Natural and anthropogenic drivers of cub recruitment in a large carnivore

Recruitment is a critical parameter governing population dynamics and influences population persistence. Understanding the drivers of recruitment is therefore important for conservation, especially for long-lived mammals such as large carnivores, which have low reproductive rates, rendering them prone to extinction. Using cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) as a model species, I investigated the variation in cub recruitment in relation to habitat and the abundance of tourists and predators. Per litter, female cheetahs on average raised 1.71 ± 1.35 cubs to independence but this varied depending on the presence of open habitat and the abundance of tourists, both of which had a negative effect on cub recruitment. More specifically, female cheetahs that were mostly found in open habitats on average raised 1.69 ± 0.14 cubs per litter to independence compared to 3.04 ± 0.26 cubs in denser habitat. Similarly, female cheetahs that were exposed to high tourist abundance on average raised 0.21 ± 0.72 cub...幼崽补充率是调控种群动态、影响种群存续的关键参数。因此，明确幼崽补充率的驱动因子对物种保护工作具有重要意义，尤其对于繁殖率低下、易濒临灭绝的长寿哺乳动物，如大型食肉动物而言。本研究以猎豹（Acinonyx jubatus）为模式物种，探究了幼崽补充率随栖息地类型、游客数量与捕食者丰度的变化规律。每胎次中，雌性猎豹平均可将1.71 ± 1.35只幼崽抚育至独立生存阶段，但该数值因开阔栖息地占比与游客数量而异，且二者均对幼崽补充率产生负面影响。具体而言，主要栖息于开阔生境的雌性猎豹，每胎平均仅能将1.69 ± 0.14只幼崽抚育至独立；而栖息于更致密生境的雌性猎豹，该数值可达3.04 ± 0.26只。类似地，暴露于高游客数量区域的雌性猎豹，每胎平均仅能抚育0.21 ± 0.72只幼崽……