title: Populations, pools, and peccaries: simulating the impact of ecosystem engineers on rainforest frogs.
abstract: "Ecosystem engineering" describes habitat alteration by an organism that affects another organism; such nontrophic interactions between organisms are a current focus in ecological research. Our study quantifies the actual impact an ecosystem engineer can have on another species by using a previously identified model system-peccaries and rainforest frogs. In a 4-year experiment, we simulated the impact of peccaries on a population ofAllobates femoralis(Dendrobatidae) by installing an array of artificial pools to mimic a forest patch modified by peccaries. The data were analyzed using a gradual before-after control-impact (gBACI) model. Following the supplementation, population size almost doubled as a result of increased autochthonous recruitment driven by a higher per-capita reproduction of males and a higher proportion of reproducing females. The effect was evenly distributed across the population. The differential response of males and females reflects the reproductive behavior ofA. femoralis, as only the males use the aquatic sites for tadpole deposition. Our study shows that management and conservation must consider nontrophic relationships and that human "ecosystem engineering" can play a vital role in efforts against the "global amphibian decline."
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Zoology , University of Vienna , Althanstrasse 14 , A-1090 Vienna , Austria and.
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ringler
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Biology , University of Vienna , Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna , Austria.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hödl
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Zoology , University of Vienna , Althanstrasse 14 , A-1090 Vienna , Austria and ; Department of Cognitive Biology , University of Vienna , Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna , Austria.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ringler
keywords: Allobates femoralis; Dendrobatidae; ecosystem engineering; nontrophic interaction; population manipulation experiment; reproductive resource supplementation.
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