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Diversity
Special Issues
Predator–Prey Ecology and Conservation in ‘Novel’ Environments
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Predator–Prey Ecology and Conservation in ‘Novel’ Environments

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (17 July 2021)

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Predation has driven the evolution of species as a force of natural selection. This has led to classic research foci on how predation has shaped species interactions, behavioral strategies, population cycles, and the evolution of humans and our cultures. Predator–prey ecology emerges in conservation biology through the understanding of key concepts, such as carrying capacity models, food webs, and indirect effects. While predator–prey relationships have been documented to have significant effects on both biotic and abiotic factors, this relationship has recently been affected by rapid anthropogenic change.

Humans have altered ecosystems to a degree such that predator–prey relationships occur in novel contexts. For example, urban habitats, anthropogenic lightscapes and soundscapes, agriculture matrices, food subsidies, and managed forest mosaics alter predator–prey interactions. Furthermore, humans have introduced species and predators (such as feral dogs, cats and other invasives/commensals) to habitats that have created repercussions in the behavior and persistence of resident predators and their prey.

In this issue, we aim to bring together research that documents predator–prey interactions in ‘novel’ systems that are a result of anthropogenic modification. We would encourage contributions primarily from the terrestrial biome. Studies of human–wildlife interactions and conflict that are primarily driven by predator–prey dynamics in ‘novel’ environments are also welcome submissions.


Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • predation ecology
  • human–wildlife conflict
  • antipredator responses
  • optimal foraging
  • urban wildlife
  • carnivore conservation

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 821 KiB  
Article
Do Roads Alter the Trophic Behavior of the Mesocarnivore Community Living Close to Them?
by Pablo Ruiz-Capillas, Cristina Mata, Beatriz Fernández, Carlos Fernandes and Juan E. Malo
Diversity 2021, 13(4), 173; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d13040173 - 18 Apr 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2082
Abstract
Roads have impacts on the fauna arising from habitat fragmentation, roadkill and the barrier effect. Furthermore, roads lead species to change their activity with repercussions on predator–prey interactions and trigger indirect effects that are currently unknown. This study analyzes the effect of a [...] Read more.
Roads have impacts on the fauna arising from habitat fragmentation, roadkill and the barrier effect. Furthermore, roads lead species to change their activity with repercussions on predator–prey interactions and trigger indirect effects that are currently unknown. This study analyzes the effect of a motorway on the trophic behavior of the terrestrial carnivore community of its surroundings. Monthly scat sampling was conducted over a year at three distances from a motorway (0–50 m, 500–550 m and 1000–1050 m). We collected 498 scats, these originating from red fox (39.16%), cat (24.50%), stone marten (24.09%) and badger (12.25%). The relative abundance of the trophic resources in them was estimated together with the trophic diversity and niche overlap of the carnivore species. The results showed a distinct effect of distance from the road on trophic behavior of carnivores, as well as differences between species and seasons. The scats nearest the road had 10–20% more biomass of small mammals, equivalent in relative terms to a 21–48% increase in small mammals’ biomass when compared with scats collected further from the road. This finding indicates changes in predator–prey interactions near the road and shows that the human-generated structural and functional changes to ecosystems spread throughout trophic networks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Predator–Prey Ecology and Conservation in ‘Novel’ Environments)
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21 pages, 6086 KiB  
Article
Dynamics of a Predator–Prey Model with the Effect of Oscillation of Immigration of the Prey
by Jawdat Alebraheem
Diversity 2021, 13(1), 23; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d13010023 - 10 Jan 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2739
Abstract
In this article, the use of predator-dependent functional and numerical responses is proposed to form an autonomous predator–prey model. The dynamic behaviors of this model were analytically studied. The boundedness of the proposed model was proven; then, the Kolmogorov analysis was used for [...] Read more.
In this article, the use of predator-dependent functional and numerical responses is proposed to form an autonomous predator–prey model. The dynamic behaviors of this model were analytically studied. The boundedness of the proposed model was proven; then, the Kolmogorov analysis was used for validating and identifying the coexistence and extinction conditions of the model. In addition, the local and global stability conditions of the model were determined. Moreover, a novel idea was introduced by adding the oscillation of the immigration of the prey into the model which forms a non-autonomous model. The numerically obtained results display that the dynamic behaviors of the model exhibit increasingly stable fluctuations and an increased likelihood of coexistence compared to the autonomous model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Predator–Prey Ecology and Conservation in ‘Novel’ Environments)
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