribution and mating system. Data from 420 marked lizards which were captured 1552 times provided information on habitat-level differences in lizard numbers and characteristics of home ranges in which oviposition occurred. In addition, we evaluated the role of arthropod food resources in the distribution of female home range and in the mating status of males. In dry washes tree lizards occupied mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) trees, whereas in flatland habitat they lived in mesquite trees and other sites (dead mesquite and saguaro cactus, Carnegeia gigantea). Lizards were more abundant in dry washes than flatland habitat. The lizard mating system was variable and a greater proportion of males were polygynous in wash (33–67%) compared with flatland (7–33%) habitat. In the flatland, home ranges in which females oviposited could be distinguished from vacant sites by soil hardness, shrub cover, and the presence of wood rat (Neotoma albigula) nests. Arthropod abundance did not differ between female home ranges and nearest vacant site nor between habitats and among male territories. Therefore, food resource distribution does not appear to be a determinant of either female distribution or territory quality in male tree lizards.

Variation saisonnière dans la répartition des ressources alimentaires entre cinq espèces de poissons en fonction de la disponibilité des proies

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 796-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Élyse Harnois ◽  
Richard Couture ◽  
Pierre Magnan
Keyword(s):  
Resource Partitioning ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Perca Flavescens ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Resource Abundance ◽  
Variation Saisonnière ◽  
Golden Shiner ◽  
Food Overlap ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Benthic Resources

We observed that yellow perch, Perca flavescens, golden shiner, Notemigonus crysoleucas, spottail shiner, Notropis hudsonius, and log perch, Percina caprodes, partitioned food resources in relation to resource abundance in a small bay of Lake Saint-Pierre, Quebec. When the abundance of benthic resources was at its lowest, in May 1988, the fish showed a very low overlap in their diet. In contrast, when these resources were most abundant, in August 1988, the four species had a high degree of food overlap. Two other sampling periods, in June and July, revealed intermediate situations. A fifth species, the silvery minnow, Hybognathus nuchalis, was phytophagous and, therefore, did not compete with the other species for food resources. An ecomorphological analysis of the first four species suggests that these partition food resources according to their functional morphology. Our results support Schoener's hypothesis, which states that the intensity of interspecific competition, in terms of resource partitioning, varies according to the abundance of these resources.

scholarly journals Trait-based predation suitability offers insight into effects of changing prey communities

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Weigel ◽  
Erik Bonsdorff
Keyword(s):  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Coastal System ◽  
Predator Diet ◽  
Positive Effect

Increasing environmental pressures and human impacts are reshaping community structures and species interactions throughout all trophic levels. The morphological and behavioural characteristics of species communities contain key ecological information on why prey species appear attractive to predators but are rarely applied when exploring predator-prey (PP) relationships. Expanding our knowledge on how changing prey communities can alter the food resource suitability (RS) for predators is vital for understanding PP dynamics in changing ecosystems. Detailed predator diet data are commonly restricted to commercially important species and often not available over long temporal scales. To find out whether structural changes of prey communities impact the food RS for predator communities over space and time, we apply a novel framework to describe and interpret changes in predator diet-suitability based on predation-relevant traits of prey. We use information on described feeding links from the literature to compile the prey spectrum for each predator and subsequently translate the prey-species into a prey-trait spectrum. For each predator, we then calculate a frequency-based prey-trait affinity score and relate it to the available food resource pool, the community weighted means of prey traits, resulting in a prey-suitability measure. We aim to reveal whether a described multi-decadal change in the community structure of zoobenthos had an impact on the food suitability for the benthic-feeding fish in a coastal system of the Baltic Sea. We assess the direction of change in resource quality from the perspective of benthic-feeding fish and describe predator-specific responses to examine which species are likely to profit or be disadvantaged by changes in their prey spectrum. Furthermore, we test the relationship between functional diversity of prey communities and food suitability for predators, and whether predation linkage-structures are affected through prey community-changes. Our results show that changes in zoobenthic communities had a positive effect on the food suitability for most benthic-feeding fish, implying more suitable food resources. Species-specific responses of predators suggest varying plasticity to cope with prey assemblages of different trait compositions. Additionally, the functional diversity of zoobenthos had a positive effect on the food suitability for predator fish. The changing trait compositions of prey influenced the PP linkage-structure, indicating varying specialisation of benthic feeding fish towards available food resources. Our findings suggest that changing morphological characteristics of prey can impact food RS features for its predators. This approach enables long-term evaluation of prey quality characteristics where no detailed diet data is available and allows for cross-system comparison as it is not relying on taxonomic identities per se.

scholarly journals Sago and the indigenous peoples of Papua, Indonesia: A review

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-149
Author(s):  
Fathir Fajar Sidiq ◽  
David Coles ◽  
Carmen Hubbard ◽  
Beth Clark ◽  
Lynn J. Frewer
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Security Issue ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Local Environments ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
The Government ◽  
Metroxylon Sagu

A significant concern with the food security issue worldwide is indigenous peoples and their food resources. The indigenous peoples of Papua are still very dependent on rice, a heavily imported commodity. During the global pandemic, the indigenous peoples of Papua faced the issue of food supply and food resilience. Simultaneously, Indonesia has the largest sago (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) palm-growing areas, accounting for over half (51%) of the 2.3 million hectares of sago worldwide, and about 90% of sago is estimated to be in Papua and Maluku. Indigenous food crops such as sago are exceptionally resilient to adverse local environments, highlighting their crucial role in ensuring food and nutrition security, particularly during a natural disaster. However, despite sago’s multiple uses and benefits, it is still poorly evaluated as a food resource by the government, with consumption at relatively low levels. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art regarding indigenous peoples and their food resources, focusing on why sago is essential, not only for the indigenous peoples of Papua but also for the possibility of introducing sago to the world.

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