Population generalists

It is believed that the presence of secondary metabolites impacts on the survivorship of a cyanobacterial strain in reef habitats that are subject to intense herbivory. Under suitable environmental conditions, cyanobacteria undergo rapid increases in population size, generating large cyanobacterial mats which are not calcified or of tough texture and which therefore present a potential source of food for herbivorous fish and other generalist predators. By restricting predation, potent cyanobacterial toxins facilitate the formation of cyanobacterial blooms.48... 

A variety of grasshoppers (Orthoptera Locustidae and Acrididae), which are generalists, will feed on Jerusalem artichokes when their populations are sufficiently large. Damage is to the foliage, but is seldom of sufficient magnitude to impact productivity. 

The Role of Specialists and Generalists in Microbial Population Interactions... 

A new program of prophylaxis was launched in 1978. Surveys were carried out in the school population age 6-14 years in all districts (3, 4). They were carried out by generalists and pediatricians who had been trained by the district endocrinologists. From 1978 to 1980, 292,599 pupils were examined, and a similar examination was carried out in 1986, on... 

---