Large carnivores shape road safety through effects on prey space use

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Wildlife Management

Background:

• Quantifying ecosystem services from large carnivores is crucial for human-carnivore coexistence.
• Predation services can reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions by influencing prey behavior.
• Empirical evidence demonstrating these mechanisms is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how pumas (predators) influence ungulate (prey) habitat use and subsequently affect wildlife-vehicle collisions.
• To understand the spatio-temporal mechanisms linking predator presence to road safety.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a large camera trap dataset and wildlife-vehicle collision data.
• Employed occupancy models to analyze deer habitat use in relation to puma presence.
• Incorporated puma collar data to corroborate findings on prey behavior and collision timing.

Main Results:

• Puma presence led to more diurnal deer activity and reduced deer presence in high-road density areas.
• Deer were more likely to occupy remote habitats away from development when pumas were present.
• Significant reductions in the probability (67%) and number (76%) of deer-vehicle collisions were observed in areas with high puma occupancy.

Conclusions:

• Pumas substantially reduce deer-vehicle collision risk by altering deer behavior, even in established populations.
• These behavioral shifts by prey enhance road safety, demonstrating a valuable ecosystem service.
• Findings support the conservation of large carnivores for societal benefits beyond biodiversity preservation.