Prey depletion as a threat to the world's large carnivores
Large terrestrial carnivores are an ecologically important, charismatic and highly endangered group of species. Here, we assess the importance of prey depletion as a driver of large carnivore endangerment globally using lists of prey species for each large carnivore compiled from the literature. We...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.160252 |
| _version_ | 1819015892373078016 |
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| author | Christopher Wolf William J. Ripple |
| author_facet | Christopher Wolf William J. Ripple |
| author_sort | Christopher Wolf |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Large terrestrial carnivores are an ecologically important, charismatic and highly endangered group of species. Here, we assess the importance of prey depletion as a driver of large carnivore endangerment globally using lists of prey species for each large carnivore compiled from the literature. We consider spatial variation in prey endangerment, changes in endangerment over time and the causes of prey depletion, finding considerable evidence that loss of prey base is a major and wide-ranging threat among large carnivore species. In particular, the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi), tiger (Panthera tigris), dhole (Cuon alpinus) and Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) all have at least 40% of their prey classified as threatened on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and, along with the leopard (Panethra pardus), all of these species except the Ethiopian wolf have at least 50% of their prey classified as declining. Of the 494 prey species in our analysis, an average of just 6.9% of their ranges overlap protected areas. Together these results show the importance of a holistic approach to conservation that involves protecting both large carnivores directly and the prey upon which they depend. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T02:38:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-081b48e868454408b066e84a75e04a4f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T02:38:57Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-081b48e868454408b066e84a75e04a4f2022-12-21T19:18:44ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032016-01-013810.1098/rsos.160252160252Prey depletion as a threat to the world's large carnivoresChristopher WolfWilliam J. RippleLarge terrestrial carnivores are an ecologically important, charismatic and highly endangered group of species. Here, we assess the importance of prey depletion as a driver of large carnivore endangerment globally using lists of prey species for each large carnivore compiled from the literature. We consider spatial variation in prey endangerment, changes in endangerment over time and the causes of prey depletion, finding considerable evidence that loss of prey base is a major and wide-ranging threat among large carnivore species. In particular, the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi), tiger (Panthera tigris), dhole (Cuon alpinus) and Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) all have at least 40% of their prey classified as threatened on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and, along with the leopard (Panethra pardus), all of these species except the Ethiopian wolf have at least 50% of their prey classified as declining. Of the 494 prey species in our analysis, an average of just 6.9% of their ranges overlap protected areas. Together these results show the importance of a holistic approach to conservation that involves protecting both large carnivores directly and the prey upon which they depend.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.160252prey depletionprey baselarge carnivorespredator–preycarnivore conservation |
| spellingShingle | Christopher Wolf William J. Ripple Prey depletion as a threat to the world's large carnivores Royal Society Open Science prey depletion prey base large carnivores predator–prey carnivore conservation |
| title | Prey depletion as a threat to the world's large carnivores |
| title_full | Prey depletion as a threat to the world's large carnivores |
| title_fullStr | Prey depletion as a threat to the world's large carnivores |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prey depletion as a threat to the world's large carnivores |
| title_short | Prey depletion as a threat to the world's large carnivores |
| title_sort | prey depletion as a threat to the world s large carnivores |
| topic | prey depletion prey base large carnivores predator–prey carnivore conservation |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.160252 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christopherwolf preydepletionasathreattotheworldslargecarnivores AT williamjripple preydepletionasathreattotheworldslargecarnivores |