1
|
Valcourt M, Fauteux D, Gauthier G. Influence of habitat on fine-scale space use by brown lemmings ( Lemmus trimucronatus) in the High Arctic. J Mammal 2024; 105:1141-1150. [PMID: 39345852 PMCID: PMC11427541 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyae069] [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: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Space use by small mammals should mirror their immediate needs for food and predator shelters but can also be influenced by seasonal changes in biotic and abiotic factors. Lemmings are keystone species of the tundra food web, but information on their spatial distribution in relation to habitat heterogeneity is still scant, especially at a fine scale. In this study, we used spatially explicit capture-recapture methods to determine how topography, hydrology, vegetation, and soil characteristics influence the fine-scale spatial variations in summer density of brown lemmings (Lemmus trimucronatus). Lemmings were monitored throughout the summer in wet and mesic tundra habitats and in a predator exclusion grid, which was also located in mesic tundra. We found that in wet tundra, lemming densities were higher at sites with a rugged topography dominated by hummocks, but only during snow melt. In both mesic tundra sites, lemming densities were higher in sites with poor drainage and low aspect throughout the summer. We found no clear association between lemming densities and any tested vegetation or soil variables. Overall, hydrology and topography appear to play a dominant role in small-scale space use of brown lemmings with a secondary role for predator avoidance and food plant abundance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Valcourt
- Department of Biology and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Dominique Fauteux
- Department of Biology and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, ON K1P 6P4, Canada
| | - Gilles Gauthier
- Department of Biology and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kuntze CC, Peery MZ, Pauli JN. Asymmetrical predation intensity produces divergent antipredator behaviours in primary and secondary prey. J Anim Ecol 2024. [PMID: 39205404 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
It is widely recognized that predators can influence prey through both direct consumption and by inducing costly antipredator behaviours, the latter of which can produce nonconsumptive effects that cascade through trophic systems. Yet, determining how particular prey manage risk in natural settings remains challenging as empirical studies disproportionately focus on single predator-prey dyads. Here, we contrast foraging strategies within the context of a primary and secondary prey to explore how antipredator behaviours emerge as a product of predation intensity as well as the setting in which an encounter takes place. We studied the effects of spotted owls (Strix occidentalis) on two species experiencing asymmetrical risk: dusky-footed woodrats (Neotoma fuscipes; primary prey) and deer mice (Peromyscus spp.; alternative prey). Woodrats are most abundant within young forests, but predominantly captured by owls foraging within mature forests; in contrast, deer mice occur in high densities across forest types and seral stages and are consumed at lower per-capita rates overall. We deployed experimental foraging patches within areas of high and low spotted owl activity, created artificial risky and safe refuge treatments, and monitored behaviour throughout the entirety of prey foraging bouts. Woodrats were more vigilant and foraged less within mature forests and at riskier patches, although the effect of refuge treatment was contingent upon forest type. In contrast, deer mice only demonstrated consistent behavioural responses to riskier refuge treatments; forest type had little effect on perceived risk or the relative importance of refuge treatment. Thus, habitat can interact with predator activity to structure antipredator responses differently for primary versus secondary prey. Our findings show that asymmetrical predation can modulate both the magnitude of perceived risk and the strategies used to manage it, thus highlighting an important and understudied contingency in risk effects research. Evaluating the direct and indirect effects of predation through the paradigm of primary and secondary prey may improve our understanding of how nonconsumptive effects can extend to population- and community-level responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Corbin C Kuntze
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - M Zachariah Peery
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jonathan N Pauli
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ganz TR, Bassing SB, DeVivo MT, Gardner B, Kertson BN, Satterfield LC, Shipley LA, Turnock BY, Walker SL, Abrahamson D, Wirsing AJ, Prugh LR. White-tailed deer population dynamics in a multipredator landscape shaped by humans. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e3003. [PMID: 38890813 DOI: 10.1002/eap.3003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Large terrestrial mammals increasingly rely on human-modified landscapes as anthropogenic footprints expand. Land management activities such as timber harvest, agriculture, and roads can influence prey population dynamics by altering forage resources and predation risk via changes in habitat, but these effects are not well understood in regions with diverse and changing predator guilds. In northeastern Washington state, USA, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are vulnerable to multiple carnivores, including recently returned gray wolves (Canis lupus), within a highly human-modified landscape. To understand the factors governing predator-prey dynamics in a human context, we radio-collared 280 white-tailed deer, 33 bobcats (Lynx rufus), 50 cougars (Puma concolor), 28 coyotes (C. latrans), and 14 wolves between 2016 and 2021. We first estimated deer vital rates and used a stage-structured matrix model to estimate their population growth rate. During the study, we observed a stable to declining deer population (lambda = 0.97, 95% confidence interval: 0.88, 1.05), with 74% of Monte Carlo simulations indicating population decrease and 26% of simulations indicating population increase. We then fit Cox proportional hazard models to evaluate how predator exposure, use of human-modified landscapes, and winter severity influenced deer survival and used these relationships to evaluate impacts on overall population growth. We found that the population growth rate was dually influenced by a negative direct effect of apex predators and a positive effect of timber harvest and agricultural areas. Cougars had a stronger effect on deer population dynamics than wolves, and mesopredators had little influence on the deer population growth rate. Areas of recent timber harvest had 55% more forage biomass than older forests, but horizontal visibility did not differ, suggesting that timber harvest did not influence predation risk. Although proximity to roads did not affect the overall population growth rate, vehicle collisions caused a substantial proportion of deer mortalities, and reducing these collisions could be a win-win for deer and humans. The influence of apex predators and forage indicates a dual limitation by top-down and bottom-up factors in this highly human-modified system, suggesting that a reduction in apex predators would intensify density-dependent regulation of the deer population owing to limited forage availability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taylor R Ganz
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sarah B Bassing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Melia T DeVivo
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Spokane Valley, Washington, USA
| | - Beth Gardner
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Brian N Kertson
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Snoqualmie, Washington, USA
| | - Lauren C Satterfield
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Lisa A Shipley
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | | | | | | | - Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Laura R Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wójcicki A, Borowski Z. The presence of wolves leads to spatial differentiation in deer browsing pressure on forest regeneration. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17245. [PMID: 37821647 PMCID: PMC10567790 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44502-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
With the recent return of large carnivores to forest ecosystems, an important issue for forest owners and managers is how large predators influence the behaviour of their natural prey and, consequently, cervid browsing pressure on forest regeneration. To investigate this issue, we analysed deer pressure on Scots pine and European beech plantations in northern Poland's ecosystems with and without permanent wolf populations. Two characteristics were used to describe deer browsing patterns in plantations: distance from the forest edge (spatial pattern of browsing) and number of saplings browsed (browsing intensity). Beech saplings were more intensively browsed by deer compared to pine saplings. In a forest ecosystem not inhabited by wolves, spatial variation in browsing patterns on small-sized beech plantations was the same between the edge and the center. In contrast, browsing pressure by deer was greater at the edges on large-sized pine plantations. The presence of wolves reduced deer browsing on beech and increased browsing on pine saplings. In addition, deer foraging behaviour changed in large-sized pine plantations, and browsing pressure increased only in the central areas of the plantations. We assume that the presence of wolves in a forest landscape is an important factor that alters browsing pressure on the youngest stands and their spatial pattern, and that this may be a major factor in stand regeneration, especially in small forest patches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam Wójcicki
- Department of Mountain Forests, Forest Research Institute, Ul. Fredry 39, 30-605, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Zbigniew Borowski
- Department of Forest Ecology, Forest Research Institute, Sękocin Stary, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Righini F, Carpineti M, Giavazzi F, Vailati A. Pronking and bounding allow a fast escape across a grassland populated by scattered obstacles. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230587. [PMID: 37711147 PMCID: PMC10498029 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Some quadrupeds have evolved the ability of pronking, which consists in leaping by extending the four limbs simultaneously. Pronking is typically observed in some ungulate species inhabiting grassland populated by obstacles such as shrubs, rocks and fallen branches scattered across the environment. Several possible explanations have been proposed for this peculiar behaviour, including the honest signalling of the fitness of the individual to predators or the transmission of a warning alert to conspecifics, but so far none of them has been advocated as conclusive. In this work, we investigate the kinematics of pronking on a two-dimensional landscape populated by randomly scattered obstacles. We show that when the density of obstacles is larger than a critical threshold, pronking becomes the gait that maximizes the probability of trespassing in the shortest possible time all the obstacles distributed across the distance fled, and thus represents an effective escape strategy based on a simple open-loop control. The transition between pronking and more conventional gaits such as trotting and galloping occurs at a threshold obstacle density and is continuous for a non-increasing monotone distribution of the height of obstacles, and discrete when the distribution is peaked at a non-zero height. We discuss the implications of our results for the autonomous robotic exploration on unstructured terrain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Righini
- Dipartimento di Fisica A. Pontremoli, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marina Carpineti
- Dipartimento di Fisica A. Pontremoli, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Fabio Giavazzi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Alberto Vailati
- Dipartimento di Fisica A. Pontremoli, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Clare JDJ, Zuckerberg B, Liu N, Stenglein JL, Van Deelen TR, Pauli JN, Townsend PA. A phenology of fear: Investigating scale and seasonality in predator-prey games between wolves and white-tailed deer. Ecology 2023; 104:e4019. [PMID: 36882907 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Predators and prey engage in games where each player must counter the moves of the other, and these games include multiple phases operating at different spatiotemporal scales. Recent work has highlighted potential issues related to scale-sensitive inferences in predator-prey interactions, and there is growing appreciation that these may exhibit pronounced but predictable dynamics. Motivated by previous assertions about effects arising from foraging games between white-tailed deer and canid predators (coyotes and wolves), we used a large and year-round network of trail cameras to characterize deer and predator foraging games, with a particular focus on clarifying its temporal scale and seasonal variation. Linear features were strongly associated with predator detection rates, suggesting these play a central role in canid foraging tactics by expediting movement. Consistent with expectations for prey contending with highly mobile predators, deer responses were more sensitive to proximal risk metrics at finer spatiotemporal scales, suggesting that coarser but more commonly used scales of analysis may miss useful insights into prey risk-response. Time allocation appears to be a key tactic for deer risk management and was more strongly moderated by factors associated with forage or evasion heterogeneity (forest cover, snow and plant phenology) than factors associated with the likelihood of predator encounter (linear features). Trade-offs between food and safety appeared to vary as much seasonally as spatially, with snow and vegetation phenology giving rise to a "phenology of fear." Deer appear free to counter predators during milder times of year, but a combination of poor foraging state, reduced forage availability, greater movements costs, and reproductive state dampen responsiveness during winter. Pronounced intra-annual variation in predator-prey interactions may be common in seasonal environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John D J Clare
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Benjamin Zuckerberg
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Nanfeng Liu
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Jennifer L Stenglein
- Office of Applied Science, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 101 S. Webster Street, Box 7921, Madison, Wisconsin, 53707, USA
| | - Timothy R Van Deelen
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Jonathan N Pauli
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Philip A Townsend
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Dellinger JA, Shores CR, Craig AD, Kachel SM, Heithaus MR, Ripple WJ, Wirsing AJ. Predators reduce niche overlap between sympatric prey. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08628] [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)
- Justin A. Dellinger
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
- Wildlife Investigations Lab, California Dept of Fish and Wildlife Rancho Cordova CA USA
| | - Carolyn R. Shores
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
- British Columbia Fish and Wildlife, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Williams Lake BC Canada
| | - Apryle D. Craig
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Shannon M. Kachel
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
- Panthera New York NY USA
| | - Michael R. Heithaus
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Florida International Univ. North Miami FL USA
- Institute of Environment, Florida International Univ. FL USA
| | - William J. Ripple
- Global Trophic Cascades Program, Dept of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State Univ. Corvallis OR USA
| | - Aaron J. Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Staudenmaier AR, Shipley LA, Camp MJ, Forbey JS, Hagerman AE, Brandt AE, Thornton DH. Mule deer do more with less: comparing their nutritional requirements and tolerances with white-tailed deer. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Congeneric species often share ecological niche space resulting in competitive interactions that either limit co-occurrence or lead to niche partitioning. Differences in fundamental nutritional niches mediated through character displacement or isolation during evolution are potential mechanisms that could explain overlapping distribution patterns of congenerics. We directly compared nutritional requirements and tolerances that influence the fundamental niche of mule (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (O. virginianus), which occur in allopatry and sympatry in similar realized ecological niches across their ranges in North America. Digestible energy and protein requirements and tolerances for plant fiber and plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) of both deer species were quantified using in vivo digestion and intake tolerance trials with six diets ranging in content of fiber, protein, and PSMs using tractable deer raised under identical conditions in captivity. We found that compared with white-tailed deer, mule deer required 54% less digestible protein and 21% less digestible energy intake per day to maintain body mass and nitrogen balance. In addition, they had higher fiber, energy, and dry matter digestibility and produced glucuronic acid (a byproduct of PSM detoxification) at a slower rate when consuming the monoterpene α-pinene. The mule deers’ enhanced physiological abilities to cope with low-quality, chemically defended forages relative to white-tailed deer might minimize potential competitive interactions in shared landscapes and provide a modest advantage to mule deer in habitats dominated by low-quality forages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lisa A Shipley
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Meghan J Camp
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Jennifer S Forbey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA
| | - Ann E Hagerman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Abigail E Brandt
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Daniel H Thornton
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Staudenmaier AR, Shipley LA, Bibelnieks AJ, Camp MJ, Thornton DH. Habitat use and spatio‐temporal interactions of mule and white‐tailed deer in an area of sympatry in NE Washington. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anna R. Staudenmaier
- School of the Environment Washington State University Pullman Washington 99164 USA
| | - Lisa A. Shipley
- School of the Environment Washington State University Pullman Washington 99164 USA
| | - Andris J. Bibelnieks
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics Washington State University Pullman Washington 99164 USA
| | - Meghan J. Camp
- School of the Environment Washington State University Pullman Washington 99164 USA
| | - Daniel H. Thornton
- School of the Environment Washington State University Pullman Washington 99164 USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bracis C, Wirsing AJ. Prey Foraging Behavior After Predator Introduction Is Driven by Resource Knowledge and Exploratory Tendency. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.698370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Predator reintroductions are often used as a means of restoring the ecosystem services that these species can provide. The ecosystem consequences of predator reintroduction depend on how prey species respond. Yet, to date, we lack a general framework for predicting these responses. To address this knowledge gap, we modeled the impacts of predator reintroduction on foragers as a function of predator characteristics (habitat domain; i.e., area threatened) and prey characteristics (knowledge of alternative habitat and exploratory tendency). Foraging prey had the capacity to both remember and return to good habitat and to remember and avoid predators. In general, we found that forager search time increased and consumption decreased after predator introduction. However, predator habitat domain played a key role in determining how much prey habitat use changed following reintroduction, and the forager's knowledge of alternative habitats and exploratory inclinations affected what types of habitat shifts occurred. Namely, habitat shifts and consumption sacrifices by prey were extreme in some cases, particularly when they were pushed far from their starting locations by broad-domain predators, whereas informed foragers spent less time searching and displayed smaller reductions to consumption than their naïve counterparts following predator exposure. More exploratory foragers exhibited larger habitat shifts, thereby sacrificing consumption but reducing encounters by relocating to refugia, whereas less exploratory foragers managed risk in place and consequently suffered increased encounters while consuming more resources. By implication, reintroductions of predators with broad habitat domains are especially likely to impose foraging and movements costs on prey, but forager spatial memory state can mitigate these effects, as informed foragers can better access alternate habitat and avoid predators with smaller reductions in consumption.
Collapse
|
11
|
Wolves make roadways safer, generating large economic returns to predator conservation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2023251118. [PMID: 34031245 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023251118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies uncover cascading ecological effects resulting from removing and reintroducing predators into a landscape, but little is known about effects on human lives and property. We quantify the effects of restoring wolf populations by evaluating their influence on deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) in Wisconsin. We show that, for the average county, wolf entry reduced DVCs by 24%, yielding an economic benefit that is 63 times greater than the costs of verified wolf predation on livestock. Most of the reduction is due to a behavioral response of deer to wolves rather than through a deer population decline from wolf predation. This finding supports ecological research emphasizing the role of predators in creating a "landscape of fear." It suggests wolves control economic damages from overabundant deer in ways that human deer hunters cannot.
Collapse
|
12
|
Wirsing AJ, Heithaus MR, Brown JS, Kotler BP, Schmitz OJ. The context dependence of non-consumptive predator effects. Ecol Lett 2020; 24:113-129. [PMID: 32990363 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Non-consumptive predator effects (NCEs) are now widely recognised for their capacity to shape ecosystem structure and function. Yet, forecasting the propagation of these predator-induced trait changes through particular communities remains a challenge. Accordingly, focusing on plasticity in prey anti-predator behaviours, we conceptualise the multi-stage process by which predators trigger direct and indirect NCEs, review and distil potential drivers of contingencies into three key categories (properties of the prey, predator and setting), and then provide a general framework for predicting both the nature and strength of direct NCEs. Our review underscores the myriad factors that can generate NCE contingencies while guiding how research might better anticipate and account for them. Moreover, our synthesis highlights the value of mapping both habitat domains and prey-specific patterns of evasion success ('evasion landscapes') as the basis for predicting how direct NCEs are likely to manifest in any particular community. Looking ahead, we highlight two key knowledge gaps that continue to impede a comprehensive understanding of non-consumptive predator-prey interactions and their ecosystem consequences; namely, insufficient empirical exploration of (1) context-dependent indirect NCEs and (2) the ways in which direct and indirect NCEs are shaped interactively by multiple drivers of context dependence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Box 352100, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Michael R Heithaus
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marine Sciences Program, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st St, North Miami, FL, 33181, USA
| | - Joel S Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.,Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Dr, Tampa, FL, 33613, USA
| | - Burt P Kotler
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet, Ben-Gurion, 84990, Israel
| | - Oswald J Schmitz
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, 195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Wagnon CJ, Schooley RL, Cosentino BJ. Shrub encroachment creates a dynamic landscape of fear for desert lagomorphs via multiple pathways. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Casey J. Wagnon
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois 1102 South Goodwin Avenue Urbana Illinois61801USA
| | - Robert L. Schooley
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois 1102 South Goodwin Avenue Urbana Illinois61801USA
| | - Bradley J. Cosentino
- Department of Biology Hobart and William Smith Colleges 300 Pulteney Street Geneva New York14456USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Gaynor KM, Cherry MJ, Gilbert SL, Kohl MT, Larson CL, Newsome TM, Prugh LR, Suraci JP, Young JK, Smith JA. An applied ecology of fear framework: linking theory to conservation practice. Anim Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M. Gaynor
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - Michael J. Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Texas A&M University‐Kingsville Kingsville Texas USA
| | - Sophie L. Gilbert
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho USA
| | - Michel T. Kohl
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| | | | - Thomas M. Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Laura R. Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Justin P. Suraci
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research Environmental Studies Department University of California Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Julie K. Young
- Predator Research Facility USDA‐National Wildlife Research Center Millville Utah USA
| | - Justine A. Smith
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology University of California, Davis Davis CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Bonnot NC, Couriot O, Berger A, Cagnacci F, Ciuti S, De Groeve JE, Gehr B, Heurich M, Kjellander P, Kröschel M, Morellet N, Sönnichsen L, Hewison AJM. Fear of the dark? Contrasting impacts of humans versus lynx on diel activity of roe deer across Europe. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:132-145. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nadège C. Bonnot
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
- UR EFNO Irstea Nogent‐sur‐Vernisson France
| | | | - Anne Berger
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology Research and Innovation Centre San Michele all’Adige Italy
| | - Simone Ciuti
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
| | - Johannes E. De Groeve
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology Research and Innovation Centre San Michele all’Adige Italy
- Department of Geography Ghent University Gent Belgium
| | - Benedikt Gehr
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Marco Heurich
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring Bavarian Forest National Park Grafenau Germany
| | - Petter Kjellander
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Max Kröschel
- Division of Wildlife Ecology Forest Research Institute of Baden‐Württemberg Freiburg Germany
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Wildlife Management University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | | | - Leif Sönnichsen
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża Poland
| | | |
Collapse
|