Estimating the intensity of use by interacting predators and prey using camera traps

Area of Science:

• Ecology and wildlife management
• Spatial ecology and conservation biology

Background:

• Understanding organism distribution requires quantifying their interaction intensity with the environment.
• Existing methods for occupancy or selection don't capture varying resource use rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel method for evaluating intensity of use across space and time.
• To assess the impact of human development and mitigation strategies on large mammal communities, including predator-prey dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Deployed camera traps on linear developments with and without log barriers over three years.
• Utilized spatial recurrent event models to analyze intensity of use data for humans and five large mammal species.
• Investigated the influence of environmental conditions and human activity on species interactions.

Main Results:

• Human intensity of use significantly influenced all five large mammal species' use intensity.
• Wolf (Canis lupus) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) use intensities were strongly linked.
• Conditions impeding travel on linear developments reduced human and mammal use intensity.

Conclusions:

• Mitigation strategies that impede or redirect travel on linear developments can lessen resource development impacts.
• Measuring intensity of use is crucial for monitoring, mitigating, and understanding ecological processes.
• This approach is adaptable to various survey methodologies for ecological assessment.