Do intraspecific or interspecific interactions determine responses to predators feeding on a shared size-structured prey community?

摘要: Coexistence of predators that share the same prey is common. This still case in size-structured predator communities where consume species different sizes (interspecific responses) or size classes (intraspecific responses). A mechanism has recently been proposed to explain coexistence between differ but species, emergent facilitation, which dependent on strong intraspecific responses from one more species. Under can depend each other for invasion, persistence success a community. Experimental evidence populations remains rare, and further questions remain about direct interactions could prevent limit any positive effects [e.g. intraguild predation (IGP)]. Here, we provide community-wide experiment facilitation including natural predators. We investigate both two body (fish vs. invertebrate predator), indirect interaction them via their shared community (zooplankton). Our supports most likely expectation differently sized IGP rates are high, interspecific dominate response (i.e. predator-mediated competition). The question whether occurs frequently nature requires empirical theoretical attention, specifically address likelihood its pre-conditions may co-occur with high IGP.