For more than a millennium, ecologists, philosophers and economists have been intrigued by boom and bust cycles of predators and their prey. Surprisingly, the cause for cycles, or more generally, what enables predators and prey to coexist in nature for long periods of time is still not fully understood. In this collaborative proposal, ecologists and mathematicians combine forces to achieve two objectives. The first objective involves a pair of experiments designed to test whether making a particular prey life history stage longer or more variable in length, relative to unmanipulated (control) populations, affects the long-term coexistence or cyclical behavior of predator and prey populations. The second objective involves combining mathematics and empirical data to develop more realistic predator-prey models that can be generally applicable to diverse predator-prey interactions. Results from this research will indicate the extent to which predator-prey coexistence is closely tied to the life cycle of the two species. It will strengthen the viewpoint of theorists that population models should incorporate information about the development times of the various life stages of each species.
Results from this research apply directly to agriculture in cases where predators are released or manipulated to control plant pests. Pest suppression may be enhanced by selecting predators with certain stage-specific development times. The PIs will provide research experience, mentorship and training for 3 graduate students, 1 technician and up to 6 undergraduates at Louisiana State and Southern Illinois Universities. The PIs will participate in a variety of undergraduate research programs that promote research, most of which place a priority on recruiting minorities.
