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Mesocarnivores vary in their spatiotemporal avoidance strategies at communications hubs of an apex carnivore.
Allen, Maximilian L; Avrin, Alexandra C; Wittmer, Heiko U; Wang, Yiwei; Wilmers, Christopher C.
Affiliation
  • Allen ML; Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, 1816 S. Oak Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA. maxallen@illinois.edu.
  • Avrin AC; Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, 1102 S. Goodwin, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA. maxallen@illinois.edu.
  • Wittmer HU; Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, 1102 S. Goodwin, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
  • Wang Y; School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P. O. Box 600, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand.
  • Wilmers CC; Environmental Studies Department, Center for Integrated Spatial Research, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
Oecologia ; 204(4): 805-813, 2024 Apr.
Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38564073
ABSTRACT
Mesocarnivores face interspecific competition and risk intraguild predation when sharing resources with apex carnivores. Within a landscape, carnivores across trophic levels may use the same communication hubs, which provide a mix of risks (injury/death) and rewards (gaining information) for subordinate species. We predicted that mesocarnivores would employ different strategies to avoid apex carnivores at shared communication hubs, depending on their trophic position. To test our prediction, we examined how different subordinate carnivore species in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California, USA, manage spatial overlap with pumas (Puma concolor), both at communication hubs and across a landscape-level camera trap array. We estimated species-specific occurrence, visitation rates, temporal overlap, and Avoidance-Attraction Ratios from camera traps and tested for differences between the two types of sites. We found that mesocarnivores generally avoided pumas at communication hubs, and this became more pronounced when pumas scent-marked during their most recent visit. Coyotes (Canis latrans), the pumas' closest subordinate competitor in our system, exhibited the strongest avoidance at communication hubs. Gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) avoided pumas the least, which may suggest possible benefits from pumas suppressing coyotes. Overall, mesocarnivores exhibited various spatiotemporal avoidance strategies at communication hubs rather than outright avoidance, likely because they benefit from information gained while 'eavesdropping' on puma activity. Variability in avoidance strategies may be due to differential predation risks, as apex carnivores often interact more aggressively with their closest competitors. Combined, our results show how apex carnivores trigger complex species interactions across the entire carnivore guild and how trophic position determines behavioral responses and subsequent space use of subordinate mesocarnivores across the landscape.
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Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Predatory Behavior / Puma Limits: Animals Country/Region as subject: America do norte Language: En Journal: Oecologia Year: 2024 Document type: Article Affiliation country: Country of publication:

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Predatory Behavior / Puma Limits: Animals Country/Region as subject: America do norte Language: En Journal: Oecologia Year: 2024 Document type: Article Affiliation country: Country of publication: