Reintroduced wolves and hunting limit the abundance of a subordinate apex predator in a multi-use landscape

Elbroch, L. Mark; Ferguson, Jake M.; Quigley, Howard; Craighead, Derek; Thompson, Daniel J.; Wittmer, Heiko

doi:10.1098/rspb.2020.2202

Cited by 13 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…There is, however, significant evidence suggesting that pumas are subordinate to bears, wolves, and perhaps jaguars, and that pumas are likely to suffer fitness consequences where they are sympatric with these species (Elbroch & Kusler 2018). Wolves, in particular, affect puma space use, diet, and abundance (Kortello et al 2007, Elbroch et al 2020). Comparatively, the potential influences of bears and jaguars on pumas are not well understood (see review in Elbroch & Kusler 2018).…”

Section: Discussion Of Ecological Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pumas Puma concolor as ecological brokers: a review of their biotic relationships

et al. 2022

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1.The puma Puma concolor is the fourth largest wild felid and the most widespread native terrestrial mammal of the Americas. We synthesised published literature documenting the biotic interactions of pumas, in order to: 1) advance our understanding of the ecological roles pumas play in natural systems, and 2) support strategic decision-making about conservation investments, public education, and whole-ecosystem conservation management. 2. We divided puma biotic interactions into five categories: 1) diet and prey regulation, 2) fear effects on prey (including trophic cascades), 3) effects via carrion production, 4) effects on other carnivores, and 5) ecosystem services.We reviewed 162 studies that met our search criteria, which described 543 ecological interactions between pumas and 485 other species. 3. Puma diet and prey regulation was the most common research topic. The geographic distribution of research was highly skewed towards the USA and Canada, and research in Tropical moist forests was underrepresented. We found a steep increase in the number of scientific publications exploring the biotic interactions associated with pumas over time, but publications that reported effect sizes or measured the strength of interactions did not increase as quickly. We noted numerous gaps in our knowledge of puma biotic interactions and found few well-controlled studies of prey fear effects, trophic cascades, or ecosystem services. 4. We conclude that pumas are influential ecological actors in natural systems and important brokers of energy and nutrients throughout ecosystems in the

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Section: Discussion Of Ecological Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pumas Puma concolor as ecological brokers: a review of their biotic relationships

et al. 2022

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“…Consequently, cougars are sensitive to both direct competition, including intraguild predation or kleptoparasitism, and indirect competition, such as exploitation of shared prey species (Brunet et al, 2022; Lendrum et al, 2014; Ruprecht et al, 2022). For example, large carnivores can suppress cougar success by directly predating kittens (Elbroch et al, 2020), usurping and monopolizing carrion (Prugh & Sivy, 2020), and forcing cougars to increase kill rates of prey (Elbroch et al, 2015). Further, few studies have investigated the effects of co‐occurring smaller bodied carnivores (e.g., Appendix S1: Table S1) on cougars despite the potential effects of resource competition and scavenging on cougar foraging patterns and density (Prugh & Sivy, 2020; Ruprecht et al, 2022; Smith et al, 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An integrated spatial capture–recapture approach reveals the distribution of a cryptic carnivore in a protected area

Martin

Green

Garrison³

et al. 2023

Ecosphere

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Quantifying animal abundance, density, and distributions affords the opportunity to understand the effects of landscape structure and change on species of conservation interest, but estimating these parameters can be difficult for rare and cryptic species. Noninvasive sampling methods, such as remote cameras or scat DNA, can mitigate the challenges of studying rare and cryptic species while also minimizing effects on species of conservation interest or concern. Data derived from these methods can be integrated into robust, contemporary quantitative methods, including spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models, which provide a hierarchical framework for jointly estimating animal abundance, distribution, and, consequently, density. Herein, we developed an integrated SCR model to estimate the abundance, density, and distribution of a large carnivore of conservation interest, the cougar (Puma concolor), in a rugged and remote protected area, Yosemite National Park, California, USA. We combined spatial encounter data from DNA‐based individual identification of scats with detection count data derived from remote cameras to estimate cougar density and detection probability in Yosemite. We further estimated how cougar density and detection probability varied as a result of vegetation, topography, anthropogenic and natural linear features, and survey effort. Using data collected in 2019 and 2020, we estimated a median of 31 (SD = 3.96, 95% credible intervals = 24–39) cougars in Yosemite across the two years, with higher densities associated with productive, vegetated areas. We found detection probability by scent detection teams was higher for females than males and positively correlated with survey effort, proximity to trails, and distance farther from roads and streams. Our study illustrates the utility of noninvasive survey methods that yield individual identities in rugged and remote environments, where capture and handling of cryptic, low‐density animals is logistically challenging and cost prohibitive. Integrated modeling approaches, as used here, allow ecologists to leverage empirical data using a robust quantitative framework that can effectively address conservation objectives. Through this work, we demonstrate the importance of large, contiguous, and heterogeneous ecosystems to the ecology of wide‐ranging species that occur in dynamic landscapes.

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“…Our results can thus be generalized in terms of the chances of a population overcoming ramifying effects of the risk of predation induced by multiple predators (Owen‐Smith, 2019). In terms of conservation needs, there is still a general lack of information about the effects of multiple predators at the landscape level (Thaker et al, 2011), even though predators once extirpated from ecosystems are now being reintroduced in several settings (Alston et al, 2019; Elbroch et al, 2020). In this context, when local prey is exposed to functionally diverse predators, it can experience different kinds of conflicts (DeWitt et al, 2000), that may originate from traits that confer enhanced survival (Steinmetz et al, 2008), or from energetic or developmental limitations so that only one type of response can be produced at a time (Bourdeau, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In terms of conservation needs, there is still a general lack of information about the effects of multiple predators at the landscape level (Thaker et al, 2011), even though predators once extirpated from ecosystems are now being reintroduced in several settings (Alston et al, 2019;Elbroch et al, 2020). In this context, S2 that may originate from traits that confer enhanced survival (Steinmetz et al, 2008), or from energetic or developmental limitations so that only one type of response can be produced at a time (Bourdeau, 2009).…”

Section: Phenotype Prevalence Under Multiple Predatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prey defence phenotype mediates multiple‐predator effects in tri‐trophic food webs

Guariento

Dalponti

Carneiro

et al. 2022

Journal of Animal Ecology

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1. The emphasis on mechanisms governing the interaction among predators (e.g. cooperation, competition or intraguild predation) has driven the understanding of multiple-predator effects on prey survival and dynamics. However, overwhelming evidence shows that prey can adaptively respond to predators, exhibiting multiple defensive phenotypes to cope with predation. Nevertheless, there is still a relatively scarce theory connecting the emergence of prey defences in complex multi-predator scenarios and their ecological consequences.2. Using a mathematical approach, we evaluated the prevalence of defended prey phenotypes as a function of predator-induced mortality in a two-predator system, and how prey and phenotype dynamics affect trophic cascades. We also evaluated such responses when prey manifests a general defence against both predators (i.e. risk reducing) or a specialized defence against one predator at the expense of defence against the other predator (i.e. risk trade-off), and when such phenotypes induce fitness and foraging costs.3. We showed that the emergence of defended phenotypes under multiple predators depends on predator-induced mortality rates, the magnitude of phenotype costs and the effect of the defensive phenotype on the performance of all predators. 4. Risk-reducing phenotypes enhance prioritized responses to predators with high killing rates, but prioritized responses are diminished when prey manifest risk trade-off phenotypes. Finally, we showed that resource abundance across the predation gradient directly depends on the prevalence of certain prey phenotypes and their effect on foraging costs. 5. Ultimately, our results depict the implications of prey defences on prey and basal resources abundance in a multiple predators' environment, highlighting the role of the identity of defensive strategies in mediating the strength and nature of trophic cascades, via consumptive or non-consumptive effects.

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Reintroduced wolves and hunting limit the abundance of a subordinate apex predator in a multi-use landscape

Cited by 13 publications

References 46 publications

Pumas Puma concolor as ecological brokers: a review of their biotic relationships

Pumas Puma concolor as ecological brokers: a review of their biotic relationships

An integrated spatial capture–recapture approach reveals the distribution of a cryptic carnivore in a protected area

Prey defence phenotype mediates multiple‐predator effects in tri‐trophic food webs

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