Rapid and direct recoveries of predators and prey through synchronized ecosystem management

Samhouri, Jameal F.; Stier, Adrian C.; Hennessey, Shannon M.; Novák, Márk; Halpern, Benjamin S.; Levin, Phillip S.

doi:10.1038/s41559-016-0068

Cited by 43 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…For example, when an ecosystem contains depleted components at a number of trophic levels, the most efficient approach to ecosystem restoration is the synchronous recovery of predators and prey (Samhourie et al. ). Clearly, this is no longer an option in the sGSL.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk of extinction of a unique skate population due to predation by a recovering marine mammal

Swain

Benoît

Hammill

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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Benefitting from reduced harvesting and an end to culling, many marine mammals are now recovering from past overexploitation. These recoveries represent important conservation successes but present a serious conservation problem when the recovering mammals are predators of species of conservation concern. Here, we examine the role of predation by recovering grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the near‐extinction of a unique skate population in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL) in Atlantic Canada. Winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata) in the sGSL are distinct from winter skate elsewhere and may represent an endemic species. Their adult abundance has declined by 98% since 1980, and these skates are now detectable in only a small fraction of their former range. Population modeling indicates that the ongoing collapse of this population is due to increases in the natural mortality of adults. Based on model projections, this population would be extinct by mid‐century if its current rate of productivity were to persist. A second population model incorporated predation by grey seals. Model estimates of skate consumption by seals were consistent with historical and recent estimates of the contribution of skates to grey seal diets. The estimated consumption accounted for the increases in the natural mortality of adult skates. A Type III functional response for grey seals preying on winter skate emerged from the model results. This indicates that, when skate abundance is very low, grey seals are expected to switch to alternate prey, resulting in declines in the mortality of skates due to predation. Consequently, contrary to projections at current productivity, winter skate are expected to be trapped at very low abundance in a “predator pit” instead of declining to extinction. Nonetheless, extinction risk would remain very high at the very small population size in the predator pit. Our results emphasize the need for an ecosystem‐based approach to the management of living resources in this ecosystem.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk of extinction of a unique skate population due to predation by a recovering marine mammal

Swain

Benoît

Hammill

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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“…Previous studies have warned about the potential downsides of ignoring interactions amongst recovering species Samhouri et al, 2017), but we provide strong empirical evidence quantifying how top-down effects of recovering eagles negatively impacted the nesting demography of ospreys and herons. Previous studies have warned about the potential downsides of ignoring interactions amongst recovering species Samhouri et al, 2017), but we provide strong empirical evidence quantifying how top-down effects of recovering eagles negatively impacted the nesting demography of ospreys and herons.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Top‐down effects of repatriating bald eagles hinder jointly recovering competitors

Cruz

Windels

Thogmartin

et al. 2019

Journal of Animal Ecology

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The recovery of piscivorous birds around the world is touted as one of the great conservation successes of the 21st century, but for some species, this success was short‐lived. Bald eagles, ospreys and great blue herons began repatriating Voyageurs National Park, USA, in the mid‐20th century. However, after 1990, only eagles continued their recovery, while osprey and heron recovery failed for unknown reasons. We aimed to evaluate whether top‐down effects of bald eagles and bottom‐up effects of inclement weather, habitat quality and fish resources contributed to the failed recovery of ospreys and herons in a protected area. We quantified the relative influence of top‐down and bottom‐up factors on nest colonization, persistence (i.e., nest reuse) and success for ospreys, and occurrence and size of heronries using 26 years (1986–2012) of spatially explicit monitoring data coupled with multi‐response hierarchical models and Bayesian variable selection approaches. Bald eagles were previously shown to recover faster due to intensive nest protection and management. Increased numbers of eagles were associated with a reduction in the numbers of osprey nests, their nesting success and heronry size, while higher local densities of nesting eagles deterred heronries nearby. We found little evidence of bottom‐up limitations on the failed recovery of herons and ospreys. We present a conservation conundrum: bald eagles are top predators and a flagship species of conservation that have benefited from intensive protection, but this likely hindered the recovery of ospreys and herons. Returning top predators, or rewilding, is widely promoted as a conservation strategy for top‐down ecosystem recovery, but managing top predators in isolation of jointly recovering species can halt or reverse ecosystem recovery. Previous studies warn of the potential consequences of ignoring biotic interactions amongst recovering species, but we go further by quantifying how these interactions contributed to failed recoveries via impacts on the nesting demography of jointly recovering species. Multi‐species management is paramount to realizing the ecosystem benefits of top predator recovery.

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“…Finally, a recent analysis highlighted the potential importance of trophic diversity for accelerating the speed of recovery: synchronous restoration of predator and prey populations yielded faster recovery than either prey‐first or predator‐first strategies (Samhouri et al . ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Inclusion of Biodiversity in Habitat Restoration Policy to Facilitate Ecosystem Recovery

Hughes

Grabowski

Leslie

et al. 2017

CONSERVATION LETTERS

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Maintaining biodiversity is a central tenet of conservation, in part because biodiversity influences ecosystem functions across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems. Biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships have clear relevance for the design of habitat restoration efforts, yet the degree to which biodiversity has been incorporated into restoration practice is unclear. We conducted a review of the published literature on habitat restoration to evaluate this potential science-practice gap. The number of published restoration studies including the term biodiversity has increased slightly from 1990 to 2015 relative to the broader restoration literature. A greater percentage of empirical restorations, and a higher percentage of those with a biodiversity component, were from terrestrial than freshwater or marine ecosystems. The majority of studies considered biodiversity as a response to restoration rather than incorporating it in the restoration design. In fact, nearly half of the studies in our database that actively transplanted species manipulated only a single target species. Little consideration was given to genetic or trophic diversity despite their documented importance for ecosystem function. Given the limited resources available for and high economic costs associated with habitat restoration projects, we recommend policies that account for biodiversity to bridge this gap and maximize ecosystem function and restoration success.

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Rapid and direct recoveries of predators and prey through synchronized ecosystem management

Cited by 43 publications

References 55 publications

Risk of extinction of a unique skate population due to predation by a recovering marine mammal

Risk of extinction of a unique skate population due to predation by a recovering marine mammal

Top‐down effects of repatriating bald eagles hinder jointly recovering competitors

Inclusion of Biodiversity in Habitat Restoration Policy to Facilitate Ecosystem Recovery

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