Exploiting interspecific olfactory communication to monitor predators.

Autor: Garvey PM; Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.; Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand., Glen AS; Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand., Clout MN; Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand., Wyse SV; Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.; Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Wakehurst Place, RH17 6TN, United Kingdom., Nichols M; Centre for Wildlife Management and Conservation, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand., Pech RP; Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America [Ecol Appl] 2017 Mar; Vol. 27 (2), pp. 389-402. Date of Electronic Publication: 2017 Feb 01.
DOI: 10.1002/eap.1483
Abstrakt: Olfaction is the primary sense of many mammals and subordinate predators use this sense to detect dominant species, thereby reducing the risk of an encounter and facilitating coexistence. Chemical signals can act as repellents or attractants and may therefore have applications for wildlife management. We devised a field experiment to investigate whether dominant predator (ferret Mustela furo) body odor would alter the behavior of three common mesopredators: stoats (Mustela erminea), hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), and ship rats (Rattus rattus). We predicted that apex predator odor would lead to increased detections, and our results support this hypothesis as predator kairomones (interspecific olfactory messages that benefit the receiver) provoked "eavesdropping" behavior by mesopredators. Stoats exhibited the most pronounced responses, with kairomones significantly increasing the number of observations and the time spent at a site, so that their occupancy estimates changed from rare to widespread. Behavioral responses to predator odors can therefore be exploited for conservation and this avenue of research has not yet been extensively explored. A long-life lure derived from apex predator kairomones could have practical value, especially when there are plentiful resources that reduce the efficiency of food-based lures. Our results have application for pest management in New Zealand and the technique of using kairomones to monitor predators could have applications for conservation efforts worldwide.
(© 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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