Hunting promotes spatial reorganization and sexually selected infanticide.

Area of Science:

• Wildlife Ecology
• Behavioral Ecology
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Harvesting of wild species can disrupt social structures and negatively impact population growth.
• The spatiotemporal reorganization following the removal of key individuals is not well understood.
• Hunting can increase sexually selected infanticide in some species, with unknown ecological consequences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the spatiotemporal reorganization of brown bear behavior after the removal of individuals due to hunting.
• To determine if behavioral changes following hunting contribute to decreased population growth.
• To understand the factors influencing the use of home ranges previously occupied by hunter-killed bears.

Main Methods:

• Detailed behavioral data collection from individually monitored brown bears.
• Analysis of home range use in relation to the death of neighboring males from hunting.
• Statistical modeling to assess the influence of survivor age, deceased male's age, population density, and hunting intensity on home range use.

Main Results:

• Adult male brown bears significantly increased their use of home ranges belonging to hunter-killed neighbors in the second year post-removal.
• Home range use was influenced by the age of both the surviving and the deceased male, population density, and hunting intensity.
• These findings indicate long-term indirect effects of hunting on brown bear spatial behavior.

Conclusions:

• Hunting can lead to indirect, long-term ecological effects beyond direct mortality.
• The expansion of surviving males into deceased neighbors' territories represents a significant spatiotemporal reorganization.
• Understanding these indirect effects is crucial for assessing and managing the population viability of hunted species.