TY  - JOUR
A1  - Gergs, Andre
A1  - Zenker, Armin
A1  - Grimm, Volker
A1  - Preuss, Thomas G.
T1  - Chemical and natural stressors combined from cryptic effects to population extinction
JF  - Scientific reports
N2  - In addition to natural stressors, populations are increasingly exposed to chemical pollutants released into the environment. We experimentally demonstrate the loss of resilience for Daphnia magna populations that are exposed to a combination of natural and chemical stressors even though effects on population size of a single stressor were cryptic, i.e. hard to detect statistically. Data on Daphnia population demography and along with model-based exploration of our predator-prey system revealed that direct trophic interactions changed the population size-structure and thereby increased population vulnerability to the toxicant which acts in a size selective manner. Moreover, population vulnerability to the toxicant increases with predator size and predation intensity whereas indirect trait-mediated interactions via predator kairomones may buffer chemical effects to a certain extent. Our study demonstrates that population size can be a poor endpoint for risk assessments of chemicals and that ignoring disturbance interactions can lead to severe underestimation of extinction risk.
Y1  - 2013
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1038/srep02036
SN  - 2045-2322
VL  - 3
IS  - 2
PB  - Nature Publ. Group
CY  - London
ER  -