As blooms of cyanobacteria expand and intensify in freshwater systems globally, there is
increasing interest in their ecological effects. In addition to being public health hazards …

How do genetic variation and evolutionary change in critical species affect the composition
and functioning of populations, communities and ecosystems? Illuminating the links in the …

Understanding how mosquito vectors and malaria parasites interact is of fundamental
interest, and it also offers novel perspectives for disease control. Both the genetic and …

Phenotypic plasticity in defensive traits is an appropriate mechanism to cope with the
variable hazard of a frequently changing predator spectrum. In the animal kingdom these so …

One route to genetic adaptation in a novel environment is the evolution of ecological
generalisation. Yet, identifying the cost that a generalist pays for the increased breadth of …

It is often assumed that predators reduce disease prevalence and transmission by lowering
prey population density and/or by selectively feeding on infected individuals. However …

Accepted: 22 September 2014/Published online: 15 October 2014© Springer-Verlag Berlin
Heidelberg 2014 integration of physiological responses has received less attention. This is …

Predation is a major factor driving evolution and organisms have evolved adaptations
increasing their survival chances. However, most defenses incur trade-offs between benefits …

Background Phenotypic plasticity is a crucial adaptive mechanism that enables organisms to
modify their traits in response to changes in their environment. Predator-induced defenses …

Predators have documented post-encounter (density-mediated) effects on prey but their pre-
encounter impacts, including behavioural alterations, can be substantial as well. While it is …