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The effect of top predator removal on the distribution of a mesocarnivore and nest survival of an endangered shorebird
Avian Conservation and Ecology ( IF 1.4 ) Pub Date : 2021-03-16 , DOI: 10.5751/ace-01806-160108
Michelle L. Stantial , Jonathan B. Cohen , Abigail J. Darrah , Shannon L. Farrell , Brooke Maslo

For trophic systems regulated by top-down processes, top carnivores may determine species composition of lower trophic levels. Removal of top predators could therefore cause a shift in community composition. If predators play a role in limiting the population of endangered prey animals, removing carnivores may have unintended consequences for conservation. Lethal predator removal to benefit prey species is a widely used management strategy. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are a common nest predator of threatened piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) and are often the primary target of predator removal programs, yet predation remains the number one cause of piping plover nest loss. Predator exclusion cages (hereafter, exclosures) around nests are often used to keep foxes from eating eggs, as an alternative to predator removal. Fox removals may increase the presence or activity of smaller predators, including American mink (Neovison vison), which can enter exclosures. We predicted that when foxes were removed from plover breeding sites, mesopredator release of mink would occur and lead to increased predation levels of plover nests. Average probability of mink occupancy was higher when foxes were absent (0.26 [95% BCI = 0.16, 0.38]) than when they were present (0.04 [0.01, 0.09]). For nests not protected by exclosures, nest predation was similar at sites with (0.42 [0.12, 0.68]) and without foxes (0.38 [0.10, 0.64]). At sites where foxes were absent, however, predation rates of exclosed nests were 3-fold higher (foxes absent [0.25 {0.06, 0.52}]) compared to sites where foxes remained [0.06 {0.01, 0.18}]). Our results suggest that removal of foxes from plover breeding sites allowed American mink to expand their local range. In turn, removal of foxes led to a decrease in nest survival of an endangered ground-nesting bird. Conservation within complex trophic systems may fail if interactions among species are not well understood when implementing lethal predator removal.

中文翻译:

去除顶级捕食者对濒临灭绝的bird鸟的中食肉食动物分布和巢生存的影响

对于由上而下的过程调节的营养系统,顶级食肉动物可能会确定较低营养水平的物种组成。因此,清除顶级掠食者可能会导致社区组成发生变化。如果捕食者在限制濒临灭绝的捕食动物的种群中发挥作用,则去除食肉动物可能会对保护工作产生意想不到的后果。去除致命捕食者以使猎物物种受益是广泛使用的管理策略。狐狸(Vulpes vulpes)是威胁性管道pl(Charadrius melodus)的常见巢穴捕食者,通常是捕食者清除计划的主要目标,但捕食仍然是造成管道pl巢损失的第一大原因。巢周围的捕食者隔离笼(以下称排泄物)通常被用来防止狐狸吃鸡蛋,这是除掉捕食者的一种选择。去除狐狸可能会增加较小的捕食者的活动或活动,包括美洲水貂(Neovison vison),它们可能会进入环境。我们预测,当狐狸从繁殖者繁殖地移走时,会发生貂的中次繁殖者释放,并导致繁殖者巢中的捕食水平增加。缺狐时(0.26 [95%BCI = 0.16,0.38]),比有狐狸时(0.004 [0.01,0.09]),平均水貂占有率更高。对于没有受排泄物保护的巢,在有(0.42 [0.12,0.68])和没有狐狸(0.38 [0.10,0.64])的地方,巢捕食是相似的。但是,在没有狐狸的地方,密闭巢的捕食率比没有狐狸的地方[0.06 {0.01,0.18}]高3倍(没有狐狸[0.25 {0.06,0.52}])。我们的结果表明,从pl繁殖地点去除狐狸可以使美国貂皮扩大其本地范围。反过来,去除狐狸导致了濒临灭绝的地面嵌套鸟类的巢生存率下降。如果在实施致命的捕食者清除过程中对物种之间的相互作用不甚了解,则复杂的营养系统内的保护可能会失败。
更新日期:2021-03-16
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