Data from: Urbanization and primary productivity mediate the predator-prey relationship between deer and coyotes

Predator-prey interactions are important to regulating populations and
structuring communities but are affected by many dynamic, complex factors,
across larges-scales, making them difficult to study. Integrated
population models (IPMs) offer a potential solution to understanding
predator-prey relationships by providing a framework for leveraging many
different datasets and testing hypotheses about interactive factors. Here,
we evaluate the coyote-deer (Canis latrans – Odocoileus virginianus)
predator-prey relationship across the state of North Carolina (NC).
Because both species have similar habitat requirements and may respond to
human disturbance, we considered net primary productivity (NPP) and
urbanization as key mediating factors. We estimated deer survival and
fecundity by integrating camera trap, harvest, biological and hunter
observation datasets into a two-stage, two-sex Lefkovich population
projection matrix. We allowed survival and fecundity to vary as functions
of urbanization, NPP and coyote density and projected abundance forward to
test eight hypothetical scenarios. We estimated initial average deer and
coyote densities to be 11.83 (95% CI: 5.64, 20.80) and 0.46 (95% CI: 0.02,
1.45) individuals/km2, respectively. We found a negative relationship
between current levels of coyote density and deer fecundity in most areas
which became more negative under hypothetical conditions of lower NPP or
higher urbanization, leading to lower projected deer abundances. These
results suggest that coyotes could have stronger effects on deer
populations in NC if their densities rise, but primarily in less
productive and/or more suburban habitats. Our case study provides an
example of how IPMs can be used to better understand the complex
relationships between predator and prey under changing environmental
conditions.