The effect of top predator removal on the distribution of a mesocarnivore and nest survival of an endangered shorebird

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 car...

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Autores principales:	Michelle L. Stantial, Jonathan B. Cohen, Abigail J. Darrah, Shannon L. Farrell, Brooke Maslo
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Resilience Alliance 2021
Materias:	american mink endangered species habitat use mesopredator release hypothesis multispecies occupancy piping plover red fox trophic cascade Plant culture SB1-1110 Environmental sciences GE1-350 Plant ecology QK900-989
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/97419be5d23b4530a25e1600306741b3
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:97419be5d23b4530a25e1600306741b32021-11-15T16:40:14ZThe effect of top predator removal on the distribution of a mesocarnivore and nest survival of an endangered shorebird1712-6568https://doaj.org/article/97419be5d23b4530a25e1600306741b32021-06-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.ace-eco.org/vol16/iss1/art8/https://doaj.org/toc/1712-6568For 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.Michelle L. StantialJonathan B. CohenAbigail J. DarrahShannon L. FarrellBrooke MasloResilience Alliancearticleamerican minkendangered specieshabitat usemesopredator release hypothesismultispecies occupancypiping ploverred foxtrophic cascadePlant cultureSB1-1110Environmental sciencesGE1-350Plant ecologyQK900-989ENAvian Conservation and Ecology, Vol 16, Iss 1, p 8 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	american mink endangered species habitat use mesopredator release hypothesis multispecies occupancy piping plover red fox trophic cascade Plant culture SB1-1110 Environmental sciences GE1-350 Plant ecology QK900-989
spellingShingle	american mink endangered species habitat use mesopredator release hypothesis multispecies occupancy piping plover red fox trophic cascade Plant culture SB1-1110 Environmental sciences GE1-350 Plant ecology QK900-989 Michelle L. Stantial Jonathan B. Cohen Abigail J. Darrah Shannon L. Farrell Brooke Maslo The effect of top predator removal on the distribution of a mesocarnivore and nest survival of an endangered shorebird
description	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.
format	article
author	Michelle L. Stantial Jonathan B. Cohen Abigail J. Darrah Shannon L. Farrell Brooke Maslo
author_facet	Michelle L. Stantial Jonathan B. Cohen Abigail J. Darrah Shannon L. Farrell Brooke Maslo
author_sort	Michelle L. Stantial
title	The effect of top predator removal on the distribution of a mesocarnivore and nest survival of an endangered shorebird
title_short	The effect of top predator removal on the distribution of a mesocarnivore and nest survival of an endangered shorebird
title_full	The effect of top predator removal on the distribution of a mesocarnivore and nest survival of an endangered shorebird
title_fullStr	The effect of top predator removal on the distribution of a mesocarnivore and nest survival of an endangered shorebird
title_full_unstemmed	The effect of top predator removal on the distribution of a mesocarnivore and nest survival of an endangered shorebird
title_sort	effect of top predator removal on the distribution of a mesocarnivore and nest survival of an endangered shorebird
publisher	Resilience Alliance
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/97419be5d23b4530a25e1600306741b3
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The effect of top predator removal on the distribution of a mesocarnivore and nest survival of an endangered shorebird

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