Fear and loathing in a Great Lakes forest: cascading effects of competition between wolves and coyotes
Larger predators can affect smaller predators through intraguild predation and competition, which in turn could have indirect effects on other consumers. We investigated whether gray wolves (Canis lupus) generate such effects by reducing predation by coyotes (Canis latrans) on snowshoe hares (Lepus...
Published in: | Journal of Mammalogy |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Text |
Language: | English |
Published: |
American Society of Mammalogists
2016
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyw162 |
id |
ftbioone:10.1093/jmammal/gyw162 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftbioone:10.1093/jmammal/gyw162 2024-06-02T08:05:02+00:00 Fear and loathing in a Great Lakes forest: cascading effects of competition between wolves and coyotes David G. Flagel Gary E. Belovsky Michael J. Cramer Dean E. Beyer Katie E. Robertson David G. Flagel Gary E. Belovsky Michael J. Cramer Dean E. Beyer Katie E. Robertson world 2016-10-14 text/HTML https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyw162 en eng American Society of Mammalogists doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyw162 All rights reserved. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyw162 Text 2016 ftbioone https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyw162 2024-05-07T00:55:29Z Larger predators can affect smaller predators through intraguild predation and competition, which in turn could have indirect effects on other consumers. We investigated whether gray wolves (Canis lupus) generate such effects by reducing predation by coyotes (Canis latrans) on snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus). We also examined whether wolves indirectly affect abundances of deer mice (Peromyscus spp.) as part of a wolf–coyote–fox cascade. We compared habitat use by consumers in the high- and low-wolf-use areas of a Great Lakes forest (Wisconsin and Michigan, United States). Coyotes frequented high-wolf-use areas about half as much low-wolf-use areas, which coincided with a tripling of hare browse on saplings in high-wolf-use areas. Foxes (Vulpes vulpes and Urocyoncinereoargenteus) frequented high-wolf-use areas almost exclusively. Fewer mice occurred in high-wolf-use areas than low-wolf-use areas in 2011 (approximately one-half) and 2013 (approximately two-fifths), but not in 2012, possibly due to increased food supply. We conclude that wolves may generate cascading effects through changes in coyote distribution that benefit hares and foxes, while also reducing the deer mouse population in some years. Text Canis lupus BioOne Online Journals Journal of Mammalogy gyw162 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
BioOne Online Journals |
op_collection_id |
ftbioone |
language |
English |
description |
Larger predators can affect smaller predators through intraguild predation and competition, which in turn could have indirect effects on other consumers. We investigated whether gray wolves (Canis lupus) generate such effects by reducing predation by coyotes (Canis latrans) on snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus). We also examined whether wolves indirectly affect abundances of deer mice (Peromyscus spp.) as part of a wolf–coyote–fox cascade. We compared habitat use by consumers in the high- and low-wolf-use areas of a Great Lakes forest (Wisconsin and Michigan, United States). Coyotes frequented high-wolf-use areas about half as much low-wolf-use areas, which coincided with a tripling of hare browse on saplings in high-wolf-use areas. Foxes (Vulpes vulpes and Urocyoncinereoargenteus) frequented high-wolf-use areas almost exclusively. Fewer mice occurred in high-wolf-use areas than low-wolf-use areas in 2011 (approximately one-half) and 2013 (approximately two-fifths), but not in 2012, possibly due to increased food supply. We conclude that wolves may generate cascading effects through changes in coyote distribution that benefit hares and foxes, while also reducing the deer mouse population in some years. |
author2 |
David G. Flagel Gary E. Belovsky Michael J. Cramer Dean E. Beyer Katie E. Robertson |
format |
Text |
author |
David G. Flagel Gary E. Belovsky Michael J. Cramer Dean E. Beyer Katie E. Robertson |
spellingShingle |
David G. Flagel Gary E. Belovsky Michael J. Cramer Dean E. Beyer Katie E. Robertson Fear and loathing in a Great Lakes forest: cascading effects of competition between wolves and coyotes |
author_facet |
David G. Flagel Gary E. Belovsky Michael J. Cramer Dean E. Beyer Katie E. Robertson |
author_sort |
David G. Flagel |
title |
Fear and loathing in a Great Lakes forest: cascading effects of competition between wolves and coyotes |
title_short |
Fear and loathing in a Great Lakes forest: cascading effects of competition between wolves and coyotes |
title_full |
Fear and loathing in a Great Lakes forest: cascading effects of competition between wolves and coyotes |
title_fullStr |
Fear and loathing in a Great Lakes forest: cascading effects of competition between wolves and coyotes |
title_full_unstemmed |
Fear and loathing in a Great Lakes forest: cascading effects of competition between wolves and coyotes |
title_sort |
fear and loathing in a great lakes forest: cascading effects of competition between wolves and coyotes |
publisher |
American Society of Mammalogists |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyw162 |
op_coverage |
world |
genre |
Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus |
op_source |
https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyw162 |
op_relation |
doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyw162 |
op_rights |
All rights reserved. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyw162 |
container_title |
Journal of Mammalogy |
container_start_page |
gyw162 |
_version_ |
1800749775529705472 |