The importance of functional responses among competing predators for avian nesting success

1. The relationship between the rate of predation and prey abundance is an important component of predator-prey dynamics. However, functional responses are less straightforward when multiple predators compete for shared prey. Interactions among competing predators can reduce or enhance effects of predation on prey populations. Because many avian populations experience high rates of nest predation, understanding the role of specific predators on nest mortality will lead to more informed conservation and management strategies which attempt to increase productivity by removing certain predators or managing habitat to limit their impact.
2. Our goal was to evaluate effects of specific predators and the influence of nest abundance on nest mortality.
3. We monitored snowy plover Charadrius nivosus nests across 7 years at two study areas in Utah, USA with remote cameras. We modeled predator-specific hazard rates for nest mortality in a Bayesian framework to assess relationships between compe...

1. 捕食率与猎物丰度之间的关系是捕食者-猎物动态的重要组成部分。然而，当多个捕食者竞争共享猎物时，功能反应则更为复杂。竞争捕食者之间的相互作用可能削弱或增强捕食对猎物种群的影响。由于许多鸟类种群面临较高的巢捕食率，理解特定捕食者在巢死亡率中的作用将有助于制定更具针对性的保护与管理策略——这些策略旨在通过移除某些捕食者或管理栖息地以限制其影响，从而提高繁殖成功率。
2. 我们的目标是评估特定捕食者的影响以及巢密度对巢死亡率的作用。
3. 我们在美国犹他州的两个研究区域，通过远程相机对雪鸻（Charadrius nivosus）的巢穴进行了为期7年的监测。我们在贝叶斯框架下建立了巢死亡率的特定捕食者风险率模型，以评估compe...