From fear to food: predation risk shapes deer behaviour, their resources and forest vegetation

Peer Community Journal, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 5

Published: Jan. 6, 2025

The "ecology of fear" posits that predation risk shapes the behaviour large herbivores, their foraging patterns, habitat selection and consequent effect on forest ecology. To test some these predictions we used extensive empirical experimental data vegetation cover composition, deer anti-predator behaviour, collected at study sites with different histories hunting natural in Haida Gwaii archipelago nearby areas coastal British Columbia (Canada). Because also forage intertidal, a hypothetically more exposed to risk, analysed how affected intertidal by measuring proportion marine versus terrestrial stable isotopes bone collagen. In absence had strong negative understory plant composition. populations remarkable tolerance human presence (short flight initiation travel distances when disturbed), willingness consume foreign bait or investigate baited traps, propensity be active daytime. Where faced long-term predators, understories were denser diverse resembled those forests never deer. Severe culling initially without dramatically increased vegetation, although composition from one predators hunting, Deer born after exhibited longer fleeing, reluctance night-time foraging. translocation unwary population island where culls partially restored showed was not significantly modified abundant higher-quality forage. This contrasted wary observed local culls. Finally, hunters and/or less likely this trend might be, extent, resources understory. We interpreted our results as evidence is key shaping, potentially selecting for, lasting behavioural contrasts between populations, intimately connected effects diversity, ecological networks, ecosystem complexity.

Language: Английский

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Electronic Playback Devices to Reduce Ungulates’ Attendance in an Olive Grove Farm in the Province of Florence (Italy)

AgriEngineering, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 7(1), P. 20 - 20

Published: Jan. 17, 2025

(1) Background: Human–wildlife conflict can lead to adverse consequences for both parties, particularly in areas with a high concentration of wild ungulates. Ungulates cause frequent, severe plant damage by stripping the bark or browsing on youngest plants. In latter case, they vegetative sprouts and leaves, which delay growth plant’s death. Tuscany is notable its significant population boar, substantial vineyards cereal crops, costing farmers millions annually. Tuscany, given highly cultivated landscape olive trees, has also been recorded these Balancing human wildlife needs crucial minimizing ensuring coexistence. (2) Methods: This study tested innovative electronic playback devices using long-range radio technology (LoRa) deter ungulates prevent crop damage. These use sounds lights induce animals be afraid thus run away from plot protected. The experiment was conducted farm Chianti, involving four plots land planted trees: two test areas, camera traps were installed, control only installed. Playback aimed their effectiveness. Data analyzed statistically behaviorally. (3) Results: significantly reduced animal activity equipped areas. Statistical analysis revealed that acoustic–luminous deterrent (PDs) visits groves. (4) Conclusion: study’s findings, supported heatmaps frequency analyses, provide insights into patterns guide development targeted, effective management strategies.

Language: Английский

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The heritability of fear: decomposing sources of variation in marmot flight initiation distance

Animal Behaviour, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 222, P. 123105 - 123105

Published: Feb. 24, 2025

Language: Английский

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Integrating Landscapes of Fear and Energy Reveals the Behavioural Strategies That Shape Predator–Prey Interactions

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 28(2)

Published: Feb. 1, 2025

Disparate bodies of literature implicate risk avoidance and energy conservation as important drivers animal movement decisions. Theory posits that these phenomena interact in ecologically consequential ways, but rigorous empirical tests this hypothesis have been hampered by data limitations. We fuse fluid dynamics, telemetry, attack to reconstruct landscapes traversed migrating juvenile salmon their predators. find migrants primarily use midriver microhabitats facilitate migration at night. During daylight, predators become more aggressive the midriver, prey reduce favour nearshore microhabitats, resulting increased expenditure decreased efficiency. Predators most when are not prioritising threat during ephemeral periods low lighting. Our findings suggest predator-prey interactions result from an interplay between fear energy, which can determine degree affect through mortality or fear.

Language: Английский

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Problematic cats in urban reserves: implications for native biodiversity and urban cat management

Global Ecology and Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. e03584 - e03584

Published: April 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Exploring predator–prey dynamics: Integrating competitor predators, harvesting delay and fear effect on prey with a modified Beddington–DeAngelis functional response

Nonlinear Analysis Real World Applications, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 86, P. 104391 - 104391

Published: April 28, 2025

Language: Английский

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A call for increased integration of experimental approaches in movement ecology

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 29, 2025

ABSTRACT Rapid developments in animal‐tracking technology have enabled major advances the field of movement ecology, which seeks to understand drivers and consequences across scales, taxa, ecosystems. The has made ground‐breaking discoveries, yet majority studies ecology remain reliant on observational approaches. While important, are limited compared experimental methods that can reveal causal relationships underlying mechanisms. As such, we advocate for a renewed focus approaches animal ecology. We illustrate way forward two fundamental levels biological organisation: individuals social groups. then explore application experiments study anthropogenic influences wildlife movement, enhance our mechanistic understanding conservation interventions. In each these examples, draw upon previous research effectively employed approaches, while highlighting outstanding questions could be answered by further experimentation. conclude ways manipulations both laboratory natural settings provide promising generate understandings drivers, consequences, movement.

Language: Английский

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Hiding in plain sight: risk mitigation by a cryptic carnivore foraging at the urban edge

Animal Conservation, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 25(2), P. 244 - 258

Published: Aug. 17, 2021

Abstract As natural habitat is progressively transformed, effective wildlife conservation relies on understanding the phenotypic traits that allow select species to persist outside of protected areas. Through behavioural flexibility such may trade off abundant resources with risks, both real and perceived. highly adaptable mesocarnivores, caracals ( Caracal caracal ) provide an opportunity examine development successful foraging strategies in high‐risk developed Here we investigated resource selection anthropogenic environmental factors relative availability at varying levels urbanization around city Cape Town, South Africa, using GPS cluster‐located feeding events n = 326 prey remains, 384 scat). We also examined spatial temporal risk mitigation by assessing behaviours clusters. find that, within home ranges, living urban‐dominated region 14; 548 events) for urban edge, while wildland‐dominated 3; 162 avoid it. Adults selected more strongly edge than juveniles competitively exclude them from resources. By including back‐traced scat event locations, were able improve model resolution. argue a large metropole mitigate detection remaining cryptic, prolonging handling time, maintaining high site fidelity where cover was available. Along strong functional response this strategy suggests carnivores are being drawn into, stay longer in, areas potentially increased despite higher risk. While plasticity clearly enables carnivore coexistence humans ecosystems, it can be maladaptive if reduces fitness leads population into ecological trap. mitigative recommendations promote predator spatially isolated rapidly urbanizing landscape.

Language: Английский

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A comprehensive review of mammalian carnivore translocations

Mammal Review, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 52(4), P. 554 - 572

Published: Sept. 12, 2022

Abstract Carnivore conservation translocations are assumed to provide numerous ecological benefits, including of the translocated carnivores, regulation prey species and restoration ecosystems. Reviews mammalian carnivore resultant ecosystem effects have focussed on large carnivores. We reviewed global terrestrial across all taxa, taxonomic bias, problems influencing their population establishment effects. obtained data from 536 54 (order Carnivora family Dasyuridae, 30 g–196 kg), comprising mostly Mustelidae, Canidae, Felidae species. A third projects carnivores into South Africa a fenced reserves. Significant bias occurred relative threat status, with over‐representation Mustelidae Canidae number threatened in each family. Additionally, small were generally under‐represented compared those Seventeen percent failed, 25% translocations; failure was primarily due reported anthropogenic mortality. Effects resident or ecosystems rarely investigated. found no significant relationship between size ecosystems; however, impacts frequently attributed Felidae, Felidae. Challenges include threats difficulties monitoring translocations. Poor postrelease lack empirical studies remain persistent problems, contributing poor understanding following

Language: Английский

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Increasing ambient temperatures trigger shifts in activity patterns and temporal partitioning in a large carnivore guild

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 290(2010)

Published: Nov. 8, 2023

Shifts in species' interactions are implicated as an important proximate cause underpinning climate-change-related extinction. However, there is little empirical evidence on the pathways through which climate conditions, such ambient temperature, impact community dynamics. The timing of activities a widespread behavioural adaptation to environmental variability, and temporal partitioning key mechanism that facilitates coexistence, especially within large carnivore communities. We investigated temperature impacts dynamics its influence diel activity of, amongst, four sympatric species African carnivores: lions (

Language: Английский

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