RT Journal Article
T1 Evaluating diversionary feeding as a method to resolve conservation conflicts in a recovering ecosystem
A1 Bamber, Jack A.
A1 Kortland, Kenny
A1 Sutherland, Chris
A1 Payo Payo, Ana
A1 Lambin, Xavier
AB The recovery of mammalian predators of conservation concern in Europe is a success story, but their impact on some prey species of conservation concern may cause conservation dilemmas. This calls for effective intervention strategies that mitigate predator impacts without compromising their recovery. We evaluated diversionary feeding as a management intervention tool to reduce depredation on nests of rapidly declining Western capercaillies in Scotland. We studied the influence of diversionary feeding provision on the fates of artificial nests deployed using a replicated and representative randomised landscape-scale experiment. This comprised 30 'paired' control (no diversionary feeding) and treatment (diversionary feeding applied) sites, 60 in total, each containing six artificial nests distributed across 600 km2. The experiment was replicated over 2 years, and in the second year, the control-treatment pairs were reversed, yielding 60 treatment and 60 control sites and 720 artificial nests. Diversionary feeding substantially reduced depredation of artificial nests, translating into an 82.5% increase in predicted nest survival over 28 days of incubation. The increase in survival was mostly accounted for by a reduction in the probability that a pine marten, the main nest predator, consumed or cached eggs. Diversionary food also significantly reduced nest predation by badgers, although the magnitude of this effect varied by year. Synthesis and applications. Diversionary feeding is an easily employable method shown in this study to reduce predator impact (functional) without lethal (numerical) intervention. Managers should proceed with its application for conserving capercaillie in Scotland without delay.
PB John Wiley & Sons
SN 0021-8901
YR 2024
FD 2024-04-29
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/117839
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/117839
LA eng
NO Bamber, J. A., Kortland, K., Sutherland, C., Payo-Payo, A., & Lambin, X. (2024). Evaluating diversionary feeding as a method to resolve conservation conflicts in a recovering ecosystem. Journal of Applied Ecology, 61(8), 1968-1978. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14693
NO We acknowledge funding from NERC SUPER DTP, reference NE/S007342/1 and Forestry and Land Scotland to Jack Bamber.
NO University of St. Andrews (UK)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 10 abr 2025