Potential effects of landscape of fear created by large carnivoes of Hungary on their prey: A systematic literature review

• Published in: Tájökológiai Lapok
• Main Authors: Fehér, Péter, Frank, Krisztián, Katona, Krisztián
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Hungarian
• Published: Magyar Agrár- és Élettudományi Egyetem 2021
• Subjects: „landscape of fear”; ragadozó-zsákmány kapcsolat; predációs kockázat; félelemérzet; nagytestű ragadozók; szarvasfélék; landscape of fear; predator-prey interactions; predation risk; fear; large carnivores; deer; Canis lupus; Ursus arctos; Lynx; Lynx lynx lynx
• Online Access: http://journal.ke.hu/index.php/tl/article/view/3421; https://doi.org/10.56617/tl.3421

Until the end of the 20th century, the populations of European large carnivores were declining due to loss and fragmentation of habitats, but nowadays their numbers are increasing again. Large carnivores can directly affect ungulate populations and indirectly influence their behaviour. Predators may impact their prey through indirect, non-lethal effects, described by the „landscape of fear” concept. The aim of this study was to investigate available information about the landscape of fear caused by the presence of three main large carnivores in Europe (the brown bear Ursus arctos, the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx and the grey wolf Canis lupus). A systematic literature review was performed to collect data on the species, habitats and techniques involved in published research and the effects of the „landscape of fear”. 67.86% of prey species in these publications were cervids (e.g. red deer, roe deer) and 32.14% were other ungulates (e.g. wild boar, bison). Our study confirms that European large carnivores have detectable non-lethal effects on their prey species. The „landscape of fear” was revealed in 71.43% of the studies reviewed. The majority (75%) of those results showed changes in habitat use, 15% of studies found altered vigilance and 10% of studies detected differences in vegetation renewal. Perceived predation risk may affect habitat use or foraging patterns of herbivores, and this behavioural change may have cascading local or landscape- scale effects on vegetation and faunal assemblages. Thus, complete protection or sustainable management of these European large predators can also affect landscape-scale wildlife and vegetation patterns. Európában a 20. század végéig, többek között élőhelyük megváltozásának és eltűnésének köszönhetően, a nagytestű emlős ragadozók populációinak csökkenése volt megfigyelhető, de az utóbbi években állományaik újra növekedést mutatnak. A nagyragadozók közvetlen hatással lehetnek zsákmányfajaik populációira, és közvetett módon befolyásolhatják azok viselkedését is. Ezeket a ...