Experimental and Applied Acarology (1997) 21, 415-430

Arne Janssen, Arne van Gool, Robert Lingeman, Josep Jacas and Gerrit van de Klashorst (1997)
Metapopulation dynamics of a persisting predator-prey system in the laboratory: time series analysis
Experimental and Applied Acarology 21 (6-7), 415-430
Abstract: The scarcity of experimental evidence for the persistence of predator-prey systems at the metapopulation level inspired us to develop a simple predator-prey experiment that could be used for testing several theoretical predictions concerning persistence and its causes. The experimental system used consisted of one or several islands with small bean plants, the phytophagous mite Tetranychus urticae and the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis. In the first experiment, one large system was used consisting of 90 small bean plants, prey and predators. The system persisted for only 120 days. Second, asystem was used consisting of eight islands with ten plants each where the islands were connected by bridges. Two replicate experiments showed persistence for at least 393 days. The difference between the first and the second experiments suggests that the longer persistence is caused by a limited migration between the eight islands. Despite efforts to start both replicates of the second experiment with similar initial conditions, the dynamics of both replicates varied substantially. In one replicatethe prey and predator numbers showed a trend through time, whereas the numbers fluctuated around a fixed value in the other replicate. A timeseries analysis of the data of the prey and predators showed the presence of periodicity with a lag of 8.5 weeks in one replicate, whereas such cyclic behaviour was not found in the other replicate. The differences between the two replicates suggest that it is difficult to perform experiments where one replicate is perturbed and the other serves as an undisturbed control. We suggest using a longer time series, where a system is disturbed only during the second half of the experiment. The data from the first and second halves can subsequently be used to estimate the effect of the perturbation. The advantages and disadvantages of this method are discussed.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Arne Janssen

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
population dynamics/epizootiology

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Tetranychus urticae	Beans (Phaseolus)
Phytoseiulus persimilis (predator)	Tetranychus urticae	Beans (Phaseolus)