Collected reprints: Abstract 3534
Collected reprints
Abstract
Heip, C.; Smol, N. (1975). On the importance of Protohydra leuckarti as a predator of meiobenthic populations. 10th Europ. Symp. Mar. Biol. 2: 285-296
The predator-prey system between the polyp Protohydra leuckarti and the harpacticoid copepod Tachidius discipes is investigated using the results of a 3 year field survey and laboratory experiments involving the cultivation of the species. In the field a close relationship between numbers of predator and prey was observed. The possible influence of environmental factors on this relationship is discussed.
A number of mathematical models is compared to investigate the possibility of realistic description of the system. It is concluded that, even during relatively long time intervals, the number of prey can be predicted from the reproductive potential of the prey on the one hand and the rate of predation and predator density on the other hand, using simple deterministic models in which a functional response is incorporated.
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