Prey modify their behavior in response to variation in predation risk, and such modifications can affect trophic processes such as disease transmission. However, variation in predation risk is complex, arising from direct risk from the predator itself and indirect risk due to the environment. Moreover, direct risk typically stems from multiple predators and varies over timescales (e.g., a predator nearby vs. its seasonal activities). We implemented a field-based experiment to disentangle these sources of risk and relate them to antipredator behavior in rodents. We modeled rodent occurrence and activity as a function of short- and long-term risk from a primary predator, red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), long-term risk from a second predator, coyotes (Canis latrans), and environmental variables. We found that long-term red fox activity strongly reduced rodent occurrence and that cues of nearby red fox presence decreased rodent activity by > 50%. In addition, this activity reduction was dynamic in that varied according to the background level of long-term red fox activity. Importantly, rodents did not respond to environmental variables (moonlight, temperature, and habitat) or long-term coyote activity. These results bear upon recent work that suggests predators can alter tick-borne disease dynamics via induced antipredator behavior of rodents, which are hosts for pathogens and ticks. Specifically, our study corroborates the hypothesis that red foxes act as important proximal agents in regulating tick-borne diseases by reducing rodent activity. More generally, this study highlights the need to consider the dynamic nature of prey antipredator response across landscapes with variable long-term predation risk.

中文翻译：

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啮齿动物对捕食风险的动态反应：对疾病生态学的影响。

猎物响应捕食风险的变化而改变其行为，并且这种改变会影响营养过程，例如疾病传播。但是，捕食者风险的变化是复杂的，这是由捕食者自身带来的直接风险和环境带来的间接风险引起的。此外，直接风险通常源于多个掠食者，并随时间变化（例如，附近的掠食者与其季节性活动相比）。我们实施了一项基于实地的实验，以弄清这些风险来源，并将其与啮齿动物中的反掠食者行为联系起来。我们将啮齿动物的发生和活动建模为主要捕食者，赤狐（Vulpes vulpes），第二个捕食者，郊狼（Canis latrans）和环境变量的短期和长期风险的函数。我们发现长期的红狐活动强烈地减少了啮齿动物的发生，并且附近的红狐存在的提示使啮齿动物的活动减少了> 50％。另外，这种活性降低是动态的，其根据长期赤狐活性的背景水平而变化。重要的是，啮齿动物对环境变量（月光，温度和栖息地）或土狼的长期活动没有反应。这些研究结果表明，捕食者可以通过诱导啮齿动物的抗捕食者行为改变alter传播的疾病动态，而啮齿动物是病原体和and的宿主。具体而言，我们的研究证实了以下观点：红狐狸通过减少啮齿动物的活动而在调节壁虱传播的疾病中起着重要的近端作用。更普遍，