2023 - Full Presentation Schedule
Do predators use different mechanisms to avoid human presence and human infrastructure?
Abstract
Human disturbance can cause predators to change behavior, such as by altering hunting times, diel activity, or habitat use. These disturbances can be temporary, as with the presence of vehicles or recreational activities (e.g., hiking or dog walking), or they can be long-lasting, as with habitat destruction and fragmentation due primarily to the construction of roads and buildings.
In this study, we examined how large predators (i.e., black bears, bobcats, coyotes, and wild boar) respond to temporary human disturbance (THD) and lasting human disturbance (LHD). We predicted that predators would temporally avoid THD by being active at night rather than by leaving the area. We also predicted that in areas of higher LHD predators would be less common but would not alter their diel activity because lasting disturbance can only be avoided spatially.
To test our hypotheses, we installed cameras at diverse locations within six sites throughout Upstate South Carolina and analyzed each image by recording the species present and the time of day. We determined THD based on the frequency of images containing human activity at each site. Using GIS, we calculated metrics of LHD using total road length and building area within buffers centered on each camera station.
We found that predators were significantly more nocturnal in areas with high levels of THD, but there were no differences in the diel activity patterns in areas with different intensities of LHD. In contrast, we found no correlation between THD and the number of predators sighted per day, but the frequency of predator sightings was negatively correlated with LHD. Overall, predators avoid temporary human presence temporally and lasting human infrastructure spatially.
Do predators use different mechanisms to avoid human presence and human infrastructure?
CLC Ballroom - Biology/Ecology
Human disturbance can cause predators to change behavior, such as by altering hunting times, diel activity, or habitat use. These disturbances can be temporary, as with the presence of vehicles or recreational activities (e.g., hiking or dog walking), or they can be long-lasting, as with habitat destruction and fragmentation due primarily to the construction of roads and buildings.
In this study, we examined how large predators (i.e., black bears, bobcats, coyotes, and wild boar) respond to temporary human disturbance (THD) and lasting human disturbance (LHD). We predicted that predators would temporally avoid THD by being active at night rather than by leaving the area. We also predicted that in areas of higher LHD predators would be less common but would not alter their diel activity because lasting disturbance can only be avoided spatially.
To test our hypotheses, we installed cameras at diverse locations within six sites throughout Upstate South Carolina and analyzed each image by recording the species present and the time of day. We determined THD based on the frequency of images containing human activity at each site. Using GIS, we calculated metrics of LHD using total road length and building area within buffers centered on each camera station.
We found that predators were significantly more nocturnal in areas with high levels of THD, but there were no differences in the diel activity patterns in areas with different intensities of LHD. In contrast, we found no correlation between THD and the number of predators sighted per day, but the frequency of predator sightings was negatively correlated with LHD. Overall, predators avoid temporary human presence temporally and lasting human infrastructure spatially.