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Apex predators like wolves control mesopredators such as red foxes. Declining apex predators allow red fox expansion, impacting ecosystems, especially in less productive arctic regions. Local knowledge is key to understanding these large-scale ecological processes.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Wildlife Management
  • Conservation Biology

Background:

  • Apex predator populations (e.g., wolves, lynx) influence mesopredator dynamics.
  • The mesopredator release hypothesis suggests apex predator decline increases mesopredator abundance.
  • Changes in predator populations can significantly impact ecosystem structure and prey availability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between apex predators and mesopredators in Eurasian tundra ecosystems.
  • To assess the validity of the mesopredator release hypothesis in arctic and subarctic environments.
  • To evaluate the utility of local ecological knowledge in studying large-scale ecological processes.

Main Methods:

  • Semi-structured interviews with local outdoors people in 14 western Eurasian low arctic/subarctic settlements.
  • Collected data on perceived abundance of key mammalian tundra predators: wolf, wolverine, lynx, red fox, and arctic fox.
  • Statistical modeling to analyze predator-prey abundance correlations and environmental influences.

Main Results:

  • Perceived red fox abundance decreased with higher wolf abundance and in more arctic areas.
  • The negative impact of wolves on red foxes was weaker in less productive, more arctic ecosystems.
  • Perceived arctic fox abundance increased in arctic areas with colder winters, independent of red fox presence.

Conclusions:

  • Results support the mesopredator release hypothesis for red fox expansion in subarctic regions.
  • Top-down control by apex predators is less effective in less productive, more arctic ecosystems.
  • Local ecological knowledge provides valuable insights into large-scale ecological processes often challenging for direct study.