The relative importance of direct and indirect effects of hunting mortality on the population dynamics of brown bears.

ABSTRACT: There is increasing evidence of indirect effects of hunting on populations. In species with sexually selected infanticide (SSI), hunting may decrease juvenile survival by increasing male turnover. We aimed to evaluate the relative importance of direct and indirect effects of hunting via SSI on the population dynamics of the Scandinavian brown bear (Ursus arctos). We performed prospective and retrospective demographic perturbation analyses for periods with low and high hunting pressures. All demographic rates, except yearling survival, were lower under high hunting pressure, which led to a decline in population growth under high hunting pressure (λ = 0.975; 95% CI = 0.914-1.011). Hunting had negative indirect effects on the population through an increase in SSI, which lowered cub survival a

SUBMITTER: Gosselin J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4262167 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature