Predation changes the shape of thermal performance curves for population growth rate

Ectotherms generally demonstrate nonlinear changes in performance (e.g., movement speed, individual growth, population growth) as a function of temperature that are characterized by thermal performance curves (TPC). Predation risk elicits phenotypic and behavioral changes that likewise impact performance measures. We tested whether exposure to predation Orthocyclops modestus impacts the maximum population growth rate (r(max)) TPC of the protist Paramecium aurelia. We fit predator and non-predator exposed P. aurelia population growth rates to a function previously shown to best describe Paramecium population growth rate TPC’s (Lactin-2) and compared subsequent parameter estimates between curves. For Paramecium exposed to predation risk, maximum population growth increased more rapidly as temperatures rose and decreased more rapidly as temperatures fell compared to the initial temperature. The area under each TPC curve remained approximately the same, consistent with the idea of a trade-off in performance across temperatures. Our results indicate TPCs are flexible given variation in food web context and that trophic interactions may play an important role in shaping TPCs. Furthermore, this and other studies illustrate the need for a mechanistic model of TPCs with parameters tied to biologically meaningful properties.