Designing studies of predation risk for improved inference in carnivore-ungulate systems

Prugh, Laura R.; Sivy, Kelly J.; Mahoney, Peter J.; Ganz, Taylor R.; Ditmer, Mark A.; Kerk, Madelon van de; Gilbert, Sophie L.; Montgomery, Robert A.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2019.02.011

Cited by 68 publications

(82 citation statements)

References 203 publications

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“…Similar to the current interpretation of risk effects in predator–prey systems being most relevant when changes occur in prey population demography rather than in physiology or behaviour alone (Prugh et al 2019), we argue that evidence for predator–predator interactions indicative of MR is greatest when there is evidence of a demographic response by the mesopredator. Previous studies have illustrated how the risk of predation influences the behaviour and ultimately the survival of herbivore prey (DeCesare et al 2014).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Identifying mesopredator release in multi‐predator systems: a review of evidence from North America

et al. 2020

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1. The mesopredator release hypothesis, defined as the change in distribution, abundance or behaviour of a middle-ranking predator in response to a decrease in density or distribution of an apex predator, is an increasingly popular topic in ecology. Terrestrial mesopredators have been reported as being released in multiple systems globally, particularly in North America, over the past century. 2. We reviewed 2687 scientific articles, of which we determined that 38 met our criteria for investigating mesopredator release (MR) in terrestrial North American mammalian predators. 3. We observed no support or mixed support for MR in 46% of all relevant studies, including conflicting evidence between measures (mesopredator distribution, abundance or behaviour) within a given study and among studies of the same community in different settings. 4. To advance the study of MR, we provide a conceptual framework that 1) highlights the multiple spatial, temporal and ecological scales at which mesopredator responses can occur; 2) suggests the relative weight of evidence for MR that is provided by measures of mesopredator responses at each scale; and 3) clearly defines the threshold for determining when MR is occurring. 5. In increasingly reshuffled predator communities with declining apex predators, there is a need for future studies to assess in more detail the contexts in which mesopredator behavioural responses scale up to the population-level processes and species-level distribution changes needed to identify these responses as MR.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Identifying mesopredator release in multi‐predator systems: a review of evidence from North America

et al. 2020

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“…While a substantial body of literature has examined fear effects in carnivore‐ungulate systems, far less is known about the relative importance of direct and indirect effects of large carnivores on mesocarnivores. Empirical studies specifically designed to quantify fear effects within carnivore communities are thus needed to fully understand the mechanisms of intraguild suppression (Prugh et al 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enemies with benefits: integrating positive and negative interactions among terrestrial carnivores

2020

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Interactions among terrestrial carnivores involve a complex interplay of competition, predation and facilitation via carrion provisioning, and these negative and positive pathways may be closely linked. Here, we developed an integrative framework and synthesized data from 256 studies of intraguild predation, scavenging, kleptoparisitism and resource availability to examine global patterns of suppression and facilitation. Large carnivores were responsible for one third of mesocarnivore mortality (n = 1,581 individuals), and intraguild mortality rates were superadditive, increasing from 10.6% to 25.5% in systems with two vs. three large carnivores. Scavenged ungulates comprised 30% of mesocarnivore diets, with larger mesocarnivores relying most heavily on carrion. Large carnivores provided 1,351 kg of carrion per individual per year to scavengers, and this subsidy decreased at higher latitudes. However, reliance on carrion by mesocarnivores remained high, and abundance correlations among sympatric carnivores were more negative in these stressful, high-latitude systems. Carrion provisioning by large carnivores may therefore enhance suppression rather than benefiting mesocarnivores. These findings highlight the synergistic effects of scavenging and predation risk in structuring carnivore communities, suggesting that the ecosystem service of mesocarnivore suppression provided by large carnivores is strong and not easily replaced by humans.

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“…As illustrated by many of the research examples described above, combining camera traps with the experimental presentation of risk cues is an increasingly common approach to assessing the mechanisms and costs of prey responses to predation risk. However, despite their broad utility, interpretation of camera trap experiments with predator cues requires careful attention to the magnitude of the cue and whether cue type and intensity match the objectives of the study (Prugh et al., 2019). Without such consideration, predator cue experiments risk exposing animals to cue levels that do not correspond to those experienced by wild populations, complicating inference to natural systems.…”

Section: Challenges To Implementing Experimental Camera Trap Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zooming in on mechanistic predator–prey ecology: Integrating camera traps with experimental methods to reveal the drivers of ecological interactions

Smith

Suraci

Hunter

et al. 2020

Journal of Animal Ecology

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Camera trap technology has galvanized the study of predator–prey ecology in wild animal communities by expanding the scale and diversity of predator–prey interactions that can be analysed. While observational data from systematic camera arrays have informed inferences on the spatiotemporal outcomes of predator–prey interactions, the capacity for observational studies to identify mechanistic drivers of species interactions is limited. Experimental study designs that utilize camera traps uniquely allow for testing hypothesized mechanisms that drive predator and prey behaviour, incorporating environmental realism not possible in the laboratory while benefiting from the distinct capacity of camera traps to generate large datasets from multiple species with minimal observer interference. However, such pairings of camera traps with experimental methods remain underutilized. We review recent advances in the experimental application of camera traps to investigate fundamental mechanisms underlying predator–prey ecology and present a conceptual guide for designing experimental camera trap studies. Only 9% of camera trap studies on predator–prey ecology in our review use experimental methods, but the application of experimental approaches is increasing. To illustrate the utility of camera trap‐based experiments using a case study, we propose a study design that integrates observational and experimental techniques to test a perennial question in predator–prey ecology: how prey balance foraging and safety, as formalized by the risk allocation hypothesis. We discuss applications of camera trap‐based experiments to evaluate the diversity of anthropogenic influences on wildlife communities globally. Finally, we review challenges to conducting experimental camera trap studies. Experimental camera trap studies have already begun to play an important role in understanding the predator–prey ecology of free‐living animals, and such methods will become increasingly critical to quantifying drivers of community interactions in a rapidly changing world. We recommend increased application of experimental methods in the study of predator and prey responses to humans, synanthropic and invasive species, and other anthropogenic disturbances.

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Designing studies of predation risk for improved inference in carnivore-ungulate systems

Cited by 68 publications

References 203 publications

Identifying mesopredator release in multi‐predator systems: a review of evidence from North America

Identifying mesopredator release in multi‐predator systems: a review of evidence from North America

Enemies with benefits: integrating positive and negative interactions among terrestrial carnivores

Zooming in on mechanistic predator–prey ecology: Integrating camera traps with experimental methods to reveal the drivers of ecological interactions

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