BIL 330 Lecture Notes - Lecture 25: Functional Response, Prey Switching, Isopoda
Document Summary
Stable predator-prey population cycles can be achieved when the environment is complex so that predators cannot easily find prey. Functional response: the relationship between the density of prey and an individual predator"s rate of food consumption. Whenever prey density increases and a predator can consume a higher proportion of those prey, the predator can regulate the growth of the prey population. Type i functional response: when a predator"s rate of prey consumption increases in a linear fashion with an increase in prey density until satiation occurs. As prey density increases, predators consume a constant proportion of prey until satiation. Type ii functional response: when a predator"s rate of prey consumption begins to slow as prey density increases and then plateaus; often happens because predators must spend more time handling more prey. Any increase in prey density is associated with a slowing rate of prey consumption.
