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Influences of Predator Cues on the Incidence of Ungulates, Mesopredators and Top Predators in the Greater Khingan Mountains, Northeastern China

Mpemba, Hamenya ; Yang, Fan ; MacLeod, Kirsty J. LU ; Wen, Dusu ; Liu, Yan and Jiang, Guangshun (2023) In Pakistan Journal of Zoology 55(1). p.269-280
Abstract

Top predators can affect the behaviour of prey species via lethal (direct kill) or non-lethal effects (i.e., through predation risk). For example, prey species may move from areas perceived as risky to safer spaces where predation risk is lower, which can have important consequences for investment in foraging, movement, and mating, and for the behaviour and habitat use of other species, such as mesopredators. These changes in prey and mesopredator behaviours are likely mediated by the presence of predator cues in the environment. Here, we test how different predator cues (visual and odor) from familiar and novel predators (brown bear and Amur tiger, respectively) influence ungulate, mesopredator, and top predator visitation rates to... (More)

Top predators can affect the behaviour of prey species via lethal (direct kill) or non-lethal effects (i.e., through predation risk). For example, prey species may move from areas perceived as risky to safer spaces where predation risk is lower, which can have important consequences for investment in foraging, movement, and mating, and for the behaviour and habitat use of other species, such as mesopredators. These changes in prey and mesopredator behaviours are likely mediated by the presence of predator cues in the environment. Here, we test how different predator cues (visual and odor) from familiar and novel predators (brown bear and Amur tiger, respectively) influence ungulate, mesopredator, and top predator visitation rates to camera trap sites in a national nature reserve in China. The comparison of these predator types is of particular interest in this region as Amur tigers may shortly be reintroduced here. We found that visual but not odour cues significantly affected ungulate visitation rates: ungulates showed reduced visitation to sites with either a novel or familiar visual predator cue. When combined, mesopredators and top predators also showed a small reduction in visitation rates to tiger cue sites compared to bear cue sites, suggesting a possible novel predator effect. The generalisation and contextual importance of predator cues for prey and mesopredators have been little studied. Understanding how species respond to novel cues may help to determine extinction probabilities and overall plasticity in the face of change. This study is, therefore, an important step forward in understanding predator cue responses at the community level. This is also the first study to test the ecological function of Amur tiger cues in the wild environment and may serve as essential information in the rewilding process of captive Amur tiger plans.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Camera trap, Fear ecology, Mesopredators, Panthera tigris altaica, Predator cues, Ungulates
in
Pakistan Journal of Zoology
volume
55
issue
1
pages
12 pages
publisher
Zoological Society of Pakistan
external identifiers
  • scopus:85141981944
ISSN
0030-9923
DOI
10.17582/journal.pjz/20190213140239
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
985ee2e2-8868-4a05-828b-cae151f4bae8
date added to LUP
2023-02-09 14:11:13
date last changed
2023-02-09 14:11:13
@article{985ee2e2-8868-4a05-828b-cae151f4bae8,
  abstract     = {{<p>Top predators can affect the behaviour of prey species via lethal (direct kill) or non-lethal effects (i.e., through predation risk). For example, prey species may move from areas perceived as risky to safer spaces where predation risk is lower, which can have important consequences for investment in foraging, movement, and mating, and for the behaviour and habitat use of other species, such as mesopredators. These changes in prey and mesopredator behaviours are likely mediated by the presence of predator cues in the environment. Here, we test how different predator cues (visual and odor) from familiar and novel predators (brown bear and Amur tiger, respectively) influence ungulate, mesopredator, and top predator visitation rates to camera trap sites in a national nature reserve in China. The comparison of these predator types is of particular interest in this region as Amur tigers may shortly be reintroduced here. We found that visual but not odour cues significantly affected ungulate visitation rates: ungulates showed reduced visitation to sites with either a novel or familiar visual predator cue. When combined, mesopredators and top predators also showed a small reduction in visitation rates to tiger cue sites compared to bear cue sites, suggesting a possible novel predator effect. The generalisation and contextual importance of predator cues for prey and mesopredators have been little studied. Understanding how species respond to novel cues may help to determine extinction probabilities and overall plasticity in the face of change. This study is, therefore, an important step forward in understanding predator cue responses at the community level. This is also the first study to test the ecological function of Amur tiger cues in the wild environment and may serve as essential information in the rewilding process of captive Amur tiger plans.</p>}},
  author       = {{Mpemba, Hamenya and Yang, Fan and MacLeod, Kirsty J. and Wen, Dusu and Liu, Yan and Jiang, Guangshun}},
  issn         = {{0030-9923}},
  keywords     = {{Camera trap; Fear ecology; Mesopredators; Panthera tigris altaica; Predator cues; Ungulates}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{269--280}},
  publisher    = {{Zoological Society of Pakistan}},
  series       = {{Pakistan Journal of Zoology}},
  title        = {{Influences of Predator Cues on the Incidence of Ungulates, Mesopredators and Top Predators in the Greater Khingan Mountains, Northeastern China}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.17582/journal.pjz/20190213140239}},
  doi          = {{10.17582/journal.pjz/20190213140239}},
  volume       = {{55}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}