Prey-mediated avoidance of an intraguild predator by its intraguild prey

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Wildlife Biology
• Predator-Prey Dynamics

Background:

• Intraguild predation significantly shapes ecological communities.
• Understanding factors that enable the coexistence of intraguild predators and prey is crucial.
• Spatial refuges are known to facilitate coexistence, but prey availability can alter these dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how basal prey availability influences the space-use patterns of bobcats (Lynx rufus) in relation to coyote (Canis latrans) activity.
• To determine the key factors driving bobcat space use in the presence of intraguild predation.

Main Methods:

• Tracking bobcat and coyote movements from fall 2007 to spring 2009.
• Estimating bobcat home ranges and core areas seasonally.
• Analyzing bobcat space use in relation to coyote intensity, water proximity, and small mammal biomass using generalized linear mixed models.

Main Results:

• Coyote activity intensity was a primary factor influencing bobcat core area selection.
• Bobcat core areas shifted towards high-coyote-use areas when prey abundance declined.
• Spatial variation in prey abundance influenced bobcat strategies, with some utilizing low-risk areas and others forced into higher-risk zones.

Conclusions:

• Prey availability significantly alters bobcat space-use strategies in response to intraguild predation risk.
• Behavioral plasticity in response to spatial variation in prey abundance is key to bobcat-coyote coexistence.
• These findings highlight the complex interplay between resource availability and predator-prey interactions in structuring ecological communities.