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Variable strategies to solve risk–reward tradeoffs in carnivore communities

Variable strategies to solve risk–reward tradeoffs in carnivore communities

Authors :
Tavis Forrester
Charlotte E. Eriksson
Derek B. Spitz
Marcus Bianco
Bruce K. Johnson
Mary M. Rowland
Darren A. Clark
Joshua B. Smith
Taal Levi
Michael J. Wisdom
Joel S. Ruprecht
Source :
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2021.

Abstract

Mesopredator release theory suggests that dominant predators suppress subordinate carnivores and ultimately shape community dynamics, but the assumption that subordinate species are only negatively affected ignores the possibility of facilitation through scavenging. We examined the interplay within a carnivore community consisting of cougars, coyotes, black bears, and bobcats using contemporaneous Global Positioning System telemetry data from 51 individuals; diet analysis from 972 DNA-metabarcoded scats; and data from 128 physical investigations of cougar kill sites, 28 of which were monitored with remote cameras. Resource provisioning from competitively dominant cougars to coyotes through scavenging was so prolific as to be an overwhelming determinant of coyote behavior, space use, and resource acquisition. This was evident via the strong attraction of coyotes to cougar kill sites, frequent scavenging of cougar-killed prey, and coyote diets that nearly matched cougars in the magnitude of ungulate consumption. Yet coyotes were often killed by cougars and used space to minimize encounters, complicating the fitness benefits gained from scavenging. We estimated that 23% (95% CI: 8 to 55%) of the coyote population in our study area was killed by cougars annually, suggesting that coyote interactions with cougars are a complex behavioral game of risk and reward. In contrast, we found no indication that bobcat space use or diet was influenced by cougars. Black bears avoided cougars, but there was no evidence of attraction to cougar kill sites and much lower levels of ungulate consumption and carcass visitation than for coyotes. Interspecific interactions among carnivores are multifaceted, encompassing both suppression and facilitation.

Details

ISSN :
10916490 and 00278424
Volume :
118
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....9abdc3badd0773982bf6167adca90f77
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2101614118