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Trophic control of ...
Trophic control of mesopredators in terrestrial ecosystems: top-down or bottom-up?
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- Elmhagen, Bodil, 1973- (author)
- Newcastle University
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- Rushton, Steve (author)
- Newcastle Univsersity
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(creator_code:org_t)
- Wiley, 2007
- 2007
- English.
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In: Ecology Letters. - : Wiley. - 1461-023X .- 1461-0248. ; 10:3, s. 197-206
- Related links:
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https://urn.kb.se/re...
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https://doi.org/10.1...
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Abstract
Subject headings
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- It has been argued that widespread extinctions of top predators have changed terrestrial ecosystem structures through mesopredator release, where increased abundances of medium-sized predators have detrimental effects on prey communities. This top-down concept has received much attention within conservation biology, but few studies have demonstrated the phenomenon. The concept has been criticized since alternative explanations involving bottom-up impacts from bioclimatic effects on ecosystem productivity and from anthropogenic habitat change are rarely considered. We analyse the response of a mesopredator (the red fox) to declines in top predators (wolf and Eurasian lynx) and agricultural expansion over 90 years in Sweden, taking bioclimatic effects into account. We show a top-down mesopredator release effect, but ecosystem productivity determined its strength. The impacts of agricultural activity were mediated by their effects on top predator populations. Thus, both top-down and bottom-up processes need to be understood for effective preservation of biodiversity in anthropogenically transformed ecosystems.
Subject headings
- NATURVETENSKAP -- Biologi -- Ekologi (hsv//swe)
- NATURAL SCIENCES -- Biological Sciences -- Ecology (hsv//eng)
Keyword
- Terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecology
- Terrestrisk, limnisk och marin ekologi
- zoologisk ekologi
- Animal Ecology
Publication and Content Type
- ref (subject category)
- art (subject category)
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