Fear of large carnivores causes a trophic cascade.

摘要: The fear large carnivores inspire, independent of their direct killing prey, may itself cause cascading effects down food webs potentially critical for conserving ecosystem function, particularly by affecting herbivores and mesocarnivores. However, the evidence this has been repeatedly challenged because it remains experimentally untested. Here we show that manipulating in free-living mesocarnivore (raccoon) populations using month-long playbacks carnivore vocalizations caused just such effects, reducing foraging to benefit mesocarnivore's which turn affected a competitor prey prey. We further report restoring our study system, where most have extirpated, succeeded reversing impacts. suggest results reinforce need conserve given significant "ecosystem service" them provides.