title: Paws without claws? Ecological effects of large carnivores in anthropogenic landscapes.
abstract: Large carnivores are frequently presented as saviours of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning through their creation of trophic cascades, an idea largely based on studies coming primarily out of relatively natural landscapes. However, in large parts of the world, particularly in Europe, large carnivores live in and are returning to strongly human-modified ecosystems. At present, we lack a coherent framework to predict the effects of large carnivores in these anthropogenic landscapes. We review how human actions influence the ecological roles of large carnivores by affecting their density or behaviour or those of mesopredators or prey species. We argue that the potential for density-mediated trophic cascades in anthropogenic landscapes is limited to unproductive areas where even low carnivore numbers may impact prey densities or to the limited parts of the landscape where carnivores are allowed to reach ecologically functional densities. The potential for behaviourally mediated trophic cascades may be larger and more widespread, because even low carnivore densities affect prey behaviour. We conclude that predator-prey interactions in anthropogenic landscapes will be highly context-dependent and human actions will often attenuate the ecological effects of large carnivores. We highlight the knowledge gaps and outline a new research avenue to study the role of carnivores in anthropogenic landscapes.
authors: Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Waszkiewicza 1d, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland dkuijper@ibs.bialowieza.pl.
authors: D P J
authors: 0000-0002-0324-5893
authors: DP
authors: Kuijper
authors: Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogsmarksgränd, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden.|Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, 110 Brooks Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Sahlén
authors: Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Elmhagen
authors: CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier-EPHE, 1919 Route Mende, 34293 Montpellier 5, France.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Chamaillé-Jammes
authors: Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Riddarhyttan, Sweden.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Sand
authors: Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Lone
authors: Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogsmarksgränd, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden.|Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa.
authors: J P G M
authors: JP
authors: Cromsigt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D002335:Carnivora / Q000502:physiology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005060:Europe; D006802:Human Activities; D006801:Humans; D011235:Predatory Behavior
keywords: behaviourally mediated effects; density-mediated effects; human-dominated landscapes; recolonizing carnivores; trophic cascades