Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

An Examination Of The Effects Of Prey Density, Mortality, Nutrients, And Foraging Tradeoffs On A System With Inducible Defenses: An Empirical And Theoretical Approach, Benjamin C. Ralston Daniel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

To grasp the functioning and stability of ecosystems, it is important to understand species interactions. With many ecosystems becoming more imperiled from urbanization and anthropogenic influences it is important to understand ways in which species can adapt to rapid changes in their environment. Phenotypic plasticity is one such tool at nature’s disposal to initiate rapid change, where species with the same genetic makeup can have different expressed traits depending on their environment. Inducible defenses are one such form of phenotypic plasticity in which prey can express different levels and forms of defense depending on the threat of predation present in …