Table scraps: inter-trophic food provisioning by pumas.
Biol Lett
; 8(5): 776-9, 2012 Oct 23.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-22696284
ABSTRACT
Large carnivores perform keystone ecological functions through direct predation, or indirectly, through food subsidies to scavengers or trophic cascades driven by their influence on the distributions of their prey. Pumas (Puma concolor) are an elusive, cryptic species difficult to study and little is known about their inter-trophic-level interactions in natural communities. Using new GPS technology, we discovered that pumas in Patagonia provided 232 ± 31 kg of edible meat/month/100 km(2) to near-threatened Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) and other members of a diverse scavenger community. This is up to 3.1 times the contributions by wolves (Canis lupus) to communities in Yellowstone National Park, USA, and highlights the keystone role large, solitary felids play in natural systems. These findings are more pertinent than ever, for managers increasingly advocate controlling pumas and other large felids to bolster prey populations and mitigate concerns over human and livestock safety, without a full understanding of the potential ecological consequences of their actions.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Comportamento Predatório
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
País como assunto:
America do sul
/
Chile
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2012
Tipo de documento:
Article