Mammal responses to global changes in human activity vary by trophic group and landscape

Burton, A Cole; Beirne, Christopher; Gaynor, Kaitlyn M; Sun, Catherine; Granados, Alys; Allen, Maximilian L; Alston, Jesse M; Alvarenga, Guilherme C; Calderón, Samuel Álvarez; Amir, Zachary; Anhalt-Depies, Christine; Appel, Cara; Stephanny; Balme, Guy; Bar-Massada, Avi; Barcelos, Daniele; Barr, Evan; Barthelmess, Erika L.; Baruzzi, Carolina; Basak, Sayantani M; Beenaerts, Natalie; Belmaker, Jonathan; Belova, Olgirda; Bezarević, Branko; Bird, Tori; Bogan, Daniel A; Bogdanović, Neda; Boyce, Andy; Boyce, Mark; Brandt, Laroy; Brodie, Jedediah F; Brooke, Jarred; Bubnicki, Jakub W; Cagnacci, Francesca; Carr, Benjamin Scott; Carvalho, João; Casaer, Jim; Černe, Rok; Chen, Ron; Chow, Emily; Churski, Marcin; Cincotta, Connor; Ćirović, Duško; Coates, T D; Compton, Justin; Coon, Courtney; Cove, Michael V; Crupi, Anthony P; Dal Farra, Simone; Darracq, Andrea K; Davis, Miranda; Dawe, Kimberly; De Waele, Valerie; Descalzo, Esther; Diserens, Tom A; Drimaj, Jakub; Duľa, Martin; Ellis-Felege, Susan; Ell...

Abstract

Wildlife must adapt to human presence to survive in the Anthropocene, so it is critical to understand species responses to humans in different contexts. We used camera trapping as a lens to view mammal responses to changes in human activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across 163 species sampled in 102 projects around the world, changes in the amount and timing of animal activity varied widely. Under higher human activity, mammals were less active in undeveloped areas but unexpectedly more active in developed areas while exhibiting greater nocturnality. Carnivores were most sensitive, showing the strongest decreases in activity and greatest increases in nocturnality. Wildlife managers must consider how habituation and uneven sensitivity across species may cause fundamental differences in human–wildlife interactions along gradients of human influence.

Citation

Burton, A. C., Beirne, C., Gaynor, K. M., Sun, C., Granados, A., Allen, M. L., Alston, J. M., Alvarenga, G. C., Calderón, S. Á., Amir, Z., Anhalt-Depies, C., Appel, C., Stephanny, Balme, G., Bar-Massada, A., Barcelos, D., Barr, E., Barthelmess, E. L., Baruzzi, C., Basak, S. M., …Kays, R. (2024). Mammal responses to global changes in human activity vary by trophic group and landscape. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 8(5), 924–935. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-024-02363-2

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 9, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Mar 18, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-05
• Deposit Date: Mar 5, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 21, 2024
• Journal: Nature Ecology & Evolution
• Electronic ISSN: 2397-334X
• Publisher: Nature Research
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 924–935
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-024-02363-2
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2309371