Consequences of migratory coupling of predators and prey when mediated by human actions

Aim: Animal migrations influence ecosystem structure, dynamics, and persistence of predator and prey populations. The theory of migratory coupling postulates that aggregations of migrant prey can induce large-scale synchronized movements in predators, and this coupling is consequential for the dynamics of ecological communities. The degree to which humans influence these interactions remains largely unknown. We tested whether the creation of large resource pulses by humans such as seasonal herding of reindeer Rangifer tarandus and hunting of moose, Alces alces, can induce migratory coupling with Golden Eagles, Aquila chrysaetos, and if these lead to demographic consequences for the eagles.


Location: Fennoscandia

Methods: We used movement data from 32 tracked Golden Eagles spanning 125 annual migratory cycles over eight years. We obtained reindeer distribution data through collaboration with reindeer herders based on satellite tracking of reindeer, and moose harvest data from the ...