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Large carnivores avoid humans while prioritizing prey acquisition in anthropogenic areas
Kristin J Barker1, Eric Cole2, Alyson Courtemanch3
1Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.
The Journal of Animal Ecology
|February 9, 2023
Summary
Human activity significantly impacts large carnivore predation, with wolves altering hunting near trails but not roads. Prey availability influences wolf responses to human presence, affecting predator-prey dynamics in shared landscapes.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Wildlife Conservation
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Large carnivore populations are recovering in human-dominated landscapes.
- Understanding carnivore behavioral responses to humans is crucial for predicting predator-prey dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how human influences affect predator-prey interactions.
- To examine the behavioral mechanisms of carnivore responses to human presence.
Main Methods:
- Studied 170 grey wolf (Canis lupus) kill sites in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
- Used conditional logistic regression to analyze predation risk across varying human influences, controlling for environmental factors and prey availability.
Main Results:
- Human influences, not just environmental factors, significantly explained wolf predation risk.
- Predation risk varied with human activity type: wolves killed prey farther from roads but closer to trails.
- Wolf response to humans diminished when prey was scarce, indicating prey acquisition priority.
Conclusions:
- Human activities have complex and varied effects on large carnivore predation.
- Carnivore behavioral adjustments to human presence are context-dependent, especially concerning prey availability.
- Findings improve understanding of carnivore behavior in anthropogenic areas and wildland-urban interfaces.
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