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Carroll SL, Schmidt GM, Waller JS, Graves TA. Evaluating density-weighted connectivity of black bears (Ursus americanus) in Glacier National Park with spatial capture-recapture models. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:8. [PMID: 38263096 PMCID: PMC11334611 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00445-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Improved understanding of wildlife population connectivity among protected area networks can support effective planning for the persistence of wildlife populations in the face of land use and climate change. Common approaches to estimating connectivity often rely on small samples of individuals without considering the spatial structure of populations, leading to limited understanding of how individual movement links to demography and population connectivity. Recently developed spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models provide a framework to formally connect inference about individual movement, connectivity, and population density, but few studies have applied this approach to empirical data to support connectivity planning. METHODS We used mark-recapture data collected from 924 genetic detections of 598 American black bears (Ursus americanus) in 2004 with SCR ecological distance models to simultaneously estimate density, landscape resistance to movement, and population connectivity in Glacier National Park northwest Montana, USA. We estimated density and movement parameters separately for males and females and used model estimates to calculate predicted density-weighted connectivity surfaces. RESULTS Model results indicated that landscape structure influences black bear density and space use in Glacier. The mean density estimate was 16.08 bears/100 km2 (95% CI 12.52-20.6) for females and 9.27 bears/100 km2 (95% CI 7.70-11.14) for males. Density increased with forest cover for both sexes. For male black bears, density decreased at higher grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) densities. Drainages, valley bottoms, and riparian vegetation decreased estimates of landscape resistance to movement for male and female bears. For males, forest cover also decreased estimated resistance to movement, but a transportation corridor bisecting the study area strongly increased resistance to movement presenting a barrier to connectivity. CONCLUSIONS Density-weighed connectivity surfaces highlighted areas important for population connectivity that were distinct from areas with high potential connectivity. For black bears in Glacier and surrounding landscapes, consideration of both vegetation and valley topography could inform the placement of underpasses along the transportation corridor in areas characterized by both high population density and potential connectivity. Our study demonstrates that the SCR ecological distance model can provide biologically realistic, spatially explicit predictions to support movement connectivity planning across large landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Carroll
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.
| | - Greta M Schmidt
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - John S Waller
- Glacier National Park, P.O. Box 128, West Glacier, MT, 59936, USA
| | - Tabitha A Graves
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, PO Box 169, West Glacier, MT, 59936, USA
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Serieys LE, Bishop JM, Rogan MS, Smith JA, Suraci JP, O’Riain MJ, Wilmers CC. Anthropogenic activities and age class mediate carnivore habitat selection in a human-dominated landscape. iScience 2023; 26:107050. [PMID: 37534145 PMCID: PMC10391726 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activities increasingly challenge wild animal populations by disrupting ecological connectivity and population persistence. Yet, human-modified habitats can provide resources, resulting in selection of disturbed areas by generalist species. To investigate spatial and temporal responses of a generalist carnivore to human disturbance, we investigated habitat selection and diel activity patterns in caracals (Caracal caracal). We GPS-collared 25 adults and subadults in urban and wildland-dominated subregions in Cape Town, South Africa. Selection responses for landscape variables were dependent on subregion, animal age class, and diel period. Contrary to expectations, caracals did not become more nocturnal in urban areas. Caracals increased their selection for proximity to urban areas as the proportion of urban area increased. Differences in habitat selection between urban and wildland caracals suggest that individuals of this generalist species exhibit high behavioral flexibility in response to anthropogenic disturbances that emerge as a function of habitat context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel E.K. Serieys
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Panthera, New York, NY 10018, USA
- Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town 7966, South Africa
| | - Jacqueline M. Bishop
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Matthew S. Rogan
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Natural State, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Justine A. Smith
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Justin P. Suraci
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Conservation Science Partners, Inc. Truckee, CA 96161, USA
| | - M. Justin O’Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Christopher C. Wilmers
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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Pop MI, Dyck MA, Chiriac S, Lajos B, Szabó S, Iojă CI, Popescu VD. Predictors of brown bear predation events on livestock in the Romanian Carpathians. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mihai I. Pop
- Centre for Environmental Research (CCMESI) University of Bucharest Bucharest Romania
- Association for the Conservation of Biological Diversity (ACDB) Focșani Romania
| | - Marissa A. Dyck
- Department of Biological Sciences Ohio University Athens Ohio USA
| | | | - Berde Lajos
- Covasna Environmental Protection Agency Sf. Gheorghe Romania
| | - Szilárd Szabó
- Harghita Environmental Protection Agency Miercurea Ciuc Romania
| | - Cristian I. Iojă
- Centre for Environmental Research (CCMESI) University of Bucharest Bucharest Romania
| | - Viorel D. Popescu
- Centre for Environmental Research (CCMESI) University of Bucharest Bucharest Romania
- Department of Biological Sciences Ohio University Athens Ohio USA
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Bar-Ziv E, Picardi S, Kaplan A, Avgar T, Berger-Tal O. Sex Differences Dictate the Movement Patterns of Striped Hyenas, Hyaena hyaena, in a Human-Dominated Landscape. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.897132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Large-carnivore populations have experienced significant declines in the past centuries in extended parts of the world. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and depletion of natural resources are some of the main causes of this decline. Consequently, behavioral flexibility, enabling the exploitation of anthropogenic food resources in highly disturbed human-dominated landscapes, is becoming critical for the survival of large carnivores. These behavioral changes increase the potential for human-large carnivore conflict and can further intensify carnivore persecution. Here, we examine how land cover types (representing a gradient of anthropogenic disturbance) alter the behavior of striped hyenas (Hyaena hyaena) in a human-dominated landscape in Israel, and whether differences in life history between males and females affect their reaction to such disturbances and consequently their level of exposure to humans. We used a Hidden Markov Model on GPS-tracking data for seven striped hyenas to segment individual-night trajectories into behavioral states (resting, searching, and traveling). We then used multinomial logistic regression to model hyenas’ behavioral state as a function of the interaction between land cover and sex. Females traveled less than males both in terms of average distance traveled per hour, per night, and nightly net displacement. Most steps were classified as “searching” for females and as “traveling” for males. Female hyenas spent a higher proportion of time in human-dominated areas and a lower proportion in natural areas compared to males, and they were also more likely to be found close to settlements than males. Females changed their time allocation between natural and human-dominated areas, spending more time resting than traveling in natural areas but not in human-dominated ones; males spent more time searching than resting in human-dominated areas but were equally likely to rest or search in natural ones. The differences in life history between male and female hyenas may reflect different motivations for space use as a means to optimize fitness, which affects their exposure to humans and therefore their potential involvement in human-hyenas conflict. Understanding the mechanisms that lead to behavioral change in response to human disturbance is important for adaptive management and promoting human large-carnivores co-existence in general.
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Proctor MF, Garshelis DL, Thatte P, Steinmetz R, Crudge B, McLellan BN, McShea WJ, Ngoprasert D, Nawaz MA, Te Wong S, Sharma S, Fuller AK, Dharaiya N, Pigeon KE, Fredriksson G, Wang D, Li S, Hwang MH. Review of field methods for monitoring Asian bears. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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Reynolds‐Hogland MJ, Ramsey AB, Muench C, Pilgrim KL, Engkjer C, Ramsey PW. Age-specific, population-level pedigree of wild black bears provides insights into reproduction, paternity, and maternal effects on offspring apparent survival. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8770. [PMID: 35386864 PMCID: PMC8969918 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife pedigrees provide insights into ecological and evolutionary processes. DNA obtained from noninvasively collected hair is often used to determine individual identities for pedigrees and other genetic analyses. However, detection rates associated with some noninvasive DNA studies can be relatively low, and genetic data do not provide information on individual birth year. Supplementing hair DNA stations with video cameras should increase the individual detection rate, assuming accurate identification of individuals via video data. Video data can also provide birth year information for individuals captured as young of the year, which can enrich population-level pedigrees. We placed video cameras at hair stations and combined genetic and video data to reconstruct an age-specific, population-level pedigree of wild black bears during 2010-2020. Combining individual birth year with mother-offspring relatedness, we also estimated litter size, interlitter interval, primiparity, and fecundity. We used the Cormack-Jolly-Seber model in Program Mark to evaluate the effect of maternal identity on offspring apparent survival. We compared model rankings of apparent survival and parameter estimates based on combined genetic and video data with those based on only genetic data. We observed 42 mother-offspring relationships. Of these, 21 (50%) would not have been detected had we used hair DNA alone. Moreover, video data allowed for the cub and yearling age classes to be determined. Mean annual fecundity was 0.42 (95% CI: 0.27, 0.56). Maternal identity influenced offspring apparent survival, where offspring of one mother experienced significantly lower apparent survival (0.39; SE = 0.15) than that of offspring of four other mothers (0.89-1.00; SE = 0.00-0.06). We video-documented cub abandonment by the mother whose offspring experienced low apparent survival, indicating individual behaviors (e.g., maternal care) may scale up to affect population-level parameters (e.g., cub survival). Our findings provide insights into evolutionary processes and are broadly relevant to wildlife ecology and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kristine L. Pilgrim
- USDA National Genomics CenterRocky Mountain Research StationMissoulaMontanaUSA
| | - Cory Engkjer
- USDA National Genomics CenterRocky Mountain Research StationMissoulaMontanaUSA
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Nisi AC, Benson JF, Wilmers CC. Puma responses to unreliable human cues suggest an ecological trap in a fragmented landscape. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna C. Nisi
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Dept, Univ. of California Santa Cruz CA USA
- Biology Dept, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - John F. Benson
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska Lincoln NE USA
| | - Christopher C. Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Dept, Univ. of California Santa Cruz CA USA
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Hata A, Nakashita R, Fukasawa K, Minami M, Fukue Y, Higuchi N, Uno H, Nakajima Y, Saeki M, Kozakai C, Takada MB. Occurrence patterns of crop-foraging sika deer distribution in an agriculture-forest landscape revealed by nitrogen stable isotopes. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:15303-15311. [PMID: 34765179 PMCID: PMC8571634 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Conflicts arising from the consumption of anthropogenic foods by wildlife are increasing worldwide. Conventional tools for evaluating the spatial distribution pattern of large terrestrial mammals that consume anthropogenic foods have various limitations, despite their importance in management to mitigate conflicts. In this study, we examined the spatial distribution pattern of crop-foraging sika deer by performing nitrogen stable isotope analyses of bone collagen. We evaluated whether crop-foraging deer lived closer to agricultural crop fields during the winter and spring, when crop production decreases. We found that female deer in proximity to agricultural crop fields during the winter and spring were more likely to be crop-foraging individuals. Furthermore, the likelihood of crop consumption by females decreased by half as the distance to agricultural crop fields increased to 5-10 km. We did not detect a significant trend in the spatial distribution of crop-foraging male deer. The findings of spatial distribution patterns of crop-foraging female deer will be useful for the establishment of management areas, such as zonation, for efficient removal of them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayaka Hata
- Institute of Livestock and Grassland ScienceNational Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO)TsukubaIbarakiJapan
| | - Rumiko Nakashita
- Forestry and Forest Products Research InstituteTsukubaIbarakiJapan
| | - Keita Fukasawa
- Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem StudiesNational Institute for Environmental StudiesTsukubaIbarakiJapan
| | - Masato Minami
- School of Veterinary MedicineAzabu UniversitySagamiharaKanagawaJapan
| | - Yuko Fukue
- Insutitute for Biodiversity Research and Education EarthwormKaruizawaNaganoJapan
| | - Naoko Higuchi
- Insutitute for Biodiversity Research and Education EarthwormKaruizawaNaganoJapan
| | - Hikaru Uno
- Advanced Analysis CenterNAROTsukubaIbarakiJapan
| | | | - Midori Saeki
- Institute of Livestock and Grassland ScienceNational Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO)TsukubaIbarakiJapan
| | - Chinatsu Kozakai
- Institute of Livestock and Grassland ScienceNational Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO)TsukubaIbarakiJapan
| | - Mayura B. Takada
- Faculty of Science and EngineeringChuo UniversityBunkyo‐kuTokyoJapan
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9
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Hata A, Nakashita R, Anezaki T, Minami M, Fukue Y, Higuchi N, Uno H, Nakajima Y, Saeki M, Kozakai C, Takada MB. Agricultural crop consumption induces precocious maturity in deer by improving physical and reproductive performance. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ayaka Hata
- Central Region Agricultural Research Center National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) 2‐1‐18 Kannondai Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐8666 Japan
| | - Rumiko Nakashita
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute 1 Matsunosato Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐8687 Japan
| | - Tomoko Anezaki
- Gunma Museum of Natural History 1674‐1 Kamikuroiwa Tomioka Gunma 370‐2345 Japan
| | - Masato Minami
- School of Veterinary Medicine Azabu University 1‐17‐71 Fuchinobe, Chuo‐ku Sagamihara Kanagawa 252‐5201 Japan
| | - Yuko Fukue
- Institute for Biodiversity Research and Education Earthworm 1549‐3‐1 Oiwake Karuizawa Nagano 389‐0115 Japan
| | - Naoko Higuchi
- Institute for Biodiversity Research and Education Earthworm 1549‐3‐1 Oiwake Karuizawa Nagano 389‐0115 Japan
| | - Hikaru Uno
- Institute for Agro‐Environmental Sciences NARO 3‐1‐3 Kannondai Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐8604 Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Nakajima
- Institute for Agro‐Environmental Sciences NARO 3‐1‐3 Kannondai Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐8604 Japan
| | - Midori Saeki
- Central Region Agricultural Research Center National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) 2‐1‐18 Kannondai Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐8666 Japan
| | - Chinatsu Kozakai
- Central Region Agricultural Research Center National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) 2‐1‐18 Kannondai Tsukuba Ibaraki 305‐8666 Japan
| | - Mayura B. Takada
- Faculty of Science and Engineering Chuo University 1‐13‐27 Kasuga Bunkyo‐ku Tokyo 112‐8551 Japan
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10
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Smith JA, Gaynor KM, Suraci JP. Mismatch Between Risk and Response May Amplify Lethal and Non-lethal Effects of Humans on Wild Animal Populations. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.604973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activity has rapidly transformed the planet, leading to declines of animal populations around the world through a range of direct and indirect pathways. Humans have strong numerical effects on wild animal populations, as highly efficient hunters and through unintentional impacts of human activity and development. Human disturbance also induces costly non-lethal effects by changing the behavior of risk-averse animals. Here, we suggest that the unique strength of these lethal and non-lethal effects is amplified by mismatches between the nature of risk associated with anthropogenic stimuli and the corresponding response by wild animals. We discuss the unique characteristics of cues associated with anthropogenic stimuli in the context of animal ecology and evolutionary history to explore why and when animals fail to appropriately (a) detect, (b) assess, and (c) respond to both benign and lethal stimuli. We then explore the costs of over-response to a benign stimulus (Type I error) and under-response to a lethal stimulus (Type II error), which can scale up to affect individual fitness and ultimately drive population dynamics and shape ecological interactions. Finally, we highlight avenues for future research and discuss conservation measures that can better align animal perception and response with risk to mitigate unintended consequences of human disturbance.
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Schell CJ, Stanton LA, Young JK, Angeloni LM, Lambert JE, Breck SW, Murray MH. The evolutionary consequences of human-wildlife conflict in cities. Evol Appl 2021; 14:178-197. [PMID: 33519964 PMCID: PMC7819564 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-wildlife interactions, including human-wildlife conflict, are increasingly common as expanding urbanization worldwide creates more opportunities for people to encounter wildlife. Wildlife-vehicle collisions, zoonotic disease transmission, property damage, and physical attacks to people or their pets have negative consequences for both people and wildlife, underscoring the need for comprehensive strategies that mitigate and prevent conflict altogether. Management techniques often aim to deter, relocate, or remove individual organisms, all of which may present a significant selective force in both urban and nonurban systems. Management-induced selection may significantly affect the adaptive or nonadaptive evolutionary processes of urban populations, yet few studies explicate the links among conflict, wildlife management, and urban evolution. Moreover, the intensity of conflict management can vary considerably by taxon, public perception, policy, religious and cultural beliefs, and geographic region, which underscores the complexity of developing flexible tools to reduce conflict. Here, we present a cross-disciplinary perspective that integrates human-wildlife conflict, wildlife management, and urban evolution to address how social-ecological processes drive wildlife adaptation in cities. We emphasize that variance in implemented management actions shapes the strength and rate of phenotypic and evolutionary change. We also consider how specific management strategies either promote genetic or plastic changes, and how leveraging those biological inferences could help optimize management actions while minimizing conflict. Investigating human-wildlife conflict as an evolutionary phenomenon may provide insights into how conflict arises and how management plays a critical role in shaping urban wildlife phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Schell
- School of Interdisciplinary Arts and SciencesUniversity of Washington TacomaTacomaWAUSA
| | - Lauren A. Stanton
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
- Program in EcologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
| | - Julie K. Young
- USDA‐WS‐National Wildlife Research Center‐Predator Research FacilityMillvilleUTUSA
| | | | - Joanna E. Lambert
- Program in Environmental Studies and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Colorado‐BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - Stewart W. Breck
- USDA‐WS‐National Wildlife Research CenterFort CollinsCOUSA
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Maureen H. Murray
- Urban Wildlife Institute and Davee Center for Epidemiology and EndocrinologyChicagoILUSA
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12
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Lischka SA, Teel TL, Johnson HE, Larson C, Breck S, Crooks K. Psychological drivers of risk-reducing behaviors to limit human-wildlife conflict. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2020; 34:1383-1392. [PMID: 33245812 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Conflicts between people and wild animals are increasing globally, often with serious consequences for both. Local regulations or ordinances are frequently used to promote human behaviors that minimize these conflicts (risk-reducing behaviors), but compliance with ordinances can be highly variable. While efforts to increase compliance could be improved through applications of conservation psychology, little is known about the relative influence of different factors motivating compliance. Using concepts from psychology and risk theory, we conducted a longitudinal study pairing data from mail surveys with direct observations of compliance with a wildlife ordinance requiring residents to secure residential garbage from black bears (Ursus americanus). We assessed the relative influence of beliefs and attitudes toward bears and bear proofing, perceived behavioral control, perceived risks and benefits assigned to bears, norms, trust in management, previous experience with conflicts, and demographics on compliance behavior (i.e., bear proofing). Data on previous experience were obtained through direct observation and survey reports. We found that higher compliance rates were associated with more observed conflicts on a respondent's block. Counter to expectations, however, residents were less compliant when they were more trusting of the management agency and perceived more benefits from bears. We suggest that messages have the potential to increase compliance when they empower residents by linking successful management of conflicts to individual actions and emphasize how reducing conflicts could maintain benefits provided by wildlife. Modifying existing educational materials to account for these psychological considerations and evaluating their impact on compliance behavior over time are important next steps in changing human behaviors relevant to the globally important problem of human-wildlife conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy A Lischka
- Research, Policy, and Planning Branch, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 317 W. Prospect Ave., Fort Collins, CO, 80526, U.S.A
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, U.S.A
| | - Tara L Teel
- Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, U.S.A
| | - Heather E Johnson
- Research, Policy, and Planning Branch, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 415 Turner Dr., Durango, CO, 81301, U.S.A
| | - Courtney Larson
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, U.S.A
| | - Stewart Breck
- National Wildlife Research Center, USDA Wildlife Services, 4101 Laporte Ave., Fort Collins, CO, 80521, U.S.A
| | - Kevin Crooks
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, U.S.A
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