title: Predator identity influences metacommunity assembly.
abstract: Predation is among the most important biotic factors influencing natural communities, yet we have a rather rudimentary understanding of its role in modulating metacommunity assembly. We experimentally examined the effects of two different predators (a generalist and a specialist) on metacommunity assembly, using protist microcosm metacommunities that varied in predator identity, dispersal among local communities and the history of species colonization into local communities. Generalist predation resulted in reduced α diversity and increased β diversity irrespective of dispersal, likely due to predation-induced stochastic extinction of different prey species in different local communities. Dispersal, however, induced source-sink dynamics in the presence of specialist predators, resulting in higher α diversity and marginally lower β diversity. These results demonstrate the distinct effects of different predators on prey metacommunity assembly, emphasizing the need to explore the role of predator diet breadth in structuring metacommunities.
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Zhichao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pu
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000502:physiology; D058448:Biota; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000502:physiology*; D044785:Cryptophyta / Q000502:physiology*; D020387:Food Chain; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011235:Predatory Behavior
keywords: beta diversity; diet breadth; metacommunity; predation; source-sink dynamics; stochasticity