An overview of understudied interaction types amongst large carnivores

Saggiomo, Laura; Picone, Flavio; Esattore, Bruno; Sommese, Andrea

doi:10.1016/j.fooweb.2017.01.001

Cited by 15 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Studies investigating these hypotheses commonly focus on competition, predation/removal or risk of predation (Tables 1-3). But there are many more interaction types besides these within food webs, which interaction types can also be strong and often do not conform to simple expectations (Muhly et al, 2013;Saggiomo et al, 2017). Invertebrate (Meadows et al, 2017) and theoretical (e.g.…”

Section: Alternative Hypotheses Are Seldom Testedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can we save large carnivores without losing large carnivore science?

Allen

Allen²,

Andrén

et al. 2017

Food Webs

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a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f oLarge carnivores are depicted to shape entire ecosystems through top-down processes. Studies describing these processes are often used to support interventionist wildlife management practices, including carnivore reintroduction or lethal control programs. Unfortunately, there is an increasing tendency to ignore, disregard or devalue fundamental principles of the scientific method when communicating the reliability of current evidence for the ecological roles that large carnivores may play, eroding public confidence in large carnivore science and scientists. Here, we discuss six interrelated issues that currently undermine the reliability of the available literature on the ecological roles of large carnivores: (1) the overall paucity of available data, (2) reliability of carnivore population sampling techniques, (3) general disregard for alternative hypotheses to top-down forcing, (4) lack of applied science studies, (5) frequent use of logical fallacies, and (6) generalisation of results from relatively pristine systems to those substantially altered by humans. We first describe how widespread these issues are, and given this, show, for example, that evidence for the roles of wolves (Canis lupus) and dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) in initiating trophic cascades is not as strong as is often claimed. Managers and policy makers should exercise caution when relying on this literature to inform wildlife management decisions. We emphasise the value of manipulative experiments and discuss the role of scientific knowledge in the decision-making process. We hope that the issues we raise here prompt deeper consideration of actual evidence, leading towards an improvement in both the rigour and communication of large carnivore science.

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Section: Alternative Hypotheses Are Seldom Testedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can we save large carnivores without losing large carnivore science?

Allen

Allen²,

Andrén

et al. 2017

Food Webs

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“…Another form of competition, kleptoparasitism, where one predator steals the kills from another, is fairly common (Iyengar, 2008;. In the presence of kleptoparasites like the spotted hyena, the population status of the affected species like African wild dogs dwindles because of alterations in their activity budgets, which may even lead to local extinction of a population (Carbone et al, 1997;Scantlebury et al, 2014;Saggiomo et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatio-temporal patterns of co-occurrence of tigers and leopards within a protected area in central India

et al. 2023

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Abstract. The global decline of large carnivore populations warrants scientific insights into intraguild relationships. Patterns of co-occurrence among sympatric predators are governed by their density, distribution, diet, activity overlaps, and behavioural strategies. Tigers are sympatric with leopards across their distribution range, overlap substantially in their diet, and are both nocturnal. The subdominant leopard is believed to coexist with tigers via several mechanisms like spatial segregation, temporal avoidance, and differential prey selection. Investigation of spatio-temporal patterns of co-occurrence of tigers and leopards can provide insights on mechanisms that permit coexistence. We used camera trap-based photo captures of tigers and leopards in prey-rich (58.15±10.61 ungulates per km2) Pench Tiger Reserve to determine their spatio-temporal patterns of co-occurrence. Spatially explicit density estimates of tigers were approximately 5 per 100 km2 and leopards were approximately 4.5 per 100 km2 and remained stable over the years. This implies that both these co-predators are likely to attain carrying capacity within the study area. Areas with high tiger density had lower leopard density. Quantile regression analysis between tiger and leopard density at 2×2 km grid showed that leopard density had a parabolic relationship with tiger density, initially increasing with tigers (β=0.393; p=0.001), stable at medium tiger density (β=0.13 and p=0.15), and declining at high tiger densities (β=-0.37 and p<0.001). Both tigers and leopards were crepuscular in nature with no temporal segregation (Δ=89 %). Time lag of consecutive leopard photograph after a tiger capture ranged between 0.002 to 36.29 d. Leopard use of trails was not related to use by tigers. Our results suggest that leopards adjust their usage of space at fine scales to avoid confrontations with tigers. We also observed high temporal overlap and no spatio-temporal segregation between tigers and leopards, despite the two predators being nocturnal and having similar prey choices. The availability of ample prey within the study area is likely to be the driving factor of the co-occurrence of tigers and leopards within this dry deciduous habitat of central India.

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“…This is particularly true for species that occur at low densities in remote, forested landscapes. As such, behavioral interactions between many ecologically similar mesocarnivores are not well known and have been highlighted as requiring further investigation (Allen et al, 2016; Linnell & Strand, 2000; López‐Bao et al, 2016; Saggiomo et al, 2017). Factors that drive dominance in interactions among species of mesocarnivores are largely believed to be driven by body mass, with larger species being dominant over smaller species in dyadic encounters.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dining with a glutton: an intraguild interaction between scavenging wolverine (Gulo gulo) and lynx (Lynx canadensis)

Jung,

Peers,

Drummond

et al. 2023

Ecosphere

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Intraspecific interactions between mesocarnivores are not commonly observed and consequentially not well understood, particularly for species inhabiting wilderness regions. Using a remote camera, we captured interactions between a Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and wolverine (Gulo gulo) scavenging on the remains of a bison (Bison bison). Over a 23‐min period representing nine photographic sequences (1–3 photographs per sequence), we observed (1) a wolverine approach the remains that were being fed on by a lynx, (2) the two animals feeding on the remains at the same time for about 19 min, (3) the wolverine chasing the lynx off of the carcass and, thereafter, (4) the wolverine excluding the lynx from the carcass. Our observation is of potential scientific value because it sheds light on behavioral interactions between these two species, particularly at a rich food source. Intraguild interactions between these species appear to include tolerance toward one another, as well as interference competition, with the wolverine being the dominant species. Our observation highlights the new information on interactions between mesocarnivores that are becoming illuminated with the use of remote cameras, revealing that these interactions may be more complex than once thought.

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An overview of understudied interaction types amongst large carnivores

Cited by 15 publications

References 42 publications

Can we save large carnivores without losing large carnivore science?

Can we save large carnivores without losing large carnivore science?

Spatio-temporal patterns of co-occurrence of tigers and leopards within a protected area in central India

Dining with a glutton: an intraguild interaction between scavenging wolverine (Gulo gulo) and lynx (Lynx canadensis)

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