Cougar Prey Use In A Wildland–Urban Environment In Western Washington

Journal of Applied Ecology

Pauli

2015

Summary Large carnivores, though globally threatened, are increasingly using developed landscapes. However, most of our knowledge of their ecology is derived from studies in wildland systems; thus, for effective conservation and management, there is a need to understand their behavioural plasticity and risk of mortality in more developed landscapes. We examined cougar Puma concolor foraging ecology and survival in an expanding urban–wildland system in Colorado from 2007 to 2013. For GPS‐collared individuals, we related diet (n = 41; isotopic analysis) to age–sex class and fine‐scale space use, with regard to levels of habitat development. We also examined how habitat development impacted risk of mortality (n = 49), using hazards models and records of cougar–human conflict. Cougars obtained 63–82% of assimilated biomass from native herbivores, and adult females consistently showed higher use of native herbivores than other age–sex classes. Individuals using the most highly developed areas obtained approximately 20% more of their diet from alternative prey (synanthropic wildlife and domestic species) than those in the least developed areas. Overall, survival of adult females was higher than adult males. Yet, use of developed areas substantially increased cougar risk of mortality; for every 10% increase in housing density, risk of mortality increased by 6·5%, regardless of sex. Synthesis and applications. Cougars showed flexibility in diet, taking advantage of human‐associated prey items, but had high rates of mortality, suggesting that human tolerance, rather than adaptability, may be the limiting factor for range expansion by cougar and other large carnivores. Thus, large carnivore conservation will not only depend upon adequate prey resources, but also limiting potential conflict resulting from depredation of synanthropic wildlife and domestic animals.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 94%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 50%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Quantifying risk and resource use for a large carnivore in an expanding urban–wildland interface

Moss

Journal of Applied Ecology

Pauli

2015

“…Unfortunately, the risk avoidance generalities portrayed in resource selection studies of large predators do not explain the rare or occasional event when apex predators use areas near human dwellings. This spatio‐temporal overlap between apex predators and humans is a predictor of conflict rates (Kertson, Spencer, & Grue, ; Kertson, Spencer, Marzluff, Hepinstall‐Cymerman, & Grue, ; Nyhus & Tilson, ; Teichman, Cristescu, & Darimont, ; Torres, Mansfield, Foley, Lupo, & Brinkhaus, ). Understanding the drivers of faunal landscape utilization patterns that underlie the occasional conflict event is key to conserving apex predators.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hunger mediates apex predator's risk avoidance response in wildland–urban interface

Blecha

Boone

Journal of Animal Ecology

2018

Conflicts between large mammalian predators and humans present a challenge to conservation efforts, as these events drive human attitudes and policies concerning predator species. Unfortunately, generalities portrayed in many empirical carnivore landscape selection studies do not provide an explanation for a predator's occasional use of residential development preceding a carnivore-human conflict event. In some cases, predators may perceive residential development as a risk-reward trade-off. We examine whether state-dependent mortality risk-sensitive foraging can explain an apex carnivore's (Puma concolor) occasional utilization of residential areas. We assess whether puma balance the risk and rewards in a system characterized by a gradient of housing densities ranging from wildland to suburban. Puma GPS location data, characterized as hunting and feeding locations, were used to assess landscape variables governing hunting success and hunting site selection. Hunting site selection behaviour was then analysed conditional on indicators of hunger state. Residential development provided a high energetic reward to puma based on increases in prey availability and hunting success rates associated with increased housing density. Despite a higher energetic reward, hunting site selection analysis indicated that pumas generally avoided residential development, a landscape type attributed with higher puma mortality risk. However, when a puma experienced periods of extended hunger, risk avoidance behaviour towards housing waned. This study demonstrates that an apex carnivore faces a trade-off between acquiring energetic rewards and avoiding risks associated with human housing. Periods of hunger can help explain an apex predator's occasional use of developed landscapes and thus the rare conflicts in the wildland-urban interface. Apex carnivore movement behaviours in relation to human conflicts are best understood as a three-player community-level interaction incorporating wild prey distribution.

Human–Cougar interactions in the wildland–urban interface of Colorado's front range

Buderman

Blecha

2019

Ecology and Evolution

As human populations continue to expand across the world, the need to understand and manage wildlife populations within the wildland–urban interface is becoming commonplace. This is especially true for large carnivores as these species are not always tolerated by the public and can pose a risk to human safety. Unfortunately, information on wildlife species within the wildland–urban interface is sparse, and knowledge from wildland ecosystems does not always translate well to human‐dominated systems. Across western North America, cougars (Puma concolor) are routinely utilizing wildland–urban habitats while human use of these areas for homes and recreation is increasing. From 2007 to 2015, we studied cougar resource selection, human–cougar interaction, and cougar conflict management within the wildland–urban landscape of the northern Front Range in Colorado, USA. Resource selection of cougars within this landscape was typical of cougars in more remote settings but cougar interactions with humans tended to occur in locations cougars typically selected against, especially those in proximity to human structures. Within higher housing density areas, 83% of cougar use occurred at night, suggesting cougars generally avoided human activity by partitioning time. Only 24% of monitored cougars were reported for some type of conflict behavior but 39% of cougars sampled during feeding site investigations of GPS collar data were found to consume domestic prey items. Aversive conditioning was difficult to implement and generally ineffective for altering cougar behaviors but was thought to potentially have long‐term benefits of reinforcing fear of humans in cougars within human‐dominated areas experiencing little cougar hunting pressure. Cougars are able to exploit wildland–urban landscapes effectively, and conflict is relatively uncommon compared with the proportion of cougar use. Individual characteristics and behaviors of cougars within these areas are highly varied; therefore, conflict management is unique to each situation and should target individual behaviors. The ability of individual cougars to learn to exploit these environments with minimal human–cougar interactions suggests that maintaining older age structures, especially females, and providing a matrix of habitats, including large connected open‐space areas, would be beneficial to cougars and effectively reduce the potential for conflict.