Landscape of human fear in Neotropical rainforest mammals

Author(s)

Mendes, Calebe P. ^[1] ; Carreira, Daiane ^{[2, 1]} ; Pedrosa, Felipe ^[1] ; Beca, Gabrielle ^{[1, 3]} ; Lautenschlager, Lais ^[1] ; Akkawi, Paula ^[1] ; Berce, William ^[1] ; Ferraz, Katia M. P. M. B. ^[2] ; Galetti, Mauro ^{[4, 1]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Dept Ecol, Lab Biol Conservacao LABIC, UNESP, Ave 24A, 1515, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Lab Ecol Manejo & Conservacao Fauna SilveSTRE, Escola Super Agr Luis de Queiroz, LEMaC, ESALQ, Av Padua Dias 11, Caixa Postal 09, BR-13418900 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Western Australia, Sch Biol Sci, ERIE Ecosyst Restorat & Intervent Ecol Res Grp, Perth, WA - Australia

^[4] Univ Miami, Dept Biol, Coral Gables, FL 33146 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Biological Conservation; v. 241, JAN 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

The landscape of fear has profound effects on the species behavior, with most organisms engaging in risk avoidance behaviors in areas perceived as riskier. Most risk avoidance behaviors, such as temporal avoidance, have severe trade-offs between foraging efficiency and risk reduction. Human activities are able to affect the species landscape of fear, by increasing mortality of individuals (i.e. hunting, roadkill) and by disruption of the clues used by the species to estimate predation risk (e.g. light pollution). In this study, we used an extensive camera-trapping and night-time light satellite imagery to evaluate whether human activities affect the diel activity patterns of 17 species of rainforest dwelling mammals. We found evidence of diel activity shifts in eight of 17 analyzed species, in which five species become 21.6 % more nocturnal and three species become 11.7% more diurnal in high disturbed areas. This activity shifts were observed for both diurnal and nocturnal species. Persecuted species (game and predators) were more susceptible to present activity shifts. Since changes in foraging activity may affect species fitness, the behavior of humans' avoidance may be another driver of the Anthropocene defamation. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/18381-6 - Reversing defaunation or increasing ecological degradation? Invasion ecology of feral pigs Sus scrofa in a defaunated landscape
• Grantee: Felipe Pedrosa Chagas
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• FAPESP's process: 15/22844-1 - Diet of feral pig Sus scrofa in the region of Rio Claro, São Paulo
• Grantee: William Bercê da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• FAPESP's process: 14/01986-0 - Ecological consequences of defaunation in the Atlantic Rainforest
• Grantee: Mauro Galetti Rodrigues
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 14/09300-0 - Trophic ecology, functional diversity and occurrence of terrestrial mammals in the Atlantic Forest
• Grantee: Katia Maria Paschoaletto Micchi de Barros Ferraz
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 14/23095-0 - Enviromental and landscape influences on functional diversity of mammals in the Atlantic Forest
• Grantee: Gabrielle Cristina Beca
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree