Fear, foraging and olfaction: how mesopredators avoid costly interactions with apex predators
Where direct killing is rare and niche overlap low, sympatric carnivores may appear to coexist without conflict. Interference interactions, harassment and injury from larger carnivores may still pose a risk to smaller mesopredators. Foraging theory suggests that animals should adjust their behaviour...
Published in: | Oecologia |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2018
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutputs/fear-foraging-and-olfaction-how-mesopredators-avoid-costly-interactions-with-apex-predators(d1ae73a1-dc32-4b71-8761-31116ead48df).html https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-018-4133-3 https://research.bangor.ac.uk/ws/files/22052477/Haswell2018_Article_FearForagingAndOlfactionHowMes.pdf |
id |
ftuwalesbangcris:oai:research.bangor.ac.uk:publications/d1ae73a1-dc32-4b71-8761-31116ead48df |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftuwalesbangcris:oai:research.bangor.ac.uk:publications/d1ae73a1-dc32-4b71-8761-31116ead48df 2024-06-23T07:51:59+00:00 Fear, foraging and olfaction: how mesopredators avoid costly interactions with apex predators Haswell, Peter Jones, Katherine Kusak, Josip Hayward, Matthew 2018-07 application/pdf https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutputs/fear-foraging-and-olfaction-how-mesopredators-avoid-costly-interactions-with-apex-predators(d1ae73a1-dc32-4b71-8761-31116ead48df).html https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-018-4133-3 https://research.bangor.ac.uk/ws/files/22052477/Haswell2018_Article_FearForagingAndOlfactionHowMes.pdf eng eng https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutputs/fear-foraging-and-olfaction-how-mesopredators-avoid-costly-interactions-with-apex-predators(d1ae73a1-dc32-4b71-8761-31116ead48df).html info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Haswell , P , Jones , K , Kusak , J & Hayward , M 2018 , ' Fear, foraging and olfaction: how mesopredators avoid costly interactions with apex predators ' , Oecologia , vol. 187 , no. 3 , pp. 573-583 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-018-4133-3 article 2018 ftuwalesbangcris https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-018-4133-3 2024-05-29T23:44:57Z Where direct killing is rare and niche overlap low, sympatric carnivores may appear to coexist without conflict. Interference interactions, harassment and injury from larger carnivores may still pose a risk to smaller mesopredators. Foraging theory suggests that animals should adjust their behaviour accordingly to optimise foraging efficiency and overall fitness, trading off harvest rate with costs to fitness. The foraging behaviour of red foxes, Vulpes vulpes, was studied with automated cameras and a repeated measures giving-up density (GUD) experiment where olfactory risk cues were manipulated. In Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia, red foxes increased GUDs by 34% and quitting harvest rates by 29% in response to wolf urine. In addition to leaving more food behind, foxes also responded to wolf urine by spending less time visiting food patches each day and altering their behaviour in order to compensate for the increased risk when foraging from patches. Thus, red foxes utilised olfaction to assess risk and experienced foraging costs due to the presence of a cue from gray wolves, Canis lupus. This study identifies behavioural mechanisms which may enable competing predators to coexist, and highlights the potential for additional ecosystem service pathways arising from the behaviour of large carnivores. Given the vulnerability of large carnivores to anthropogenic disturbance, a growing human population and intensifying resource consumption, it becomes increasingly important to understand ecological processes so that land can be managed appropriately. Article in Journal/Newspaper Canis lupus Bangor University: Research Portal Oecologia 187 3 573 583 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Bangor University: Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftuwalesbangcris |
language |
English |
description |
Where direct killing is rare and niche overlap low, sympatric carnivores may appear to coexist without conflict. Interference interactions, harassment and injury from larger carnivores may still pose a risk to smaller mesopredators. Foraging theory suggests that animals should adjust their behaviour accordingly to optimise foraging efficiency and overall fitness, trading off harvest rate with costs to fitness. The foraging behaviour of red foxes, Vulpes vulpes, was studied with automated cameras and a repeated measures giving-up density (GUD) experiment where olfactory risk cues were manipulated. In Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia, red foxes increased GUDs by 34% and quitting harvest rates by 29% in response to wolf urine. In addition to leaving more food behind, foxes also responded to wolf urine by spending less time visiting food patches each day and altering their behaviour in order to compensate for the increased risk when foraging from patches. Thus, red foxes utilised olfaction to assess risk and experienced foraging costs due to the presence of a cue from gray wolves, Canis lupus. This study identifies behavioural mechanisms which may enable competing predators to coexist, and highlights the potential for additional ecosystem service pathways arising from the behaviour of large carnivores. Given the vulnerability of large carnivores to anthropogenic disturbance, a growing human population and intensifying resource consumption, it becomes increasingly important to understand ecological processes so that land can be managed appropriately. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Haswell, Peter Jones, Katherine Kusak, Josip Hayward, Matthew |
spellingShingle |
Haswell, Peter Jones, Katherine Kusak, Josip Hayward, Matthew Fear, foraging and olfaction: how mesopredators avoid costly interactions with apex predators |
author_facet |
Haswell, Peter Jones, Katherine Kusak, Josip Hayward, Matthew |
author_sort |
Haswell, Peter |
title |
Fear, foraging and olfaction: how mesopredators avoid costly interactions with apex predators |
title_short |
Fear, foraging and olfaction: how mesopredators avoid costly interactions with apex predators |
title_full |
Fear, foraging and olfaction: how mesopredators avoid costly interactions with apex predators |
title_fullStr |
Fear, foraging and olfaction: how mesopredators avoid costly interactions with apex predators |
title_full_unstemmed |
Fear, foraging and olfaction: how mesopredators avoid costly interactions with apex predators |
title_sort |
fear, foraging and olfaction: how mesopredators avoid costly interactions with apex predators |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutputs/fear-foraging-and-olfaction-how-mesopredators-avoid-costly-interactions-with-apex-predators(d1ae73a1-dc32-4b71-8761-31116ead48df).html https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-018-4133-3 https://research.bangor.ac.uk/ws/files/22052477/Haswell2018_Article_FearForagingAndOlfactionHowMes.pdf |
genre |
Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus |
op_source |
Haswell , P , Jones , K , Kusak , J & Hayward , M 2018 , ' Fear, foraging and olfaction: how mesopredators avoid costly interactions with apex predators ' , Oecologia , vol. 187 , no. 3 , pp. 573-583 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-018-4133-3 |
op_relation |
https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutputs/fear-foraging-and-olfaction-how-mesopredators-avoid-costly-interactions-with-apex-predators(d1ae73a1-dc32-4b71-8761-31116ead48df).html |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-018-4133-3 |
container_title |
Oecologia |
container_volume |
187 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
573 |
op_container_end_page |
583 |
_version_ |
1802643158619652096 |