Fear of large carnivores amplifies human-caused mortality for mesopredators

Science, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 380(6646), P. 754 - 758

Published: May 18, 2023

The challenge that large carnivores face in coexisting with humans calls into question their ability to carry out critical ecosystem functions such as mesopredator suppression outside protected areas. In this study, we examined the movements and fates of mesopredators across rural landscapes characterized by substantial human influences. Mesopredators shifted toward areas twofold-greater influence regions occupied carnivores, indicating they perceived be less a threat. However, rather than shielding mesopredators, human-caused mortality was more three times higher carnivore-caused mortality. Mesopredator apex predators may thus amplified, dampened, areas, because fear drives even greater risk from super predators.

Language: Английский

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The ecology of human-caused mortality for a protected large carnivore

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 120(13)

Published: March 20, 2023

Mitigating human-caused mortality for large carnivores is a pressing global challenge wildlife conservation. However, almost exclusively studied at local (within-population) scales creating mismatch between our understanding of risk and the spatial extent most relevant to conservation management wide-ranging species. Here, we quantified 590 radio-collared mountain lions statewide across their distribution in California identify drivers investigate whether additive or compensatory. Human-caused mortality, primarily from conflict vehicles, exceeded natural despite being protected hunting. Our data indicate that as population-level survival decreased function increasing did not decrease with increased mortality. Mortality closer rural development areas higher proportions citizens voting support environmental initiatives. Thus, presence human infrastructure variation mindset humans sharing landscapes appear be primary risk. We show can reduce scales, even when they are

Language: Английский

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Prerequisites for coexistence: human pressure and refuge habitat availability shape continental-scale habitat use patterns of a large carnivore

Landscape Ecology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 38(7), P. 1713 - 1728

Published: March 31, 2023

Abstract Context Adjustments in habitat use by large carnivores can be a key factor facilitating their coexistence with people shared landscapes. Landscape composition might determining how adapt to occurring alongside humans, yet broad-scale analyses investigating adjustments of across gradients human pressure and landscape are lacking. Objectives Here, we investigate Eurasian lynx ( Lynx ) response varying availability refuge habitats (i.e., forests rugged terrain) modification. Methods Using tracking dataset including 434 individuals from seven populations, assess functional responses two spatial scales, testing for variation sex, daytime, season. Results We found that more intensively increasing modification selecting most strongly otherwise open landscapes terrain mountainous regions. Moreover, higher forest enabled place home ranges human-modified Human also shaped temporal patterns use, reducing areas during periods high exposure (daytime) or vulnerability (postnatal period) pressure. Conclusions Our findings suggest remarkable adaptive capacity towards underline the importance scales enabling between people. More broadly, highlight determines thus play an important role shaping carnivore distributions.

Language: Английский

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Habitat fragmentation reduces survival and drives source–sink dynamics for a large carnivore

Ecological Applications, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 33(4)

Published: Feb. 20, 2023

Rigorous understanding of how environmental conditions impact population dynamics is essential for species conservation, especially in mixed-use landscapes where source-sink may be at play. Conservation large carnivore populations fragmented, human-dominated critical their long-term persistence. However, living comes with myriad costs, including direct anthropogenic mortality and sublethal energetic costs. How these costs individual fitness are not fully understood, partly due to the difficulty collecting demographic data species. Here, we analyzed an 11-year dataset on puma (Puma concolor) space use, mortality, reproduction Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA, quantify a fragmented landscape impacts survival dynamics. Long-term exposure housing density drove risk female pumas, resulting 18-percentage-point reduction annual females exurban versus remote areas. While overall growth rate appeared stable, reduced more developed areas resulted across study area, 42.1% Mountains exhibiting estimated rates <1. Since habitat selection often used as proxy quality, also assessed whether predicted source sink Patterns daytime areas, while time-of-day-independent performed less well proxy. These results illuminate individual- population-level consequences fragmentation carnivores, illustrating that can produce apparent from other metrics quality. Locally, conserving high-quality within necessary support More broadly, play similar systems, linking effective conservation. Caution should inferring quality alone, but shed light better or worse proxies identify carnivores.

Language: Английский

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Mapping the connectivity–conflict interface to inform conservation

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 120(1)

Published: Dec. 27, 2022

Balancing the competing, and often conflicting, needs of people wildlife in shared landscapes is a major challenge for conservation science policy worldwide. Connectivity critical persistence, but dispersing animals may come into conflict with people, leading to severe costs humans impeding connectivity. Thus, mitigation connectivity present an apparent dilemma conservation. We framework address this disentangle effects barriers animal movement conflict-induced mortality dispersers on extend random-walk theory map connectivity–conflict interface, or areas where frequent lead turn impedes illustrate endangered Asian elephant Elephas maximus , species that frequently disperses out protected comes humans. mapped expected across human-dominated landscape over short- long-term, accounting mortality. Natural together reduced among populations. Based model validation, our predictions explicitly captured better explained observed than considered distribution alone. Our work highlights interaction between enables identification location-specific strategies minimize losses while ensuring habitats. By predicting collide, we provide basis plan broad-scale mutual well-being landscapes.

Language: Английский

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Ecological traits predict mammal temporal responses to land development but not human presence

Global Ecology and Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. e03507 - e03507

Published: Feb. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Understanding and predicting animal movements and distributions in the Anthropocene

Journal of Animal Ecology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 4, 2025

Predicting animal movements and spatial distributions is crucial for our comprehension of ecological processes provides key evidence conserving managing populations, species ecosystems. Notwithstanding considerable progress in movement ecology recent decades, developing robust predictions rapidly changing environments remains challenging. To accurately predict the effects anthropogenic change, it important to first identify defining features human-modified their consequences on drivers movement. We review discuss these within framework, describing relationships between external environment, internal state, navigation motion capacity. Developing under novel situations requires models moving beyond purely correlative approaches a dynamical systems perspective. This increased mechanistic modelling, using functional parameters derived from principles decision-making. Theory empirical observations should be better integrated by experimental approaches. Models fitted new historic data gathered across wide range contrasting environmental conditions. need therefore targeted supervised approach collection, increasing studied taxa carefully considering issues scale bias, modelling. Thus, we caution against indiscriminate non-supervised use citizen science data, AI machine learning models. highlight challenges opportunities incorporating into management actions policy. Rewilding translocation schemes offer exciting collect environments, enabling tests model varied contexts scales. Adaptive frameworks particular, based stepwise iterative process, including refinements, provide mutual benefit conservation. In conclusion, verge transforming descriptive predictive science. timely progression, given that conditions are now more urgently needed than ever evidence-based policy decisions. Our aim not describe existing as well possible, but rather understand underlying mechanisms develop with reliable ability situations.

Language: Английский

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Linear infrastructure and associated wildlife accidents create an ecological trap for an apex predator and scavenger

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 24, 2024

Abstract Animals can be caught in an “ecological trap” when they select for seemingly attractive habitats at the expense of their fitness. Such maladaptive behaviour is often a consequence human induced rapid changes animals’ natal environment such as building energy and transportation infrastructure. We tested ecological trap hypotheses created linear infrastructure on widely distributed apex predator scavenger – Golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ), whose range spans across entire northern hemisphere. Roads railways create novel feeding subsidies through traffic mortality other species, while powerline areas provide perching or nesting sites scavenging opportunities from electrocuted collision-killed birds. These conditions lead to negative demographic consequences eagles. used integrated step selection functions habitat movement with ten years data 74 GPS-tracked Eagles (36 adult 38 immature) Fennoscandia. To measure attractiveness, we use wildlife accident statistics major species including eagles, five GPS- tracked eagles show consequences. selected features all year round study region. Individuals also searched sat alongside roads railway lines more frequently. Immature consistently compared adults showed learning age. discuss implications these findings conservation population ecology predators scavengers potential evolutionary implications. suggest that removal carcasses tracks urgently needed avoid this many raptor throughout world develop methods approaches reduce accidents together.

Language: Английский

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Mountain lions avoid burned areas and increase risky behavior after wildfire in a fragmented urban landscape

Current Biology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 32(21), P. 4762 - 4768.e5

Published: Oct. 20, 2022

Urban environments are high risk areas for large carnivores, where anthropogenic disturbances can reduce fitness and increase mortality risk.1S.D. Gehrt S.P.D. Riley B.L. Cypher Carnivores: Ecology, Conflict Conservation. The John Hopkins University Press, 2010Google Scholar When catastrophic events like wildfires occur, trade-offs between acquiring resources avoiding risks of the urban environment intensified. This landscape context could lead to an in risk-taking behavior by carnivores if burned do not allow them meet their energetic needs, potentially leading human-wildlife conflict.2Blecha K.A. Boone R.B. Alldredge M.W. Hunger mediates apex predator's avoidance response wildland–urban interface.J. Anim. Ecol. 2018; 87: 609-622Crossref PubMed Scopus (49) Google Scholar,3Nimmo D.G. Avitabile S. Banks S.C. Bliege Bird R. Callister K. Clarke M.F. Dickman C.R. Doherty T.S. Driscoll D.A. Greenville A.C. et al.Animal movements fire-prone landscapes.Biol. Rev. Camb. Philos. Soc. 2019; 94: 981-998Crossref (75) We studied mountain lion using GPS location accelerometer data from 17 individuals tracked before after a wildfire (the 2018 Woolsey Fire) within highly urbanized area (Los Angeles, California, USA). After wildfire, lions avoided increased behaviors associated with risk, including more frequent road freeway crossings (mean 3 5 per month) greater activity during daytime (means 10% 16% active), time when they most likely encounter humans. Mountain also amount space used, distance traveled distances 250 390 km month), intrasexual overlap, putting at intraspecific conflict. Joint pressures urbanization severe alongside resulting risk-taking, thus extinction populations already suffering low genetic diversity, necessitating connectivity areas.Video abstracteyJraWQiOiI4ZjUxYWNhY2IzYjhiNjNlNzFlYmIzYWFmYTU5NmZmYyIsImFsZyI6IlJTMjU2In0.eyJzdWIiOiI1ODJhYzFkODYxZjJjMjZjYmYzNzEyNjhlNjBkNTU1NCIsImtpZCI6IjhmNTFhY2FjYjNiOGI2M2U3MWViYjNhYWZhNTk2ZmZjIiwiZXhwIjoxNjg0OTY4MzA2fQ.eWxDHg51Ev8x3KtWSXDQRK4zjMHmVggVmxhEGCoxfRaJvojbe3dPZjx_UMHquJaT_Kf1gnMtbmm9nteDrQxIJ5tp3Nu7ziUgSiqclWWzYcgqB5xlkXSZRa1Pr_qFxob57Fs-i7tyNWmASwumXjAryjdprr70tdVeEoeVDrFgVwSV6sTKhtoPupwnFUXztiOR9m3E-1GSFp4UgkJDxWXNk6g6uTG8Ky1OBLN62yErQ3NustlP6izXQ9YPsnVRAY_zTKk6O3dt4GXmbjjJwwnRWY4-eXSMY--OL8O3Iogni75IjvoH4UebtwRr7Up7FzUHgtKGfzKeN1Ag1PQfaOnQTw(mp4, (74.75 MB) Download video

Language: Английский

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Habitat suitability and protected area coverage for an expanding cougar Puma concolor population in Canada

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(9)

Published: Aug. 30, 2024

Abstract Successful conservation of expanding large carnivore populations and management human–wildlife conflict to promote coexistence requires sufficient spatiotemporal knowledge inform appropriate action. In Canada, cougars ( Puma concolor ) are their range eastwards little research is available for use in decision making by land managers planners. To proactive regarding we utilized open‐source cougar presence land‐cover data a maximum entropy habitat suitability model determine potentially suitable across the country. We then used gap analysis effectiveness existing formal protected areas protect potential habitat. Suitable exists range‐expanding dispersing through central eastern provinces Atlantic coast. While highly fragmented, highest occurs medium road density, indicating that new human–cougar will likely involve residents exurban rural areas. Protected offered 16% coverage habitat, although most overlap predicted not enough effectively conserve home requirements cougars. Synthesis Applications: High fragmentation ensure appropriately sized connected maintained establishment populations. Many actions intended aid can also serve mitigate arising as consequence an population, such highway wildlife crossing structures protection.

Language: Английский

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