![Measuring the cost of risk avoidance in brown bears: Further evidence of positive impacts of ecotourism [An article from: Biological Conservation]](https://www.ebooknetworking.net/books/B00/0RR/bigB000RR3M7E.jpg)
Measuring the cost of risk avoidance in brown bears: Further evidence of positive impacts of ecotourism [An article from: Biological Conservation]
Book Details
Author(s)O.T. Nevin, B.K. Gilbert
PublisherElsevier
ISBN / ASINB000RR3M7E
ISBN-13978B000RR3M72
AvailabilityAvailable for download now
Sales Rank12,386,959
MarketplaceUnited States 🇺🇸
Description
This digital document is a journal article from Biological Conservation, published by Elsevier in 2005. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Description:
The objective of this study was to determine the cost to female brown bears with cubs of avoiding risk, or perceived risk, from both large adult male bears and ecotourists. We measured salmon consumption by brown bears in British Columbia under different risk scenarios (the presence and absence of large male bears and people). Declines occurred despite superabundant food where consumption was never limited by salmon abundance. While there were significant changes in the proportion of time spent foraging and in the consumption of captured fish between periods with and without ecotourists present, there was no change in foraging effectiveness, catch per unit effort. Selection of sub-optimal habitats to reduce predation risk incurs energy costs. Risk avoidance reduced daily salmon consumption by females with cubs by more than one third. By associating with people, females with cubs were able to avoid encounters with large, potentially aggressive males, which avoided people in both time and space. Controlled human activity at feeding sites can provide a temporal feeding refuge for vulnerable age/sex classes. This is the first study to quantify the energetic cost of intra-specific risk-avoidance for a large carnivore.
Description:
The objective of this study was to determine the cost to female brown bears with cubs of avoiding risk, or perceived risk, from both large adult male bears and ecotourists. We measured salmon consumption by brown bears in British Columbia under different risk scenarios (the presence and absence of large male bears and people). Declines occurred despite superabundant food where consumption was never limited by salmon abundance. While there were significant changes in the proportion of time spent foraging and in the consumption of captured fish between periods with and without ecotourists present, there was no change in foraging effectiveness, catch per unit effort. Selection of sub-optimal habitats to reduce predation risk incurs energy costs. Risk avoidance reduced daily salmon consumption by females with cubs by more than one third. By associating with people, females with cubs were able to avoid encounters with large, potentially aggressive males, which avoided people in both time and space. Controlled human activity at feeding sites can provide a temporal feeding refuge for vulnerable age/sex classes. This is the first study to quantify the energetic cost of intra-specific risk-avoidance for a large carnivore.
