Ewe are what ewe eat: Using stable isotope analysis to infer diet specialization of cougars
Although typically referred to as a generalist species, individual prey specialization has been documented in cougars ( Puma concolor ). This behaviour has the potential to limit and regulate ungulate dynamics, particularly in cases where ungulates exist in small or isolated populations. Cougars are...
Main Authors: | , |
---|---|
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
F1000 Research Limited
2019
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.7490/f1000research.1117356.1 https://f1000research.com/posters/8-1448 |
id |
ftdatacite:10.7490/f1000research.1117356.1 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdatacite:10.7490/f1000research.1117356.1 2023-05-15T13:13:16+02:00 Ewe are what ewe eat: Using stable isotope analysis to infer diet specialization of cougars Widmeyer, Samantha Boyce, Mark 2019 https://dx.doi.org/10.7490/f1000research.1117356.1 https://f1000research.com/posters/8-1448 unknown F1000 Research Limited Other CreativeWork article 2019 ftdatacite https://doi.org/10.7490/f1000research.1117356.1 2021-11-05T12:55:41Z Although typically referred to as a generalist species, individual prey specialization has been documented in cougars ( Puma concolor ). This behaviour has the potential to limit and regulate ungulate dynamics, particularly in cases where ungulates exist in small or isolated populations. Cougars are notoriously difficult to monitor due to their low density, large range-size, and solitary nature. Traditional methods used to quantitatively estimate the diets of these carnivores are often resource limited, labour intensive, and restricted in their resolution. We explored the use of stable isotope analysis to infer prey specialization of 7 cougars in west-central Alberta and compared results to observed specialization as estimated through kill-site analysis. We defined four isotopically distinct ( P < 0.001) prey sources: bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis ), cervids ( Odocoileus spp., Cervus elaphus , and Alces alces ), small carnivores (canid spp. and Lynx canadensis ), and snowshoe hare ( Lepus americanus ). Specialization inferred through stable isotope analysis agreed with observed estimates, indicating this method may be an efficient and reliable alternative to traditional approaches for monitoring cougar diets. Article in Journal/Newspaper Alces alces Lynx DataCite Metadata Store (German National Library of Science and Technology) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
DataCite Metadata Store (German National Library of Science and Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftdatacite |
language |
unknown |
description |
Although typically referred to as a generalist species, individual prey specialization has been documented in cougars ( Puma concolor ). This behaviour has the potential to limit and regulate ungulate dynamics, particularly in cases where ungulates exist in small or isolated populations. Cougars are notoriously difficult to monitor due to their low density, large range-size, and solitary nature. Traditional methods used to quantitatively estimate the diets of these carnivores are often resource limited, labour intensive, and restricted in their resolution. We explored the use of stable isotope analysis to infer prey specialization of 7 cougars in west-central Alberta and compared results to observed specialization as estimated through kill-site analysis. We defined four isotopically distinct ( P < 0.001) prey sources: bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis ), cervids ( Odocoileus spp., Cervus elaphus , and Alces alces ), small carnivores (canid spp. and Lynx canadensis ), and snowshoe hare ( Lepus americanus ). Specialization inferred through stable isotope analysis agreed with observed estimates, indicating this method may be an efficient and reliable alternative to traditional approaches for monitoring cougar diets. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Widmeyer, Samantha Boyce, Mark |
spellingShingle |
Widmeyer, Samantha Boyce, Mark Ewe are what ewe eat: Using stable isotope analysis to infer diet specialization of cougars |
author_facet |
Widmeyer, Samantha Boyce, Mark |
author_sort |
Widmeyer, Samantha |
title |
Ewe are what ewe eat: Using stable isotope analysis to infer diet specialization of cougars |
title_short |
Ewe are what ewe eat: Using stable isotope analysis to infer diet specialization of cougars |
title_full |
Ewe are what ewe eat: Using stable isotope analysis to infer diet specialization of cougars |
title_fullStr |
Ewe are what ewe eat: Using stable isotope analysis to infer diet specialization of cougars |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ewe are what ewe eat: Using stable isotope analysis to infer diet specialization of cougars |
title_sort |
ewe are what ewe eat: using stable isotope analysis to infer diet specialization of cougars |
publisher |
F1000 Research Limited |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://dx.doi.org/10.7490/f1000research.1117356.1 https://f1000research.com/posters/8-1448 |
genre |
Alces alces Lynx |
genre_facet |
Alces alces Lynx |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7490/f1000research.1117356.1 |
_version_ |
1766257114546700288 |