Wolves and Tree Logs: Landscape-Scale and Fine-Scale Risk Factors Interactively Influence Tree Regeneration

Abstract

Large carnivores can reduce ungulate numbers by predation and via induced risk effects alter ungulate behavior, indirectly affecting lower trophic levels. However, predator-induced risk effects probably act at different spatial scales, which have often been ignored in trophic cascade studies. We studied how a fine-scale risk factor (distance from tree logs) affects ungulate browsing intensity and how this is modified over a landscape-scale risk gradient (distance from human settlements to wolf core) in the Białowie_ za forest, Poland. We found that landscape-and fine-scale risk factors strongly interacted in determining the strength and magnitude of carnivore-induced risk effects on lower

Keep the wolf from the door: How to conserve wolves in Europe's human-dominated landscapes?

“…This would concentrate their impact on ecosystem functioning in areas away from human-dominated areas. Such humaninduced changes in wolf space use, resulting in a diminished impact of wolves on the ecosystem close to human settlements, have already been observed in areas with strong gradients of human use (Hebblewhite et al, 2005;Van Ginkel et al, 2018). A consequence of this management could be that the prey of wolves would move and concentrate more near human settlements ("human shield effect", e.g.…”

“…For example, ungulate browsing pressure in the Polish Białowieża forest was lower in high wolf-use than low wolf-use areas, but this effect coincided with low and high human activities in these areas, respectively (e.g. Kuijper et al, 2015;Van Ginkel et al, 2018). Similarly, increased moose browsing intensity in more productive Swedish forest plantations was confounded with lower wolf-use and higher human activity (Van Beeck Calkoen et al, 2018).…”

Animal Conservation in the Twenty-First Century

“…Deer can change the group size and avoid certain areas to reduce the risk of predation. This is called the landscape of fear (Van Ginkel et al 2019;Jepson and Blythe 2020). As a result there is more structure in grazing density which is good for diversity and vegetation growth.…”

Effecten van hoefdieren op Natura 2000-boshabitattypen op de Veluwe

“…Recent onderzoek in het Poolse Białowieża vond nauwelijks effecten van de aanwezigheid van wolven op edelherten (Van Ginkel, 2020). Op lokale schaal wordt het gedrag beïnvloed, met name wanneer obstakels aanwezig zijn die zicht of vluchtroutes blokkeren (Van Ginkel et al, 2019a), met een lokale reductie van vraat aan bosverjonging tot gevolg. Op basis van Van Ginkel (2020) is het niet te verwachten dat de wolf op de Veluwe een grote invloed zal gaan hebben op de bosverjonging, ook vanwege de relatief jonge leeftijd van het bos.…”