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STATISTICAL DIFFICULTIES IN THE ANALYSIS OF PREDATOR FUNCTIONAL RESPONSE DATA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

Todd P. Livdahl  and
Alan E. Stiven
Todd P. Livdahl
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts 01610
Alan E. Stiven
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514
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Abstract

The utility of the ‘random predator equation’ of Royama (1971) and Rogers (1972) as a summary of the functional response relationship between predatory feeding behavior and prey density is questioned on the grounds that statistical assumptions in the regression analysis are not met by the linearized form of the equation. The absence of an alternative linearization that does not violate these assumptions necessitates the use of Holling's (1959) disc equation for the description of experimentally derived functional response relationships, when the comparison of parameters of different populations of predator or prey is a more important objective than a precise estimation.

The statistical validity of the traditional linearization of the disc equation is questioned. An alternative transformation is proposed, which removes the statistical problems associated with the former transformation, and which permits a higher degree of explanation of variance in the independent variable by the regression.

Résumé

L'utilité de l'équation du "random predator" (prédateur recherchant sa proie au hasard) de Royama (1971) et Rogers (1972), pour représenter la relation entre la réponse fonctionnelle caractérisant le comportement alimentaire d'un prédateur et la densité de sa proie est remise en question parce que les prémices statistiques de l'analyse de régression ne sont pas satisfaites par la forme linéarisée de l'équation. L'absence d'une forme de linéarisation qui ne viole pas ces conditions oblige à l'emploi de l'équation ("disc equation") de Holling (1959) pour décrire les réponses fonctionnelles obtenues expérimentalement lorsque la comparaison des paramètres entre populations différentes est plus importante que leur estimation précise.

La validité de la méthode habituelle de linéarisation de l'équation "disc" est remise en question. Une autre transformation est proposée laquelle ne présente pas les problèmes statistiques de la première, et qui permet d'expliquer une part plus grande de la variance de la variable indépendante par la régression.

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 115 , Issue 10 , October 1983 , pp. 1365 - 1370
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1983

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