REAL

Reproductive interference between Rana dalmatina and Rana temporaria affects reproductive success in natural populations

Hettyey, Attila and Vági, Balázs and Kovács, Tibor and Ujszegi, János and Katona, Patrik and Szederkényi, Márk (2014) Reproductive interference between Rana dalmatina and Rana temporaria affects reproductive success in natural populations. OECOLOGIA, 176 (2). pp. 457-464. ISSN 0029-8549

[img] Text
Hettyeyetal2014Oecologia.pdf
Restricted to Registered users only

Download (422kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

Experimental evidence suggests that reproductive interference between heterospecifics can seriously affect individual fitness; support from field studies for such an effect has, however, remained scarce. We studied reproductive interference in 25 natural breeding ponds in an area where two ranid frogs, Rana dalmatina and Rana temporaria, co-occur. The breeding seasons of the two species usually overlap and males of both species are often found in amplexus with heterospecific females, even though matings between heterospecifics produce no viable offspring. We estimated species abundance ratios based on the number of clutches laid and evaluated fertilization success. In ponds with low spatial complexity and a species abundance ratio biased towards R. temporaria, the average fertilization success of R. dalmatina eggs decreased, while this relationship was not detectable in spatially more complex ponds. Fertilization success of R. temporaria did not decrease with increasing relative numbers of heterospecifics. This asymmetry in fitness effects of reproductive interference may be attributed to R. temporaria males being more competitive in scramble competition for females than R. dalmatina males. Our study is among the first to demonstrate that in natural breeding populations of vertebrates interference among heterospecifics has the potential to substantially lower reproductive success at the population level, which may in turn affect population dynamics.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: Q Science / természettudomány > QH Natural history / természetrajz > QH540 Ecology / ökológia
SWORD Depositor: MTMT SWORD
Depositing User: MTMT SWORD
Date Deposited: 20 Jan 2015 10:40
Last Modified: 20 Jan 2015 10:40
URI: http://real.mtak.hu/id/eprint/20685

Actions (login required)

Edit Item Edit Item