Microbiota – the third component of the predator–prey system
aLomonosov Moscow State University, Biological Faculty, Department of Biological Evolution
119991 Moscow, Leninskie Gory, Russia
bSevertsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, RAS
119071 Moscow, Leninsky Pr., 33, Russia
*e-mail: annashubkina@rambler.ru
Food pyramids are the basis of ecosystems, and predation is one of the forces which form their structure. It is considered that the predator–prey system includes two main elements, i.e., is binary. The studies of the elimination of free-living herbivores suggest that prokaryotes participate in the interaction of consumers of 1–2 orders. In multiple natural experiments, the behavior of the search and pursuit of a model predator was studied (three breeds of sighthound dogs). We compared prey (Lepus europeus, Saiga tatarica) of sighthounds and resident rifle hunters. Hunting bags do not differ by body weight and external features. There are differences in well-being: the sighthound prey in significantly more cases have signs of ill-being (pathologies of internal organs, often multiple; old subcutaneous scars; reduced kidney fat capsule; increased amount of skin microflora). The age structure does not differ in antelopes, but in brown hare include less young animals in the sighthounds prey in comparison with production of human hunters. Using per-second GPS registration it has been shown that hunting success of sighthounds is not determined by the maximum speed of the pursuit. The results of the pursuit vary significantly among members of different genetic groups of sighthounds (dogs of different breeds). In a whole, there is low hunt success and the highest selectivity in comparison with rifle shooting. The study of the dynamics of the amount of non-pathogenic microorganisms in animals with different physiological conditions showed that its increase is characteristic of dysfunctional individuals. In hares caught by sighthounds, the amount of microflora of the body surface significantly increased, which intensifies and changes the smell of individuals. This change in odour serves as a signal to continue the pursuit. The microflora is the third component in the interaction of the predator and the prey, i.e., the predator prey system is a triad.
