Data from: Predator-prey interactions in the canopy

Small mammal abundances are frequently limited by resource availability,
but predators can exert strong lethal (mortality) and non-lethal (e.g.,
nest abandonment) limitations. Artificially increasing resource
availability for uncommon small mammals provides a unique opportunity to
examine predator-prey interactions. We used remote cameras to monitor 168
nest platforms placed in the live-tree canopy (n = 23 young forest
stands), primarily for arboreal red tree voles (tree voles; Arborimus
longicaudus), over three years (n = 15,510 monitoring-weeks). Tree voles
frequently built nests and were detected 37% of monitoring-weeks, whereas
flying squirrels (Glaucomys oregonensis) built nests infrequently but were
detected 45% of monitoring-weeks. Most nest predators were detected
infrequently (<1% of monitoring-weeks) and were positively
correlated with tree vole presence. Weasels (Mustela spp.) were highly
effective predators of tree voles (n = 8 mortalities; 10% of detections)
compared to owls (n = 1), flying squirrels (n = 2), and Steller’s jays (n
= 1). Tree vole activity decreased from 84.1 (95% confidence interval
(CI): 56.2, 111.9) detections/week 1-week prior to a weasel-detection to
4.7 detections/week (95% CI: 1.7, 7.8) 1-week post detection and remained
low for at least 12 weeks. Interpretations of predator-prey interactions
were highly sensitive to how we binned continuously collected data and
model results from our finest bin-width were biologically
counter-intuitive. Average annual survival of female tree voles was
consistent with a previous study (0.14; 95% CI: -0.04 [0.01], 0.32) and
high compared to many terrestrial voles. The relative infrequency of
weasel detections and inefficiency of other predators did not provide
strong support for the hypothesis that predation per se limited
populations. Rather, predation pressure, by reducing occupancy of already
scarce nest-sites through mortality and nest abandonment, may contribute
to long-term local instability of tree vole populations in young forests.
Additional monitoring would be needed to assess this hypothesis.

搜集汇总

背景与挑战

背景概述

该数据集聚焦于树冠层捕食者-猎物相互作用研究，通过部署168个巢平台和远程相机监测，收集了2015年至2018年间红树鼩鼱等小型哺乳动物与捕食者（如鼬类）的互动数据。数据集包含15,510监测周的详细记录，突出捕食事件对猎物活动的影响，以及捕食压力对种群稳定性的潜在作用，适用于生态动态和森林管理分析。