Contrasting effects of human settlement on the interaction among sympatric apex carnivores.

ABSTRACT: In the face of a growing human footprint, understanding interactions among threatened large carnivores is fundamental to effectively mitigating anthropogenic threats and managing species. Using data from a large-scale camera trap survey, we investigated the effects of environmental and anthropogenic variables on the interspecific interaction of a carnivore guild comprising of tiger, leopard and dhole in Bhutan. We demonstrate the complex effects of human settlement density on large carnivore interactions. Specifically, we demonstrate that leopard-dhole co-occupancy probability was higher in areas with higher human settlement density. The opposite was true for tiger-leopard co-occupancy probability, but it was positively affected by large prey (gaur) abundance. These findings suggest that m

SUBMITTER: Penjor U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9043700 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature