Phantoms of the forest: legacy risk effects of a regionally extinct large carnivore.

摘要: The increased abundance of large carnivores in Europe is a conservation success, but the impact on behavior and population dynamics prey species generally unknown. In Europe, recolonization often occurs areas where humans have greatly modified landscape through forestry or agriculture. Currently, we poorly understand effects recolonizing extant anthropogenic landscapes. Here, investigated if ungulate showed innate responses to scent regionally exterminated native carnivore, whether were affected by human-induced habitat openness. We experimentally introduced brown bear Ursus arctos artificial feeding sites used camera traps document three sympatric species. addition controls without scent, reindeer Rangifer tarandus was as noncarnivore, novel control scent. Fallow deer Dama dama strongly avoided with presence all open more than closed sites, whereas opposite observed at opening forest human practices, such agriculture, creates larger gradient openness available relatively unaffected systems, which may create opportunities for alter their selection reduce predation risk human-modified systems that do not exist natural systems. Increased knowledge about antipredator subjected change important because these affect dynamics, lower trophic levels, attitudes toward carnivores. These aspects be particular relevance light increasing wildlife populations across much Europe.