Mice and Habitat Complexity Attract Carnivorans to Recently Burnt Forests

Puig-Gironès, Roger; Pons, Pere

doi:10.3390/f11080855

Cited by 14 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 61 publications

(91 reference statements)

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“…Fox relative abundance was greatest in the recently‐burnt growth stage, a finding consistent with a growing body of evidence suggesting positive relationships between foxes and fire (Hradsky, 2020; Puig‐Gironès & Pons, 2020). For example, telemetry studies have shown that foxes intensified their use of recently‐burnt sites within their home ranges (Hradsky et al ., 2017 b ), and research in open forest 50‐km south of our study area found that fox relative abundance was substantially higher immediately post‐fire compared to pre‐fire (Robley et al ., 2016).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Conceptually, associations between fire, important resources, predators and native mammals include indirect fire effects, where native species respond to fire via the effect that it has on resource availability or predators (Hradsky et al ., 2017 a ; Geary et al ., 2018; Parkins, York & Di Stefano, 2018; Puig‐Gironès & Pons, 2020). Nevertheless, we are aware of only two other studies that have quantified an indirect fire effect.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although foxes were not affected by fire directly, they responded indirectly to fire via the mediating effect of dingoes (Geary et al ., 2018). Similarly, in Spain, the occurrence of carnivore signs (mainly faeces of foxes and stone martens Martes foina ) was influenced indirectly by fire via the mediating effect of plant cover (Puig‐Gironès & Pons, 2020). The fact that indirect fire effects involving foxes have been identified in systems where they are both introduced (Australia) and native (Spain) suggests the underlying mechanisms are insensitive to predator origin, and that interactions between fire, resource availability and predators may influence species conservation in a diverse range of settings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, telemetry studies have shown that foxes intensified their use of recently‐burnt sites within their home ranges (Hradsky et al ., 2017 b ), and research in open forest 50‐km south of our study area found that fox relative abundance was substantially higher immediately post‐fire compared to pre‐fire (Robley et al ., 2016). In Spain, fox occurrence was high near the edges of a burnt patch immediately after fire and then increased in the interior of the burn block over time (Puig‐Gironès & Pons, 2020). In most cases, attraction to burnt sites appears to be brief, lasting weeks to months (Hradsky, 2020), although elevated post‐fire fox relative abundance has been detected for up to 2 years (Robley et al ., 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Untangling the influences of fire, habitat and introduced predators on the endangered heath mouse

Nalliah

Sitters

Smith

et al. 2021

Animal Conservation

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Globally, species extinctions are driven by multiple interacting factors including altered fire regimes and introduced predators. In flammable ecosystems, there is great potential to use fire for animal conservation, however most fire‐based conservation strategies do not explicitly consider interacting factors. In this study, we sought to understand the interrelationships between the endangered heath mouse Pseudomys shortridgei, fire, resource availability and the introduced fox Vulpes vulpes in southeast Australia. We predicted that heath‐mouse relative abundance would respond indirectly to post‐fire age class (recently burnt; 0–3 years since fire, early; 4–9 years, mid; 10–33 years and late; 34–79 years) via the mediating effects of resources (shrub cover and plant‐group diversity) and fox relative abundance. We used structural equation modelling to determine the strength of hypothesized pathways between variables, and mediation analysis to detect indirect effects. Both the cover of shrubs (0–50 cm from the ground) and fox relative abundance were associated with post‐fire age class. Shrub cover was highest 0–9 years after fire, while fox relative abundance was highest in recently burnt vegetation (0–3 years after fire). Heath mice were positively correlated with shrub cover and plant‐group diversity, and negatively correlated with fox relative abundance. We did not detect a direct relationship between heath mice and post‐fire age class, but they were indirectly associated with age class via its influence on both shrub cover and fox relative abundance. Our findings suggest that heath mice will benefit from a fire regime promoting dense shrub regeneration in combination with predator control. Understanding the indirect effects of fire on animals may help to identify complementary management practices that can be applied concurrently to benefit vulnerable species. Analytical and management frameworks that include multiple drivers of species abundance and explicitly recognize the indirect effects of fire regimes will assist animal conservation.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Untangling the influences of fire, habitat and introduced predators on the endangered heath mouse

Nalliah

Sitters

Smith

et al. 2021

Animal Conservation

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“…In other studies, predators have responded primarily to the abundance of small mammalian prey post‐fire and have shown little association with each other (e.g. Puig‐Gironès & Pons, 2020).…”

Section: How and Why Do Predators Respond To Fire?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Fire as a driver and mediator of predator–prey interactions

et al. 2022

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Both fire and predators have strong influences on the population dynamics and behaviour of animals, and the effects of predators may either be strengthened or weakened by fire. However, knowledge of how fire drives or mediates predatorprey interactions is fragmented and has not been synthesised. Here, we review and synthesise knowledge of how fire influences predator and prey behaviour and interactions. We develop a conceptual model based on predator-prey theory and empirical examples to address four key questions: (i) how and why do predators respond to fire; (ii) how and why does prey vulnerability change post-fire; (iii) what mechanisms do prey use to reduce predation risk post-fire; and (iv) what are the outcomes of predator-fire interactions for prey populations? We then discuss these findings in the context of wildlife conservation and ecosystem management before outlining priorities for future research. Fire-induced changes in vegetation structure, resource availability, and animal behaviour influence predator-prey encounter rates, the amount of time prey are vulnerable during an encounter, and the conditional probability of prey death given an encounter. How a predator responds to fire depends on fire characteristics (e.g. season, severity), their hunting behaviour (ambush or pursuit predator), movement behaviour, territoriality, and intra-guild dynamics. Prey species that rely on habitat structure for avoiding predation often experience increased predation rates and lower survival in recently burnt areas. By contrast, some prey species benefit from the opening up of habitat after fire because it makes it easier to detect predators and to modify their behaviour appropriately. Reduced prey body condition after fire can increase predation risk either through impaired ability to escape predators, or increased need to forage in risky areas due to being energetically stressed. To reduce risk of predation in the post-fire environment, prey may change their habitat use, increase sheltering behaviour, change their movement behaviour, or use camouflage through cryptic colouring and background matching. Field

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How do invasive predators and their native prey respond to prescribed fire?

Watchorn,

Doherty,

Wilson

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Fire shapes animal communities by altering resource availability and species interactions, including between predators and prey. In Australia, there is particular concern that two highly damaging invasive predators, the feral cat (Felis catus) and European red fox (Vulpes vulpes), increase their activity in recently burnt areas and exert greater predation pressure on the native prey due to their increased exposure. We tested how prescribed fire occurrence and extent, along with fire history, vegetation, topography, and distance to anthropogenic features (towns and farms), affected the activity (detection frequency) of cats, foxes, and the native mammal community in south‐eastern Australia. We used camera traps to quantify mammal activity before and after a prescribed burn and statistically tested how the fire interacted with these habitat variables to affect mammal activity. We found little evidence that the prescribed fire influenced the activity of cats and foxes and no evidence of an effect on kangaroo or small mammal (<800 g) activity. Medium‐sized mammals (800–2000 g) were negatively associated with prescribed fire extent, suggesting that prescribed fire has a negative impact on these species in the short term. The lack of a clear activity increase from cats and foxes is likely a positive outcome from a fire management perspective. However, we highlight that their response is likely dependent upon factors like fire size, severity, and prey availability. Future experiments should incorporate GPS‐trackers to record fine‐scale movements of cats and foxes in temperate ecosystems immediately before and after prescribed fire to best inform management within protected areas.

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Mice and Habitat Complexity Attract Carnivorans to Recently Burnt Forests

Cited by 14 publications

References 61 publications

Untangling the influences of fire, habitat and introduced predators on the endangered heath mouse

Untangling the influences of fire, habitat and introduced predators on the endangered heath mouse

Fire as a driver and mediator of predator–prey interactions

How do invasive predators and their native prey respond to prescribed fire?

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