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Gaston MV, Barnas AF, Smith RM, Murray S, Fisher JT. Native prey, not landscape change or novel prey, drive cougar ( Puma concolor) distribution at a boreal forest range edge. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11146. [PMID: 38571804 PMCID: PMC10985369 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Many large carnivores, despite widespread habitat alteration, are rebounding in parts of their former ranges after decades of persecution and exploitation. Cougars (Puma concolor) are apex predator with their remaining northern core range constricted to mountain landscapes and areas of western North America; however, cougar populations have recently started rebounding in several locations across North America, including northward in boreal forest landscapes. A camera-trap survey of multiple landscapes across Alberta, Canada, delineated a range edge; within this region, we deployed an array of 47 camera traps in a random stratified design across a landscape spanning a gradient of anthropogenic development relative to the predicted expansion front. We completed multiple hypotheses in an information-theoretic framework to determine if cougar occurrence is best explained by natural land cover features, anthropogenic development features, or competitor and prey activity. We predicted that anthropogenic development features from resource extraction and invading white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virgianius) explain cougar distribution at this boreal range edge. Counter to our predictions, the relative activity of native prey, predominantly snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), was the best predictor of cougar occurrence at this range edge. Small-bodied prey items are particularly important for female and sub-adult cougars and may support breeding individuals in the northeast boreal forest. Also, counter to our predictions, there was not a strong relationship detected between cougar occurrence and gray wolf (Canis lupus) activity at this range edge. However, further investigation is recommended as the possibility of cougar expansion into areas of the multi-prey boreal system, where wolves have recently been controlled, could have negative consequences for conservation goals in this region (e.g. the recovery of woodland caribou [Rangifer tarandus caribou]). Our study highlights the need to monitor contemporary distributions to inform conservation management objectives as large carnivores recover across North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Millicent V. Gaston
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Andrew F. Barnas
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Rebecca M. Smith
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Sean Murray
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Jason T. Fisher
- School of Environmental StudiesUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBritish ColumbiaCanada
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2
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Bates‐Mundell L, Williams SH, Sager‐Fradkin K, Wittmer HU, Allen ML, Cristescu B, Wilmers CC, Elbroch LM. Season, prey availability, sex, and age explain prey size selection in a large solitary carnivore. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11080. [PMID: 38455146 PMCID: PMC10918706 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Prey selection is a fundamental aspect of ecology that drives evolution and community structure, yet the impact of intraspecific variation on the selection for prey size remains largely unaccounted for in ecological theory. Here, we explored puma (Puma concolor) prey selection across six study sites in North and South America. Our results highlighted the strong influence of season and prey availability on puma prey selection, and the smaller influence of puma age. Pumas in all sites selected smaller prey in warmer seasons following the ungulate birth pulse. Our top models included interaction terms between sex and age, suggesting that males more than females select larger prey as they age, which may reflect experiential learning. When accounting for variable sampling across pumas in our six sites, male and female pumas killed prey of equivalent size, even though males are larger than females, challenging assumptions about this species. Nevertheless, pumas in different study sites selected prey of different sizes, emphasizing that the optimal prey size for pumas is likely context-dependent and affected by prey availability. The mean prey weight across all sites averaged 1.18 times mean puma weight, which was less than predicted as the optimal prey size by energetics and ecological theory (optimal prey = 1.45 puma weight). Our results help refine our understanding of optimal prey for pumas and other solitary carnivores, as well as corroborate recent research emphasizing that carnivore prey selection is impacted not just by energetics but by the effects of diverse ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan Bates‐Mundell
- Faculty of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of FreiburgFreiburg im BreisgauGermany
| | | | - Kim Sager‐Fradkin
- Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Natural ResourcesPort AngelesWashingtonUSA
| | - Heiko U. Wittmer
- School of Biological SciencesVictoria University of WellingtonWellingtonNew Zealand
| | - Maximilian L. Allen
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research InstituteUniversity of IllinoisChampaignIllinoisUSA
| | - Bogdan Cristescu
- Environmental Studies DepartmentUniversity of CaliforniaSanta CruzCaliforniaUSA
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3
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Ruprecht J, Forrester TD, Jackson NJ, Clark DA, Wisdom MJ, Rowland MM, Smith JB, Stewart KM, Levi T. A seasonal pulse of ungulate neonates influences space use by carnivores in a multi-predator, multi-prey system. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9389. [PMID: 36254298 PMCID: PMC9558345 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9389] [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: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The behavioral mechanisms by which predators encounter prey are poorly resolved. In particular, the extent to which predators engage in active search for prey versus incidentally encountering them has not been well studied in many systems and particularly not for neonate prey during the birth pulse. Parturition of many large herbivores occurs during a short and predictable temporal window in which young are highly vulnerable to predation. Our study aims to determine how a suite of carnivores responds to the seasonal pulse of newborn ungulates using contemporaneous global positioning system (GPS) locations of four species of predators and two species of prey. We used step‐selection functions to assess whether coyotes, cougars, black bears, and bobcats encountered parturient adult female ungulates more often than expected by chance in a low‐density population of mule deer and a high‐density population of elk. We then assessed whether the carnivore species that encountered parturient prey more often than expected by chance did so by shifting their habitat use toward areas with a high probability of encountering neonates. None of the four carnivore species encountered GPS‐collared parturient mule deer more often than expected by chance. By contrast, we determined that cougar and male bear movements positioned them in the proximity of GPS‐collared parturient elk more often than expected by chance which may provide evidence of searching behavior. Although both male bears and cougars exhibited behavior consistent with active search for neonates, only male bears used elk parturition habitat in a way that dynamically tracked the phenology of the elk birth pulse suggesting that maximizing encounters with juvenile elk was a motivation when selecting resources. Our results suggest that there is high interspecific and intersexual variability in foraging strategies among large mammalian predators and their prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Ruprecht
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation SciencesOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
| | | | - Nathan J. Jackson
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Nevada, RenoRenoNevadaUSA
| | | | - Michael J. Wisdom
- US Department of Agriculture Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research StationLa GrandeOregonUSA
| | - Mary M. Rowland
- US Department of Agriculture Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research StationLa GrandeOregonUSA
| | | | - Kelley M. Stewart
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Nevada, RenoRenoNevadaUSA
| | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation SciencesOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
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4
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Clapp JG, Atkinson CD, Brunet MJ, Burke PW, Ellsbury LR, Gregory ZW, Kindermann RJ, Ryder SP, Thompson DJ, Holbrook JD. Multi‐model application informs prey composition of mountain lions
Puma concolor. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wlb3.01035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin G. Clapp
- Wyoming Game and Fish Dept Lander WY USA
- Dept of Zoology and Physiology, Univ. of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Univ. of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
| | - Clint D. Atkinson
- Wyoming Game and Fish Dept Lander WY USA
- Dept of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, Univ. of California Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - Mitchell J. Brunet
- Dept of Zoology and Physiology, Univ. of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Univ. of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Laramie WY USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Joseph D. Holbrook
- Dept of Zoology and Physiology, Univ. of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Univ. of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
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5
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Cristescu B, Elbroch LM, Dellinger JA, Binder W, Wilmers CC, Wittmer HU. Kill rates and associated ecological factors for an apex predator. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00240-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AbstractKill rates and functional responses are fundamental to the study of predator ecology and the understanding of predatory-prey dynamics. As the most widely distributed apex predator in the western hemisphere, pumas (Puma concolor) have been well studied, yet a synthesis of their kill rates is currently lacking. We reviewed the literature and compiled data on sex- and age-specific kill rate estimates of pumas on ungulates, and conducted analyses aimed at understanding ecological factors explaining the observed spatial variation. Kill rate studies on pumas, while numerous, were primarily conducted in Temperate Conifer Forests (< 10% of puma range), revealing a dearth of knowledge across much of their range, especially from tropical and subtropical habitats. Across studies, kill rates in ungulates/week were highest for adult females with kitten(s) (1.24 ± 0.41 ungulates/week) but did not vary significantly between adult males (0.84 ± 0.18) and solitary adult females (0.99 ± 0.26). Kill rates in kg/day differed only marginally among reproductive classes. Kill rates of adult pumas increased with ungulate density, particularly for males. Ungulate species richness had a weak negative association with adult male kill rates. Neither scavenger richness, puma density, the proportion of non-ungulate prey in the diet, nor regional human population density had a significant effect on ungulate kill rates, but additional studies and standardization would provide further insights. Our results had a strong temperate-ecosystem bias highlighting the need for further research across the diverse biomes pumas occupy to fully interpret kill rates for the species. Data from more populations would also allow for multivariate analyses providing deeper inference into the ecological and behavioural factors driving kill rates and functional responses of pumas, and apex predators in general.
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6
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OUP accepted manuscript. J Mammal 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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7
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Prude CH, Cain JW. Habitat diversity influences puma Puma concolor diet in the Chihuahuan Desert. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charles H. Prude
- C. H. Prude, New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Dept of Fish Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM, USA and Turner Biodiversity, Turner Enterprises Inc., Engle, NM, USA
| | - James W. Cain
- J. W. Cain III (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4743516X) ✉ , U.S. Geological Survey, New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Dept of Fish Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM, USA
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8
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Orning EK, Dugger KM, Clark DA. Gray wolf (Canis lupus) predation patterns following recent recolonization in a multi-predator, multi-prey system. CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Predator–prey interactions are among the most fundamental of ecological relationships. Recolonizing gray wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) populations present new challenges for wildlife management in multi-prey, multi-carnivore systems. We documented diet composition and kill rates for wolves in a recently recolonized area over winter and summer seasons (2014–2015). Elk (Cervus canadensis Erxleben, 1777) were the primary ungulate prey (63%) located at wolf kill sites. Deer (mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817)) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780))) were less prevalent than elk in wolf diets, but the amount of deer in diets (40%–50%) varied by pack and season. Juvenile elk were the most prevalent class of prey in wolf diets during summer (63.3%) and winter (36.3%), with adult elk (32.5%) observed nearly as often as juveniles in winter. Kill rates varied by season, with rates 2.3 times higher in summer (mean = 3.5 ungulates/week per pack) than winter (mean = 1.5 ungulates/week per pack), consistent with increased availability and use of neonate prey. Prey biomass acquisition did not vary by pack or season (summer = 243 kg/week per pack; winter = 182 kg/week per pack). Our study quantified predation patterns for a recolonizing wolf population, and patterns that we documented were similar to other multi-prey systems in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K. Orning
- Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Katie M. Dugger
- U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Darren A. Clark
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 97850, USA
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9
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Variable strategies to solve risk-reward tradeoffs in carnivore communities. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2101614118. [PMID: 34429359 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2101614118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mesopredator release theory suggests that dominant predators suppress subordinate carnivores and ultimately shape community dynamics, but the assumption that subordinate species are only negatively affected ignores the possibility of facilitation through scavenging. We examined the interplay within a carnivore community consisting of cougars, coyotes, black bears, and bobcats using contemporaneous Global Positioning System telemetry data from 51 individuals; diet analysis from 972 DNA-metabarcoded scats; and data from 128 physical investigations of cougar kill sites, 28 of which were monitored with remote cameras. Resource provisioning from competitively dominant cougars to coyotes through scavenging was so prolific as to be an overwhelming determinant of coyote behavior, space use, and resource acquisition. This was evident via the strong attraction of coyotes to cougar kill sites, frequent scavenging of cougar-killed prey, and coyote diets that nearly matched cougars in the magnitude of ungulate consumption. Yet coyotes were often killed by cougars and used space to minimize encounters, complicating the fitness benefits gained from scavenging. We estimated that 23% (95% CI: 8 to 55%) of the coyote population in our study area was killed by cougars annually, suggesting that coyote interactions with cougars are a complex behavioral game of risk and reward. In contrast, we found no indication that bobcat space use or diet was influenced by cougars. Black bears avoided cougars, but there was no evidence of attraction to cougar kill sites and much lower levels of ungulate consumption and carcass visitation than for coyotes. Interspecific interactions among carnivores are multifaceted, encompassing both suppression and facilitation.
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10
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Andreasen AM, Stewart KM, Longland WS, Beckmann JP. Prey Specialization by Cougars on Feral Horses in a Desert Environment. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alyson M. Andreasen
- University of Nevada, Reno, Natural Resources and Environmental Science 1664 N. Virginia Street, Mail Stop 186 Reno NV 89557 USA
| | - Kelley M. Stewart
- University of Nevada, Reno, Natural Resources and Environmental Science 1664 N. Virginia Street, Mail Stop 186 Reno NV 89557 USA
| | - William S. Longland
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, University of Nevada Reno, 920 Valley Road Reno NV 89512 USA
| | - Jon P. Beckmann
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Rockies Program 1050 E Main, Suite 2 Bozeman MT 59715 USA
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11
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Petroelje TR, Fowler NL, Kautz TM, Lutto AL, Davidson GA, Beyer DE, Belant JL. Conservation Detection Dogs Increase Efficacy for Prey Detection at Carnivore GPS Cluster Sites During Summer. WILDLIFE SOC B 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler R. Petroelje
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse New York 13210 USA
| | - Nicholas L. Fowler
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse New York 13210 USA
| | - Todd M. Kautz
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse New York 13210 USA
| | - Ashley L. Lutto
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse New York 13210 USA
| | | | - Dean E. Beyer
- Wildlife Division Michigan Department of Natural Resources 1990 US Highway 41 S Marquette MI 49855 USA
| | - Jerrold L. Belant
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse New York 13210 USA
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12
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Engebretsen KN, Beckmann JP, Lackey CW, Andreasen A, Schroeder C, Jackson P, Young JK. Recolonizing carnivores: Is cougar predation behaviorally mediated by bears? Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5331-5343. [PMID: 34026010 PMCID: PMC8131799 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation and management efforts have resulted in population increases and range expansions for some apex predators, potentially changing trophic cascades and foraging behavior. Changes in sympatric carnivore and dominant scavenger populations provide opportunities to assess how carnivores affect one another. Cougars (Puma concolor) were the apex predator in the Great Basin of Nevada, USA, for over 80 years. Black bears (Ursus americanus) have recently recolonized the area and are known to heavily scavenge on cougar kills. To evaluate the impacts of sympatric, recolonizing bears on cougar foraging behavior in the Great Basin, we investigated kill sites of 31 cougars between 2009 and 2017 across a range of bear densities. We modeled the variation in feeding bout duration (number of nights spent feeding on a prey item) and the proportion of primary prey, mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), in cougar diets using mixed-effects models. We found that feeding bout duration was driven primarily by the size of the prey item being consumed, local bear density, and the presence of dependent kittens. The proportion of mule deer in cougar diet across all study areas declined over time, was lower for male cougars, increased with the presence of dependent kittens, and increased with higher bear densities. In sites with feral horses (Equus ferus), a novel large prey, cougar consumption of feral horses increased over time. Our results suggest that higher bear densities over time may reduce cougar feeding bout durations and influence the prey selection trade-off for cougars when alternative, but more dangerous, large prey are available. Shifts in foraging behavior in multicarnivore systems can have cascading effects on prey selection. This study highlights the importance of measuring the impacts of sympatric apex predators and dominant scavengers on a shared resource base, providing a foundation for monitoring dynamic multipredator/scavenger systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jon P. Beckmann
- Wildlife Conservation SocietyBozemanMTUSA
- Present address:
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and TourismPrattKSUSA
| | | | - Alyson Andreasen
- Natural Resources and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Nevada‐RenoRenoNVUSA
| | | | - Pat Jackson
- Game DivisionNevada Department of WildlifeRenoNVUSA
| | - Julie K. Young
- Deparment of Wildland ResourcesUtah State UniversityLoganUTUSA
- USDA‐NWRC‐Predator Research FacilityMillvilleUTUSA
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13
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Clapp JG, Holbrook JD, Thompson DJ. GPSeqClus: An R package for sequential clustering of animal location data for model building, model application and field site investigations. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph D. Holbrook
- Department of Zoology and Physiology Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
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14
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Allen ML, Elbroch LM, Wittmer HU. Can't bear the competition: Energetic losses from kleptoparasitism by a dominant scavenger may alter foraging behaviors of an apex predator. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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15
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Jansen C, Leslie AJ, Cristescu B, Teichman KJ, Martins Q. Determining the diet of an African mesocarnivore, the caracal: scat or GPS cluster analysis? WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Corlé Jansen
- C. Jansen, (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8441-9639)
| | - Alison J. Leslie
- A. J. Leslie, Dept of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch Univ., Private Bag X1, 7602 Matieland, South Africa
| | - Bogdan Cristescu
- B. Cristescu and K. J. Teichman, The Cape Leopard Trust, Tokai, Cape Town, South Africa. BC also at: Inst. for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), Dept of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa. KJT also
| | - Kristine J. Teichman
- B. Cristescu and K. J. Teichman, The Cape Leopard Trust, Tokai, Cape Town, South Africa. BC also at: Inst. for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), Dept of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa. KJT also
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16
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Peelle LE, Wirsing AJ, Pilgrim KL, Schwartz MK. Identifying predators from saliva at kill sites with limited remains. WILDLIFE SOC B 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laurel E. Peelle
- University of WashingtonSchool of Environmental and Forest Sciences Box 352100, 3715 West Stevens Way NE Seattle WA 98195 USA
| | - Aaron J. Wirsing
- University of WashingtonSchool of Environmental and Forest Sciences Box 352100, 3715 West Stevens Way NE Seattle WA 98195 USA
| | - Kristine L. Pilgrim
- U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station 800 East Beckwith Avenue Missoula MT 59801 USA
| | - Michael K. Schwartz
- U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station 800 East Beckwith Avenue Missoula MT 59801 USA
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17
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Johnson BK, Jackson DH, Cook RC, Clark DA, Coe PK, Cook JG, Rearden SN, Findholt SL, Noyes JH. Roles of maternal condition and predation in survival of juvenile Elk in Oregon. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce K. Johnson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Dewaine H. Jackson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 4192 N. Umpqua Highway Roseburg OR 97470 USA
| | - Rachel C. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Darren A. Clark
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Priscilla K. Coe
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - John G. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Spencer N. Rearden
- Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Oregon State University; Corvallis OR 97331 USA
| | - Scott L. Findholt
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - James H. Noyes
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
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18
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Rowland MM, Wisdom MJ, Nielson RM, Cook JG, Cook RC, Johnson BK, Coe PK, Hafer JM, Naylor BJ, Vales DJ, Anthony RG, Cole EK, Danilson CD, Davis RW, Geyer F, Harris S, Irwin LL, McCoy R, Pope MD, Sager-Fradkin K, Vavra M. Modeling Elk Nutrition and Habitat Use in Western Oregon and Washington. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mary M. Rowland
- U. S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Michael J. Wisdom
- U. S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Ryan M. Nielson
- Western EcoSystems Technology (WEST), Inc.; 2121 Midpoint Drive, Suite 201 Fort Collins CO 80525 USA
| | - John G. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Rachel C. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Bruce K. Johnson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Priscilla K. Coe
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Jennifer M. Hafer
- U. S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Bridgett J. Naylor
- U. S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - David J. Vales
- Muckleshoot Indian Tribe; 39015 172nd Avenue SE Auburn WA 98092 USA
| | - Robert G. Anthony
- Oregon State University; 1500 Southwest Jefferson Way Corvallis OR 97331 USA
| | - Eric K. Cole
- U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service; National Elk Refuge; P. O. Box 510, Jackson WY, 83001 USA
| | - Chris D. Danilson
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; Region 4, 111 Sherman Street La Conner WA 98257 USA
| | - Ronald W. Davis
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana IL 61820 USA
| | - Frank Geyer
- Quileute Tribe; 401 Main Street La Push WA 98350 USA
| | - Scott Harris
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; 48 Devonshire Road Montesano WA 98563 USA
| | - Larry L. Irwin
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement; P. O. Box 68 Stevensville MT 59870 USA
| | - Robert McCoy
- Makah Forestry; P. O. Box 116 Neah Bay WA 98357 USA
| | | | - Kim Sager-Fradkin
- Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Natural Resources; 760 Stratton Road Port Angeles WA 98363 USA
| | - Martin Vavra
- U. S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station; 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
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Effects of puma on the diversity and composition of Neotropical mammals. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467417000293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Prey seek to minimize predation risk by moving across the landscape in search of safer areas. Yet, these movements are associated with risks that depend on the intrinsic attributes of the species involved. We evaluated the effect of presence of an apex predator (Puma concolor) on the composition of a community of medium and large-bodied terrestrial mammal species in 23 forest fragments in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, based on overnight footprint surveys over 2 y. We tested if (1) presence of the puma decreases species richness (prey and mesopredator), (2) landscape features interact with puma effects, altering the composition and richness of prey, (3) darker nights strengthen the predation risk effects of puma and (4) this effect can vary among prey species. The puma reduced the richness of prey species by ~45% and presence of mesopredator by 11%. Larger forest fragments and darker nights strengthened the effects of puma on the mammal community. Most prey species showed negative associations with the apex predator, while others were unaffected or showed a positive association. These results add new knowledge about the effects of predation risk and of the landscape characteristics on the composition of the mammal community and the behaviour of different species. Furthermore, our results indicate that medium and large mammals live in a landscape of fear in Neotropical forest remnants.
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20
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Lehman CP, Rota CT, Rumble MA, Millspaugh JJ. Characteristics of successful puma kill sites of elk in the Black Hills, South Dakota. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chadwick P. Lehman
- C. P. Lehman , South Dakota Dept of Game, Fish, and Parks, Custer State Park, Custer, SD 57730, USA
| | - Christopher T. Rota
- C. T. Rota, School of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Program, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Mark A. Rumble
- M. A. Rumble, U.S. Forest Service-Retired, current address: Silt, CO, USA
| | - Joshua J. Millspaugh
- J. J. Millspaugh, School of Natural Resources, Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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21
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Elbroch LM, Feltner J, Quigley H. Human–carnivore competition for antlered ungulates: do pumas select for bulls and bucks? WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/wr17006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Context
Many institutions of wildlife management and their hunting constituents tend to value ungulates over large carnivores, in part due to financial incentives associated with ungulate hunting over carnivore hunting. This system benefits from mythology that presents large carnivores as competitors for antlered male ungulates most prized by the hunting community.
Aims
We explored puma (Puma concolor) foraging and prey selection in two study areas in the Rocky Mountains, USA, to test whether pumas were competing with human hunters for antlered elk (Cervus elaphus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus).
Methods
We employed GPS technology to track pumas and document their prey. We measured population- and individual-level selection by comparing prey killed by pumas to two estimates of prey availability: (1) landscape-level as determined by annual agency game counts; and (2) total prey killed by marked pumas.
Key results
Pumas in both study systems killed small numbers of antlered elk and mule deer. Pumas exhibited avoidance of mature elk, instead strongly selecting for elk calves over any other age or sex class. Pumas in both systems also selected for mule deer fawns; however, they also exhibited small positive selection (Jacob’s index of 0.08 in CO and 0.11 in WY on a scale of 0.0–1.0) for antlered mule deer.
Conclusions
In terms of numbers killed, pumas were not a competitor with human hunters for either antlered species. In terms of prey selection, pumas showed that they may be greater competition for rare antlered mule deer but not for antlered elk. In both study sites, antlered elk and deer remained at levels at which they could perform their ecological functions.
Implications
Our results highlight the fact that the overhunting of large carnivores over competition for antlered ungulates is mostly unfounded; we should instead focus management, media attention and conservation science on disentangling the complex ecology driving localised declines of mule deer, elk and other important ungulate resources, many of which are anthropogenic in nature and can be addressed.
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Clark DA, Johnson BK, Jackson DH. Monthly and Annual Survival Rates of Cougar Kittens in Oregon. NORTHWEST SCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.3955/046.089.0407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Hiller TL, Mcfadden-Hiller JE, Jenkins SR, Belant JL, Tyre AJ. Demography, prey abundance, and management affect number of cougar mortalities associated with livestock conflicts. J Wildl Manage 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tim L. Hiller
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; Wildlife Division; 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE Salem OR 97302 USA
| | - Jamie E. Mcfadden-Hiller
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; Wildlife Division; 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE Salem OR 97302 USA
| | - Stephanie R. Jenkins
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; Wildlife Division; 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE Salem OR 97302 USA
| | - Jerrold L. Belant
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory; Forest and Wildlife Research Center; Mississippi State University; Mississippi State MS 39762 USA
| | - Andrew J. Tyre
- School of Natural Resources; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; 3310 Holdrege Street, 416 Hardin Hall Lincoln NE 68583-0974 USA
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