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A perceptual trap is an
"When good animals love bad habitats: ecological traps and the conservation of animal populations"
(PDF), ''Conservation Biology,'' 18: 1482–1491 The latter scenario, in which a high-quality habitat is avoided, was first recognised as an important phenomenon in 2007 by Gilroy and Sutherland,Gilroy, J. J., and W. J. Sutherland. (2007) "Beyond ecological traps: perceptual errors and undervalued resources," ''Trends in Ecology and Evolution,'' 22: 351–356 who described them as "undervalued resources". The term "perceptual trap" was first proposed by Michael Patten and Jeffrey Kelly in a 2010 article.Patten, M.A., and Kelly, J.F. (2010) "Habitat selection and the perceptual trap," ''Ecological Applications,'' 20: 2148–2156. Hans Van DyckVan Dyck, H. (2012) "Changing organisms in rapidly changing anthropogenic landscapes: the significance of the 'Umwelt'-concept and functional habitat for animal conservation," ''Evolutionary Applications,'' 5(2): : 144–153. argues that the term is misleading because perception is also a major component in other cases of trapping.
To support the concept of a perceptual trap, Patten and Kelly cited a study of the
ecological
Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. Ecology overlaps with the closely re ...
scenario in which environmental change
Environment most often refers to:
__NOTOC__
* Natural environment, referring respectively to all living and non-living things occurring naturally and the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism ...
, typically anthropogenic
Anthropogenic ("human" + "generating") is an adjective that may refer to:
* Anthropogeny, the study of the origins of humanity
Anthropogenic may also refer to things that have been generated by humans, as follows:
* Human impact on the enviro ...
, leads an organism to avoid an otherwise high-quality habitat
In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
. The concept is related to that of an ecological trap
Ecological traps are scenarios in which rapid environmental change leads organisms to prefer to settle in poor-quality habitats.
The concept stems from the idea that organisms that are actively selecting habitat must rely on environmental cues to h ...
, in which environmental change causes preference towards a low-quality habitat.
History
In a 2004 article discussingsource–sink dynamics
Source–sink dynamics is a theoretical model used by ecologists to describe how variation in habitat quality may affect the population growth or decline of organisms.
Since quality is likely to vary among patches of habitat, it is important to co ...
, James Battin did not distinguish between high-quality habitats that are preferred or avoided, labelling both "sources".Battin, J. (2004"When good animals love bad habitats: ecological traps and the conservation of animal populations"
(PDF), ''Conservation Biology,'' 18: 1482–1491 The latter scenario, in which a high-quality habitat is avoided, was first recognised as an important phenomenon in 2007 by Gilroy and Sutherland,Gilroy, J. J., and W. J. Sutherland. (2007) "Beyond ecological traps: perceptual errors and undervalued resources," ''Trends in Ecology and Evolution,'' 22: 351–356 who described them as "undervalued resources". The term "perceptual trap" was first proposed by Michael Patten and Jeffrey Kelly in a 2010 article.Patten, M.A., and Kelly, J.F. (2010) "Habitat selection and the perceptual trap," ''Ecological Applications,'' 20: 2148–2156. Hans Van DyckVan Dyck, H. (2012) "Changing organisms in rapidly changing anthropogenic landscapes: the significance of the 'Umwelt'-concept and functional habitat for animal conservation," ''Evolutionary Applications,'' 5(2): : 144–153. argues that the term is misleading because perception is also a major component in other cases of trapping.
Description
Animals use discrete environmental cues to select habitat.Kristan, W. B. (2003) "The role of habitat selection behavior in population dynamics: source–sink systems and ecological traps," ''Oikos,'' 103: 457–468 A perceptual trap occurs if change in an environmental cue leads an organism to avoid a high-quality habitat. It differs, therefore, from simple habitat avoidance, which may be a correct decision given the habitat's quality. The concept of a perceptual trap is related to that of anecological trap
Ecological traps are scenarios in which rapid environmental change leads organisms to prefer to settle in poor-quality habitats.
The concept stems from the idea that organisms that are actively selecting habitat must rely on environmental cues to h ...
, in which environmental change causes preference towards a low-quality habitat. There is expected to be strong natural selection
Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a key mechanism of evolution, the change in the Heredity, heritable traits characteristic of a population over generation ...
against ecological traps, but not necessarily against perceptual traps, as Allee effect
The Allee effect is a phenomenon in biology characterized by a correlation between population size or density and the mean individual fitness (biology), fitness (often measured as ''per capita'' population growth rate) of a population or species.
...
s may restrict a population’s ability to establish itself.
Examples
To support the concept of a perceptual trap, Patten and Kelly cited a study of the lesser prairie-chicken
The lesser prairie-chicken (''Tympanuchus pallidicinctus'') is a species in the grouse family.
Description
Adult individuals are medium to large birds, striped white and brown like its near relative, the Greater prairie-chicken (''T. cupido''), ...
(''Tympanuchus pallidicinctus''). The species' natural environment, shinnery oak grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...
, is often treated with the herbicide
Herbicides (, ), also commonly known as weed killers, are substances used to control undesired plants, also known as weeds.EPA. February 201Pesticides Industry. Sales and Usage 2006 and 2007: Market Estimates. Summary in press releasMain page f ...
tebuthiuron
Tebuthiuron is a nonselective broad spectrum herbicide of the urea class. It is used to control weeds, woody and herbaceous plants, and sugar cane. It is absorbed by the roots and transported to the leaves, where it inhibits photosynthesis. The ...
to increase grass cover for cattle grazing. Herbicide treatment resulted in less shrub cover, a habitat cue that caused female lesser prairie-chickens to avoid the habitat in favour of untreated areas. However, females who nested in herbicide-treated areas achieved comparable nesting successes and clutch sizes to those in untreated areas. Patten and Kelly suggest that the adverse effects of tebuthiuron treatment on nesting success are countered by various effects, such as greater nest concealment through increased grass cover. Therefore, female birds are erroneously avoiding a high-quality habitat. Patten and Kelly also cited as a possible perceptual trap the cases of the spotted towhee
The spotted towhee (''Pipilo maculatus'') is a large New World sparrow. The taxonomy of the towhees has been debated in recent decades, and until 1995 this bird and the eastern towhee were considered a single species, the rufous-sided towhee. ...
(''Pipilo maculatus'') and rufous-crowned sparrow (''Aimophila ruficeps''), which tend to avoid habitat fragments, even though birds nesting in habitat fragments achieve increased nesting success due to a reduction in snake
Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...
predation.Patten, M. A., and D. T. Bolger (2003) "Variation in top-down control of avian reproductive success across a fragmentation gradient", ''Oikos,'' 101:479–488
See also
*Ecological trap
Ecological traps are scenarios in which rapid environmental change leads organisms to prefer to settle in poor-quality habitats.
The concept stems from the idea that organisms that are actively selecting habitat must rely on environmental cues to h ...
* Source–sink dynamics
Source–sink dynamics is a theoretical model used by ecologists to describe how variation in habitat quality may affect the population growth or decline of organisms.
Since quality is likely to vary among patches of habitat, it is important to co ...
* Type I and type II errors
Type I error, or a false positive, is the erroneous rejection of a true null hypothesis in statistical hypothesis testing. A type II error, or a false negative, is the erroneous failure in bringing about appropriate rejection of a false null hy ...
References
{{reflist Environmental terminology Biology terminology Environmental conservation Ecology Landscape ecology