Ordiz, Andrés and Milleret, Cyril and Uzal, Antonio and Zimmermann, Barbara and Wabakken, Petter and Wikenros, Camilla and Sand, Håkan and Swenson, Jon E. and Kindberg, Jonas
(2020).
Individual Variation in Predatory Behavior, Scavenging and Seasonal Prey Availability as Potential Drivers of Coexistence between Wolves and Bears.
Diversity. 12
, 356
[Journal article]
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Abstract
Several large carnivore populations are recovering former ranges, and it is important to understand interspecific interactions between overlapping species. In Scandinavia, recent research has reported that brown bear presence influences gray wolf habitat selection and kill rates. Here, we characterized the temporal use of a common prey resource by sympatric wolves and bears and described individual and seasonal variation in their direct and/or indirect interactions. Most bear-wolf interactions were indirect, via bear scavenging of wolf kills. Bears used >50% of wolf kills, whereas we did not record any wolf visit at bear kills. Adult and subadult bears visited wolf kills, but female bears with cubs of the year, the most vulnerable age class to conspecifics and other predators, did not. Wolf and bear kill rates peaked in early summer, when both targeted neonate moose calves, which coincided with a reduction in bear scavenging rate. Some bears were highly predatory and some did not kill any calf. Individual and age-class variation (in bear predation and scavenging patterns) and seasonality (in bear scavenging patterns and main prey availability of both wolves and bears) could mediate coexistence of these apex predators. Similar processes likely occur in other ecosystems with varying carnivore assemblages.
Authors/Creators: | Ordiz, Andrés and Milleret, Cyril and Uzal, Antonio and Zimmermann, Barbara and Wabakken, Petter and Wikenros, Camilla and Sand, Håkan and Swenson, Jon E. and Kindberg, Jonas | ||||||
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Title: | Individual Variation in Predatory Behavior, Scavenging and Seasonal Prey Availability as Potential Drivers of Coexistence between Wolves and Bears | ||||||
Series Name/Journal: | Diversity | ||||||
Year of publishing : | 2020 | ||||||
Volume: | 12 | ||||||
Article number: | 356 | ||||||
Number of Pages: | 16 | ||||||
Publisher: | MDPI | ||||||
ISSN: | 1424-2818 | ||||||
Language: | English | ||||||
Publication Type: | Journal article | ||||||
Article category: | Scientific peer reviewed | ||||||
Version: | Published version | ||||||
Copyright: | Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 | ||||||
Full Text Status: | Public | ||||||
Subjects: | (A) Swedish standard research categories 2011 > 1 Natural sciences > 106 Biological Sciences (Medical to be 3 and Agricultural to be 4) > Ecology | ||||||
Keywords: | apex predators, bear, interspecific interactions, moose, predation, scavenging, wolf | ||||||
URN:NBN: | urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-p-109018 | ||||||
Permanent URL: | http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-p-109018 | ||||||
Additional ID: |
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ID Code: | 19102 | ||||||
Faculty: | NJ - Fakulteten för naturresurser och jordbruksvetenskap S - Faculty of Forest Sciences | ||||||
Department: | (NL, NJ) > Dept. of Ecology (S) > Dept. of Ecology (S) > Dept. of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies | ||||||
Deposited By: | SLUpub Connector | ||||||
Deposited On: | 03 Dec 2020 16:03 | ||||||
Metadata Last Modified: | 15 Jan 2021 19:44 |
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