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Morgan S Pratchett - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Feeding Preferences of acanthaster planci echinodermata asteroidea under controlled conditions of food availability
Pacific Science, 2007Co-Authors: Morgan S PratchettAbstract:Feeding Preferences of the crown-of-thorns sea star, Acanthaster planci (L.), were studied in a series of laboratory-based Feeding trials wherein sea stars were provided with equal availability of six different coral species. The order in which corals were consumed was then used to ascertain Feeding Preferences. Crown-of-thorns sea stars exhibited strong and consistent Feeding Preferences across replicate Feeding trials. The most readily eaten coral species was Acropora hyacinthus, followed by A. gemmifera, A. nasuta, A. formosa, Stylophora pistillata, Montipora undata, and Pocillopora damicornis. Crown-of-thorns sea stars also consumed Goniopora lobata, Fungia fungites, Goniastrea retiformes, and Pavona cactus but only after all Acropora and Montipora (Family Acroporidae) as well as Pocillopora and Stylophora (Family Pocilloporidae) were eaten. The least preferred corals were Favites abidita, Porites lobata, Symphyllia recta, Echinopora horrida, and Porites cylindrica. Of these, P. cylindrica was never eaten in any of the Feeding trials in which it was offered. Observed Feeding Preferences substantiate findings from previous studies, where corals from the families Acroporidae and Pocilloporidae were preferred over all other corals. Further research is required to assess the underlying basis of Feeding Preferences of A. planci, but this study confirms that these starfish readily distinguish between different corals and have innate Preferences for certain species. Still, most corals were eventually consumed, showing that when food is limited (during population outbreaks) A. planci is likely to consume virtually all different coral species, causing extreme devastation to coral reef ecosystems.
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influence of coral symbionts on Feeding Preferences of crown of thorns starfish acanthaster planci in the western pacific
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2001Co-Authors: Morgan S PratchettAbstract:The crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci (L.) is well adapted to feed on a wide range of different corals, but often exhibits striking preference for a small suite of available prey species. Numerous theories have been forwarded to explain its Feeding Preferences, but many of these theories have not been tested. In this study, I test whether coral symbionts significantly affect the Feeding Preferences of crown-of-thorns starfish by removing symbionts from replicate colonies of 6 different coral species. Crown-of-thorns starfish had a clearly defined hierarchy of preference for the 6 different corals when these contained symbionts (Acropora gemmifera > A. nasuta = A. loripes > Seriatopora hystrix > Pocillopora damicornis > Stylophora pistillata). However, when coral symbionts were removed, then the starfish readily consumed all 6 corals and did not exhibit any significant selectivity. Further manipulation of symbiont assemblages showed that the trapeziid crabs (Tetralia and Trapezia species) were the most effective of the various coral symbionts in deterring starfish from Feeding on their host colony. Moreover, those corals that were least preferred by crown-of-thorns starfish contained the largest and most powerful species of Trapezia (T. cymodoce), whereas the most preferred corals contained only very small Tetralia spp. crabs. Further experimentation is required to assess the generality of these results, but for the 6 coral species tested, it is clear that coral symbionts (and particularly trapeziid crabs) do have a marked influence on the Feeding Preferences of the crown-of-thorns starfish.
Robert K Bonde - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Feeding Preferences of west indian manatees in florida belize and puerto rico as indicated by stable isotope analysis
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2010Co-Authors: Christy D Alvesstanley, Graham A J Worthy, Robert K BondeAbstract:The endangered West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus has 2 recognized sub- species: the Florida T. m. latirostris and Antillean T. m. manatus manatee, both of which are found in freshwater, estuarine, and marine habitats. A better understanding of manatee Feeding Preferences and habitat use is essential to establish criteria on which conservation plans can be based. Skin from manatees in Florida, Belize, and Puerto Rico, as well as aquatic vegetation from their presumed diet, were analyzed for stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios. This is the first application of stable iso- tope analysis to Antillean manatees. Stable isotope ratios for aquatic vegetation differed by plant type (freshwater, estuarine, and marine), collection location, and in one instance, season. Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios for manatee skin differed between collection location and in one instance, sea- son, but did not differ between sex or age class. Signatures in the skin of manatees sampled in Belize and Puerto Rico indicated a diet composed primarily of seagrasses, whereas those of Florida mana- tees exhibited greater regional variation. Mixing model results indicated that manatees sampled from Crystal River and Homosassa Springs (Florida, USA) ate primarily freshwater vegetation, whereas manatees sampled from Big Bend Power Plant, Ten Thousand Islands, and Warm Mineral Springs (Florida) fed primarily on seagrasses. Possible diet-tissue discrimination values for 15 N were estimated to range from 1.0 to 1.5‰. Stable isotope analysis can be used to interpret manatee feed- ing behavior over a long period of time, specifically the use of freshwater vegetation versus sea- grasses, and can aid in identifying critical habitats and improving conservation efforts.
Steven C Pennings - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Environmental gradients and herbivore Feeding Preferences in coastal salt marshes.
Oecologia, 2004Co-Authors: Carol E. Goranson, Chuan-kai Ho, Steven C PenningsAbstract:Current theories of plant-herbivore interactions suggest that plants may differ in palatability to herbivores as a function of abiotic stress; however, studies of these theories have produced mixed results. We compared the palatability of eight common salt marsh plants that occur across elevational and salinity stress gradients to six common leaf-chewing herbivores to determine patterns of plant palatability. The palatability of every plant species varied across gradients of abiotic stress in at least one comparison, and over half of the comparisons indicated significant differences in palatability. The direction of the Preferences, however, was dependent on the plant and herbivore species studied, suggesting that different types of stress affect plants in different ways, that different plant species respond differently to stress, and that different herbivore species measure plant quality in different ways. Overall, 51% of the variation in the strength of the Feeding Preferences could be explained by a knowledge of the strength of the stress gradient and the type of gradient, plant and herbivore studied. This suggests that the prospects are good for a more complex, conditional theory of plant stress and herbivore Feeding Preferences that is based on a mechanistic understanding of plant physiology and the factors underlying herbivore Feeding Preferences.
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Feeding Preferences of supralittoral isopods and amphipods
Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2000Co-Authors: Steven C Pennings, Thomas H Carefoot, Martin Zimmer, Jean Paul Danko, Andreas ZieglerAbstract:We examined the Feeding Preferences of 3 supralittoral crustacean species in the Pacific Northwest of North America. The isopod Ligia pallasii (Brandt, 1833), the rocky-shore amphipod Traskorchestia traskiana (Stimpson, 1857), and the sandy-beach amphipod Megalorchestia californiana (Brandt, 1851) had similar Feeding Preferences, suggesting that Feeding Preferences were based on general algal traits rather than on adaptations particular to specific herbivores. No single trait clearly distinguished low- and high-preference seaweeds, although pH and phenolic compounds may have been important for two chemically defended seaweeds (Desmarestia sp. and Fucus sp., respectively). Feeding Preferences of L. pallasii were affected by dietary history, but effects were minor compared with differences among seaweeds. All 3 consumers tended to prefer wrack (aged, stranded seaweeds) over fresh seaweeds of the same species. Our results suggested that increased organic and mineral contents of wrack were important in mediat...
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Feeding Preferences of supralittoral isopods and amphipods
Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2000Co-Authors: Steven C Pennings, Thomas H Carefoot, Martin Zimmer, Jean Paul Danko, Andreas ZieglerAbstract:We examined the Feeding Preferences of 3 supralittoral crustacean species in the Pacific Northwest of North America. The isopod Ligia pallasii (Brandt, 1833), the rocky-shore amphipod Traskorchestia traskiana (Stimpson, 1857), and the sandy-beach amphipod Megalorchestia californiana (Brandt, 1851) had similar Feeding Preferences, suggesting that Feeding Preferences were based on general algal traits rather than on adaptations particular to specific herbivores. No single trait clearly distinguished low- and high-preference seaweeds, although pH and phenolic compounds may have been important for two chemically defended seaweeds (Desmarestia sp. and Fucus sp., respectively). Feeding Preferences of L. pallasii were affected by dietary history, but effects were minor compared with differences among seaweeds. All 3 consumers tended to prefer wrack (aged, stranded seaweeds) over fresh seaweeds of the same species. Our results suggested that increased organic and mineral contents of wrack were important in mediating these Preferences, but that toughness and salt and nitrogen contents were not. Reduced levels of defensive compounds may have made wrack more palatable than fresh seaweeds in the case of the two chemically defended seaweeds.
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Feeding Preferences of a generalist salt marsh crab relative importance of multiple plant traits
Ecology, 1998Co-Authors: Steven C Pennings, Thomas H Carefoot, Erin L Siska, Margo E Chase, Teresa A PageAbstract:Few studies have evaluated the relative importance of multiple plant traits to herbivore diet choice, especially with an experimental approach. Moreover, although circumstantial evidence points to plant toughness and silica content as important determinents of diet choice, few studies have experimentally demonstrated that these factors actually deter Feeding by herbivores. We examined Feeding Preferences of a generalist salt-marsh crab, Armases cinereum, for all the common angiosperms in its habitat. We took an experimental approach to evaluating the importance of toughness, secondary chemistry, silica, salt, and protein in determining Feeding Preferences. Consumption of plants by Armases in two experiments was correlated with decreasing toughness. Consumption was more equitable when plants were ground up and reconstituted in agar discs, with reduced differences in toughness. In four pairwise choice tests, Armases always preferred the softer plant of the pair, but in three of four cases exhibited no prefe...
Steeve D Cote - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Are Feeding Preferences of white‐tailed deer related to plant constituents?
Journal of Wildlife Management, 2011Co-Authors: Simon Dostaler, Jeanpierre Ouellet, Jeanfrancois Therrien, Steeve D CoteAbstract:ABSTRACT Controlled Feeding experiments can provide valuable insights into food selection of herbivores. We conducted cafeteria trials on captive yearling white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) during 2 years to determine Feeding Preferences in relation to plant chemical constituents, i.e., nitrogen and fibers. We simultaneously offered 8 species of cultivated and wild plants in monthly foraging trials conducted from June to October. We predicted that species Preferences would be positively related to protein content from June to August and to digestible energy in September and October. As predicted, crude protein (CP) was positively related to Feeding Preferences, particularly as summer progressed. Feeding Preferences were also negatively related to fiber content, especially in early summer. Our results indicate high protein needs over the complete growing season for yearling deer but a decrease in overall plant selectivity as summer progresses. Our results also suggest that deer browsing on cultivat...
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are Feeding Preferences of white tailed deer related to plant constituents
Journal of Wildlife Management, 2011Co-Authors: Simon Dostaler, Jeanpierre Ouellet, Jeanfrancois Therrien, Steeve D CoteAbstract:ABSTRACT Controlled Feeding experiments can provide valuable insights into food selection of herbivores. We conducted cafeteria trials on captive yearling white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) during 2 years to determine Feeding Preferences in relation to plant chemical constituents, i.e., nitrogen and fibers. We simultaneously offered 8 species of cultivated and wild plants in monthly foraging trials conducted from June to October. We predicted that species Preferences would be positively related to protein content from June to August and to digestible energy in September and October. As predicted, crude protein (CP) was positively related to Feeding Preferences, particularly as summer progressed. Feeding Preferences were also negatively related to fiber content, especially in early summer. Our results indicate high protein needs over the complete growing season for yearling deer but a decrease in overall plant selectivity as summer progresses. Our results also suggest that deer browsing on cultivat...
Christy D Alvesstanley - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Feeding Preferences of west indian manatees in florida belize and puerto rico as indicated by stable isotope analysis
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2010Co-Authors: Christy D Alvesstanley, Graham A J Worthy, Robert K BondeAbstract:The endangered West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus has 2 recognized sub- species: the Florida T. m. latirostris and Antillean T. m. manatus manatee, both of which are found in freshwater, estuarine, and marine habitats. A better understanding of manatee Feeding Preferences and habitat use is essential to establish criteria on which conservation plans can be based. Skin from manatees in Florida, Belize, and Puerto Rico, as well as aquatic vegetation from their presumed diet, were analyzed for stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios. This is the first application of stable iso- tope analysis to Antillean manatees. Stable isotope ratios for aquatic vegetation differed by plant type (freshwater, estuarine, and marine), collection location, and in one instance, season. Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios for manatee skin differed between collection location and in one instance, sea- son, but did not differ between sex or age class. Signatures in the skin of manatees sampled in Belize and Puerto Rico indicated a diet composed primarily of seagrasses, whereas those of Florida mana- tees exhibited greater regional variation. Mixing model results indicated that manatees sampled from Crystal River and Homosassa Springs (Florida, USA) ate primarily freshwater vegetation, whereas manatees sampled from Big Bend Power Plant, Ten Thousand Islands, and Warm Mineral Springs (Florida) fed primarily on seagrasses. Possible diet-tissue discrimination values for 15 N were estimated to range from 1.0 to 1.5‰. Stable isotope analysis can be used to interpret manatee feed- ing behavior over a long period of time, specifically the use of freshwater vegetation versus sea- grasses, and can aid in identifying critical habitats and improving conservation efforts.
