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Refining the activity level-predation risk paradigm in larval anuran communities

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Abstract

The activity level-predation risk paradigm of community assembly is based on observable trade-offs between activity level and predation risk. Many species that live in ephemeral habitats are relatively more active, grow faster, and metamorphose sooner than those in more permanent habitats, thus enabling them to survive by escaping drying ponds. Species with high activity levels are shown to be superior competitors in temporary ponds, but are at greater risk of predation by visually cued predators. We take a comprehensive approach to testing if the activity-predation paradigm drives community assembly of a four-species guild of larval anurans through field surveys and a series of laboratory experiments quantifying their activity level, anti-predatory responses, swim performance, and escape behavior. Activity level was a good predictor of susceptibility to predation and habitat association for most species in our study, but not all species fit the pattern. Secondary anti-predator mechanisms contributed to differences in susceptibility to predation. Some species were more capable of avoiding predation through swim performance and escape behavior, thus allowing them to occupy a greater range of the water permanency continuum than was predicted by activity level alone. Because performance traits are deeply rooted, evolutionary history plays a major role in determining tadpole performance and life-history traits. Whole-organism performance traits (e.g., swim performance, escape behavior) have not generally been considered in the classic activity-predation paradigm. Our results show that accounting for individual and species-level performance reveals the understudied, yet important role of species-specific performance traits in disentangling the mechanisms driving community assembly.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Nancy Koerth for assistance on statistical analyses and critical review of the manuscript. We thank two anonymous reviewers for constructive comments used to improve this manuscript. This work is supported, in part, by the McIntire-Stennis from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This is publication number 1626 from the Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southern Research Station, US Forest Service, Nacogdoches, TX, USA

    Daniel Saenz

  2. Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA

    Kristen A. Baum

  3. Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, and Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

    Lee A. Fitzgerald

  4. Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX, USA

    Christopher M. Schalk

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  1. Daniel Saenz
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Correspondence to Daniel Saenz.

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Saenz, D., Baum, K.A., Fitzgerald, L.A. et al. Refining the activity level-predation risk paradigm in larval anuran communities. Aquat Sci 83, 4 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-020-00752-w

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