Spatial Risk Effects From Lions Compound Impacts of Prey Depletion on African Wild Dogs.

ABSTRACT: Prey depletion threatens many carnivore species across the world and can especially threaten low-density subordinate competitors, particularly if subordinates are limited to low densities by their dominant competitors. Understanding the mechanisms that drive responses of carnivore density to prey depletion is not only crucial for conservation but also elucidates the balance between top-down and bottom-up limitations within the large carnivore guild. To avoid predation, competitively subordinate African wild dogs typically avoid their dominant competitors (lions) and the prey rich areas they are associated with, but no prior research has tested whether this pattern persists in ecosystems with anthropogenically-reduced prey density, and reduced lion density as a result. We used spatial data

SUBMITTER: Goodheart B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11489504 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature