Mammalian predator and prey responses to recreation and land use across multiple scales provide limited support for the human shield hypothesis.

ABSTRACT: Outdoor recreation is widespread, with uncertain effects on wildlife. The human shield hypothesis (HSH) suggests that recreation could have differential effects on predators and prey, with predator avoidance of humans creating a spatial refuge 'shielding' prey from people. The generality of the HSH remains to be tested across larger scales, wherein human shielding may prove generalizable, or diminish with variability in ecological contexts. We combined data from 446 camera traps and 79,279 sampling days across 10 landscapes spanning 15,840 km² in western Canada. We used hierarchical models to quantify the influence of recreation and landscape disturbance (roads, logging) on ungulate prey (moose, mule deer and elk) and carnivore (wolf, grizzly bear, cougar and black bear) site us

SUBMITTER: Granados A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10500421 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature