Proactive and reactive movement behaviours shape the antipredator sequence in a large herbivore

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Ecology
• Wildlife Movement Ecology
• Predator-Prey Dynamics

Background:

• Prey species exhibit proactive (chronic risk) and reactive (acute risk) antipredator behaviors.
• Movement choices reflect a trade-off between proaction and reaction.
• Previous studies often examined these responses in isolation.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the interaction between proactive and reactive antipredator movement responses in red deer.
• Understand how these behaviors shape space use in response to human hunting.
• Analyze movement decisions on various spatiotemporal scales.

Main Methods:

• Utilized GPS-collared red deer data and hunting event records.
• Incorporated high-resolution canopy cover density (LiDAR) data.
• Employed movement metric models and integrated step selection functions to analyze responses to lethal risk.

Main Results:

• Red deer proactively avoided chronic risk areas and selected canopy cover when risk was predictably high.
• When risk was encountered unexpectedly, canopy cover modulated reactive escape, not proactive selection.
• Reactive responses were stronger in unfamiliar environments, highlighting the role of memory.

Conclusions:

• Proaction and reaction integrate into a sequence of antipredator movement decisions in red deer.
• This understanding can help disentangle ecological consequences of behavioral responses to predation.
• Provides a foundation for future research on proactive and reactive movement similarities and differences.