Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Raj Kumar Sijapati, Hari Prasad Sharma, Sandhya Sharma, Janak Raj Subedi, Jerrold L. Belant
Summary: Livestock depredations by large carnivores, such as leopards and tigers, are increasing in rural Nepal. Factors influencing livestock depredations include carnivore species, animal husbandry practices, season, and deterrent techniques. Wildlife attacks on livestock near human settlements are severe and affecting livelihoods, with leopards killing more livestock than tigers.
Article
Ecology
Michelle Peziol, L. Mark Elbroch, Lisa A. Shipley, R. Dave Evans, Daniel H. Thornton
Summary: Carnivores influence nutrient cycling by predation and the deposition of animal carcasses, contributing to spatial heterogeneity in ecological communities.
Review
Ecology
Maria de las Mercedes Guerisoli, Estela Luengos Vidal, Nicolas Caruso, Antony J. Giordano, Mauro Lucherini
Summary: The conflict between pumas and livestock producers is mainly caused by loss of livestock, leading to persecution and hunting of pumas by humans. Factors such as high livestock density, low latitudes, and low habitat steepness have been identified as predictors of puma-livestock conflicts. Common conflict mitigation techniques include improving livestock management, predator control, and the use of fencing.
Article
Zoology
D. Lham, G. Cozzi, S. Sommer, S. Wangchuk, K. Lham, A. Ozgul
Summary: This study in Bhutan used snow leopard scat samples and prey hair structure analysis to reveal the snow leopard's diet and ecological determinants of livestock depredation, finding that snow leopards mainly prey on wild ungulates, and that livestock depredation is more common in summer and varies among protected areas with different wildlife densities. These findings will help in developing site-based management plans to ensure the long-term survival of snow leopards in Bhutan.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Anna C. C. Nisi, John F. F. Benson, Richard King, Christopher C. C. Wilmers
Summary: A rigorous understanding of how environmental conditions affect population dynamics is crucial for species conservation. This study analyzed an 11-year dataset on puma space use, mortality, and reproduction to quantify the impacts of living in a fragmented landscape on individual survival and population dynamics. The results showed that long-term exposure to housing density led to increased mortality risk for female pumas, resulting in source-sink dynamics and reduced female survival in more developed areas. Habitat selection was found to be a better proxy for habitat quality in predicting source areas for large carnivores compared to time-of-day-independent habitat selection. The study highlights the importance of conserving high-quality source habitat and linking landscape conditions to population dynamics for effective conservation.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Florent Bled, Michael J. Cherry, Elina P. Garrison, Karl Miller, L. Mike Conner, Heather N. Abernathy, W. Hunter Ellsworth, Lydia L. S. Margenau, Daniel A. Crawford, Kristin N. Engebretsen, Brian D. Kelly, David B. Shindle, Richard B. Chandler
Summary: Large carnivore restoration programs, like the Florida panther restoration program in South Florida, can have significant impacts on prey populations such as the white-tailed deer. Panther predation was found to be the primary cause of death for deer, with the predation rate being much higher after the restoration effort. Increasing water depth had a negative impact on female deer survival, but drowning was not a common cause of mortality. It will be challenging to balance the competing demands of predator restoration and sustainable deer harvest.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nancy A. Barker, Francois G. Joubert, Marthin Kasaona, Gabriel A. Shatumbu, Vincent Stowbunenko, Kathleen A. M. Alexander, Rob Slotow, Wayne M. Getz
Summary: Resource partitioning and behavioral mechanisms help carnivores reduce interference competition and promote their coexistence. Our study in semi-arid and wetland ecosystems shows that lions and hyenas share space with subtle differences in temporal activity patterns and habitat use. These findings enhance our understanding of interspecific interactions and adaptability in large carnivore communities.
Article
Forestry
Margarita Gil-Fernandez, Juan Luis Pena-Mondragon, Diego A. Gomez-Hoyos, Sergio Escobar-Lasso, Silvio Marchini, Eduardo Carrillo
Summary: Good conservation strategies that include direct attention towards the affected people can promote positive attitudes to wildlife and its conservation. We assessed the impact of attention from wildlife authorities and non-profit institutions on ranchers' attitudes towards jaguars and pumas in Northern Costa Rica. The findings suggest that ranchers who receive institutional attention tend to have more positive attitudes towards big cats.
TREES FORESTS AND PEOPLE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stewart W. Breck, Jeffrey T. Schultz, David Prause, Cameron Krebs, Anthony J. Giordano, Byron Boots
Summary: Agricultural and pastoral landscapes can create conflict between humans and wildlife, particularly in cases of livestock predation. This study explores the integration of robotics and agricultural practices to develop more effective predator deterrents. The findings demonstrate the potential of incorporating robotics capabilities in managing wildlife and highlight the importance of combining agricultural practices with technology for wildlife management.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shannon Kachel, Kaitlyn Anderson, Qobiljon Shokirov
Summary: The cycle of livestock depredation and retaliatory killing poses a major threat to large carnivores worldwide. In the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan, researchers collected data through interviews to study carnivore site use and depredation. They found that depredation was widespread, but spatial correlates of depredation risk were not identified. Improved corrals reduced snow leopard depredations. This study highlights the need for species-specific strategies to reduce depredation and retaliation.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Rita Bianchi, Julianna M. A. Jenkins, Damon B. Lesmeister, Jessica Abonizio Gouvea, Clarice Silva Cesario, Larissa Fornitano, Mateus Yan de Oliveira, Kimberly Danielle Rodrigues de Morais, Renan Lieto Alves Ribeiro, Matthew E. Gompper
Summary: The study was conducted near a protected area in Brazil, revealing that tayra were more likely to be found in areas with higher forest cover, closer to water sources, and with suitable slopes. Free-ranging dogs had a weak negative effect on tayra landscape use.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Marco Davoli, Arash Ghoddousi, Francesco Maria Sabatini, Elena Fabbri, Romolo Caniglia, Tobias Kuemmerle
Summary: The recovery of large carnivores in Europe has complex effects on human-wildlife conflicts, such as livestock depredation and crop damage. These conflicts need to be jointly and adaptively assessed to foster coexistence between humans and wildlife.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Allison G. Davis, John J. Cox, Songlin Fei
Summary: This study estimated the impacts of future land-use and sea level rise on the habitats of the Florida panther and black bear. It was found that uncontrolled urban sprawl poses a significant threat to their habitats, while increased land protection policies can enhance their protected habitat area.
JOURNAL FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gustaf Samelius, Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi, Jens Frank, Bayarjargal Agvaantseren, Erdenechimeg Baasandamba, Tserennadmid Mijiddorj, Orjan Johansson, Lkhagvasumberel Tumursukh, Charudutt Mishra
Summary: Livestock depredation by large carnivores poses a global conservation challenge, and tall fences have been shown to be highly effective in reducing losses to snow leopards and wolves in nighttime corrals. The study found that the reduction in livestock losses at fenced corrals was due to the presence of the fences, rather than temporal variation in predation pressure. Herder attitudes towards snow leopards remained positive, while attitudes towards wolves worsened during the study.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Karen E. DeMatteo, Orlando M. Escalante, Daiana M. Ibanez Alegre, Miguel A. Rinas, Delfina Sotorres, Carina F. Argulles
Summary: While only about 50% of the native forest in Misiones, Argentina, which is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots, is protected, a study has determined the optimal location for the region's first multispecies corridor using noninvasive data on several carnivore species. The study integrates new field data and compares different land use layers to assess the suitability of habitat for these species and identify key areas that require specific management strategies for connectivity.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Chris T. Darimont, Hannah Hall, Lauren Eckert, Ilona Mihalik, Kyle Artelle, Adrian Treves, Paul C. Paquet
Summary: The social license to hunt (SLH) model considers hunters as operators in exploiting wildlife as public resources. Controversial hunting of large carnivores for trophies can threaten the social license to hunt and spark opposition related to conservation concerns and value misalignments. This opposition, primarily expressed on social media, can lead to rapid policy changes banning large carnivore hunting.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Ma Carmen Hernandez, Denise M. Jara-Stapfer, Ana Munoz, Cristian Bonacic, Isabel Barja, Andre V. Rubio
Summary: This research compared the behavioral changes of rodent species in the Chilean temperate forest when exposed to different native predator calls and a control group. The results showed that predator calls influenced the behavior of rodent species, with effects dependent on the species. Future studies will be critical to understanding the differences between species in order to select the most effective predator cues.
Editorial Material
Biodiversity Conservation
Francisco J. Santiago-Avila, Adrian Treves
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Esperanza Beltrami, Nicolas Galvez, Christian Osorio, Marcella J. Kelly, David Morales-Moraga, Cristian Bonacic
Summary: The Chilean Mediterranean ecosystem is under threat due to human activities, including intensive agriculture and urban sprawl, and abandoned dogs and cats pose challenges for the conservation of native wildcat species. Research suggests that free-ranging dogs negatively affect the detection of wildcats and there are distinct differences in the temporal activity patterns between wildcats and free-ranging cats.
STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adrian Treves, Francisco J. Santiago-Avila, Karann Putrevu
Summary: The article discusses the controversial issue of predator protection, specifically focusing on the gray wolf population in Wisconsin after losing federal protection. The study evaluates the potential decline in the wolf population following federal delisting, highlighting the importance of rigorous regulatory mechanisms and independent scientific review in wolf management planning. Recommendations are made for clearer division of responsibilities between state agencies, legislatures, and courts, as well as urging federal governments to reconsider sudden deregulation of predator management.
Article
Zoology
Jeannine McManus, Jason P. Marshal, Mark Keith, Thulani Tshabalala, Bool Smuts, Adrian Treves, Rafael Reyna
Summary: Human-transformed landscapes leave patches of natural habitat for wildlife, and the survival of species depends on their ability to adapt to new habitats and secure resources and reproductive opportunities in altered environments. Leopards in South Africa are crucial for conservation planning due to their high trophic status and wide-ranging movements. Factors like spatial scale, sex-related differences, and conspecific location play important roles in habitat selection for solitary felids.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Skarleth Chinchilla, Eric van den Berghe, John Polisar, Constanza Arevalo, Cristian Bonacic
Summary: This article addresses the issue of coexistence with top predators in indigenous communities in Latin America, focusing on the impact of livestock predation on achieving Sustainable Development Goals. The study finds that livestock predation is related to landscape variables and human influence. Measures to facilitate human-carnivore coexistence and comply with SDG 2 and SDG 15 are necessary for the conservation of jaguars and pumas. The study provides recommendations for livestock management to mitigate conflict and reconcile SDG 2 with SDG 15.
Letter
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cristian Bonacic
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adrian Treves, Naomi X. Louchouarn
Summary: When facing the risk of species extinction, it is common for people to take precautions to avoid the uncertainties. However, the design and effectiveness of these precautions require scientific considerations. This study investigates the case of Wisconsin gray wolves, using different thresholds as societal judgments about precautions. The findings reveal an underestimation of wolf deaths by the state government and recommend better scientific analysis when setting wolf-hunt quotas. The study emphasizes the need for accurate estimations and reproducibility when advocating for high quotas.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Constanza Arevalo, Juan David Amaya-Espinel, Cristian Henriquez, Jose Tomas Ibarra, Cristian Bonacic
Summary: Urban green spaces play an important role in bird community structure and distribution in Latin America, the second most urbanized region in the world. A study in Santiago of Chile found that smaller green spaces had higher noise levels and greater abundance of exotic bird species, while larger urban parks had more native bird species. Noise levels had a greater impact on the occupancy of native bird species in green spaces compared to vegetation and urban morphology. The study emphasizes the need for large green spaces with abundant tree cover and lower noise levels to ensure the conservation of native bird communities in rapidly urbanizing regions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Francisco J. Santiago-Avila, Suzanne Agan, Joseph W. Hinton, Adrian Treves
Summary: Poaching is a major threat to large carnivores, and reducing protections may actually increase poaching and disappearances. This study on red wolves in North Carolina found that periods of reduced protections led to higher rates of reported poaching and disappearances. The findings support the need for improved protective policies to mitigate environmental crimes and enhance the conservation of endangered species.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Rodrigo Salgado, Isabel Barja, Maria del Carmen Hernandez, Basilio Lucero, Ivan Castro-Arellano, Cristian Bonacic, Andre V. Rubio
Summary: This study evaluated the nocturnal activity patterns and interactions among native and introduced rodent species in a temperate forest in southern Chile. The results showed high temporal overlap within the rodent assemblage, but significant differences in activity patterns among different taxa. The introduced black rat displayed more aggressive behaviors towards native rodents, while agonistic behaviors were the most common interactions among native rodents and between individuals of different taxa.
Article
Forestry
Mariangela Paratori, Fernando J. Novoa, Tomas A. Altamirano, Cristian Bonacic, Jose Tomas Ibarra
Summary: Tree cavities are important habitats for many species, but their availability is declining worldwide due to the loss of old-growth forests. In our study of Andean temperate forests in Chile, we found that cavities in nonexcavated trees survived longer than those in excavated trees. Cavities' survival was influenced by factors such as their origin, cavity depth, tree decay class, branch order, and tree diameter class. It is suggested that forest management should maintain structural complexity to ensure a continuous supply of substrates for cavity formation.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Cristian Bonacic, Rodrigo A. A. Medellin, William Ripple, Raman Sukumar, Andre Ganswindt, Suzana A. M. Padua, Claudio Padua, Mary C. C. Pearl, Luis F. F. Aguirre, Lourdes Mugica Valdes, Damayanti Buchori, John L. L. Innes, J. Tomas Ibarra, R. Rozzi, A. Alonso Aguirre
Summary: Nuclear leakage or the use of tactical nuclear weapons in a limited war could result in significant and long-lasting ecological consequences beyond the immediate vicinity. It is vital for scientists to emphasize the importance of the environmental impacts of such incidents on all organisms, including humans. Ecosystem disruptions, species extinctions, and radiation-induced effects could have far-reaching implications that exceed human capability for mitigation or adaptation. Even a tactical nuclear war could redefine the boundaries of life on Earth, potentially marking the end of the Anthropocene era.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Carlos Carroll, Daniel J. Rohlf, Bridgett M. VonHoldt, Adrian Treves, Sarah A. Hendricks
Summary: Recent genomics research has improved our understanding of intraspecific variation and its importance in enhancing a species' ability to adapt to new threats. Despite this, the US government's proposal to remove the gray wolf from the protected species list has generated controversy. To protect species' adaptive potential, a coordinated policy framework needs to be established.