Mammal responses to human recreation depend on landscape context

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Wildlife Conservation
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Outdoor recreation is rapidly expanding, potentially impacting terrestrial mammal communities.
• Understanding species-specific responses to human activity is crucial for effective wildlife management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate mammal species' responses to outdoor recreation using camera trap data.
• To evaluate how local context (e.g., trail type, management) influences these responses.
• To differentiate responses between predators and prey.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 155 camera traps in western Alberta, Canada.
• Employed a hierarchical Bayesian community modeling framework.
• Assessed recreation pressure using distance to trail, trail density, and Strava intensity index.

Main Results:

• Found limited direct effects of recreation on mammal space use.
• Mammal space use was better explained by interactions between recreation and contextual factors.
• The strongest interaction involved trail density and management type, with avoidance near high-density trails in restricted areas.

Conclusions:

• Mammal responses to recreation are species- and context-dependent.
• Limiting trail density is recommended for mitigating negative impacts in conservation areas.
• Multispecies monitoring and adaptive management are essential for wildlife-recreation coexistence.