Exploiting interspecific olfactory communication to monitor predators
Abstract Olfaction is the primary sense of many mammals and subordinate predators use this sense to detect dominant species, thereby reducing the risk of an encounter and facilitating coexistence. Chemical signals can act as repellents or attractants and may therefore have applications for wildlife...
Published in: | Ecological Applications |
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eap.1483 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Feap.1483 https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/eap.1483 |
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crwiley:10.1002/eap.1483 2024-06-23T07:56:24+00:00 Exploiting interspecific olfactory communication to monitor predators Garvey, Patrick M. Glen, Alistair S. Clout, Mick N. Wyse, Sarah V. Nichols, Margaret Pech, Roger P. 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eap.1483 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Feap.1483 https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/eap.1483 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Ecological Applications volume 27, issue 2, page 389-402 ISSN 1051-0761 1939-5582 journal-article 2017 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1483 2024-06-06T04:20:29Z Abstract Olfaction is the primary sense of many mammals and subordinate predators use this sense to detect dominant species, thereby reducing the risk of an encounter and facilitating coexistence. Chemical signals can act as repellents or attractants and may therefore have applications for wildlife management. We devised a field experiment to investigate whether dominant predator (ferret Mustela furo ) body odor would alter the behavior of three common mesopredators: stoats ( Mustela erminea ), hedgehogs ( Erinaceus europaeus ), and ship rats ( Rattus rattus ). We predicted that apex predator odor would lead to increased detections, and our results support this hypothesis as predator kairomones (interspecific olfactory messages that benefit the receiver) provoked “eavesdropping” behavior by mesopredators. Stoats exhibited the most pronounced responses, with kairomones significantly increasing the number of observations and the time spent at a site, so that their occupancy estimates changed from rare to widespread. Behavioral responses to predator odors can therefore be exploited for conservation and this avenue of research has not yet been extensively explored. A long‐life lure derived from apex predator kairomones could have practical value, especially when there are plentiful resources that reduce the efficiency of food‐based lures. Our results have application for pest management in New Zealand and the technique of using kairomones to monitor predators could have applications for conservation efforts worldwide. Article in Journal/Newspaper Rattus rattus Wiley Online Library New Zealand Ecological Applications 27 2 389 402 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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English |
description |
Abstract Olfaction is the primary sense of many mammals and subordinate predators use this sense to detect dominant species, thereby reducing the risk of an encounter and facilitating coexistence. Chemical signals can act as repellents or attractants and may therefore have applications for wildlife management. We devised a field experiment to investigate whether dominant predator (ferret Mustela furo ) body odor would alter the behavior of three common mesopredators: stoats ( Mustela erminea ), hedgehogs ( Erinaceus europaeus ), and ship rats ( Rattus rattus ). We predicted that apex predator odor would lead to increased detections, and our results support this hypothesis as predator kairomones (interspecific olfactory messages that benefit the receiver) provoked “eavesdropping” behavior by mesopredators. Stoats exhibited the most pronounced responses, with kairomones significantly increasing the number of observations and the time spent at a site, so that their occupancy estimates changed from rare to widespread. Behavioral responses to predator odors can therefore be exploited for conservation and this avenue of research has not yet been extensively explored. A long‐life lure derived from apex predator kairomones could have practical value, especially when there are plentiful resources that reduce the efficiency of food‐based lures. Our results have application for pest management in New Zealand and the technique of using kairomones to monitor predators could have applications for conservation efforts worldwide. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Garvey, Patrick M. Glen, Alistair S. Clout, Mick N. Wyse, Sarah V. Nichols, Margaret Pech, Roger P. |
spellingShingle |
Garvey, Patrick M. Glen, Alistair S. Clout, Mick N. Wyse, Sarah V. Nichols, Margaret Pech, Roger P. Exploiting interspecific olfactory communication to monitor predators |
author_facet |
Garvey, Patrick M. Glen, Alistair S. Clout, Mick N. Wyse, Sarah V. Nichols, Margaret Pech, Roger P. |
author_sort |
Garvey, Patrick M. |
title |
Exploiting interspecific olfactory communication to monitor predators |
title_short |
Exploiting interspecific olfactory communication to monitor predators |
title_full |
Exploiting interspecific olfactory communication to monitor predators |
title_fullStr |
Exploiting interspecific olfactory communication to monitor predators |
title_full_unstemmed |
Exploiting interspecific olfactory communication to monitor predators |
title_sort |
exploiting interspecific olfactory communication to monitor predators |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eap.1483 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Feap.1483 https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/eap.1483 |
geographic |
New Zealand |
geographic_facet |
New Zealand |
genre |
Rattus rattus |
genre_facet |
Rattus rattus |
op_source |
Ecological Applications volume 27, issue 2, page 389-402 ISSN 1051-0761 1939-5582 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1483 |
container_title |
Ecological Applications |
container_volume |
27 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
389 |
op_container_end_page |
402 |
_version_ |
1802649460888567808 |