Estimating the intensity of use by interacting predators and prey using camera traps

Understanding how organisms distribute themselves in response to interacting species, ecosystems, climate, human development and time is fundamental to ecological study and practice. A measure to quantify the relationship among organisms and their environments is intensity of use: the rate of use of a specific resource in a defined unit of time. Estimating the intensity of use differs from estimating probabilities of occupancy or selection, which can remain constant even when the intensity of use varies. We describe a method to evaluate the intensity of use across conditions that vary in both space and time. We demonstrate its application on a large mammal community where linear developments and human activity are conjectured to influence the interactions between white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and wolves (Canis lupus) with possible consequences on threatened woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou).
We collect and quantify intensity of use data for multiple, interacting...

解析生物如何响应物种互作、生态系统、气候、人类开发活动及时间尺度的变化进行空间分布，乃是生态学研究与实践的核心根基。用于量化生物与环境间关系的一项指标为利用强度（intensity of use）：即特定单位时间内对某一资源的利用速率。估算利用强度与估算生境占用概率或生境选择概率存在本质区别：即便利用强度发生变化，生境占用或选择概率仍可维持恒定。本文描述了一种可在时空双重变化的条件下评估利用强度的方法。我们以大型哺乳动物群落为研究对象，验证了该方法的应用效果：该群落中线性开发活动与人类活动被推测会影响白尾鹿（Odocoileus virginianus）与灰狼（Canis lupus）之间的相互作用，并可能对受威胁的林地驯鹿（Rangifer tarandus caribou）产生潜在影响。我们收集并量化了多个互作生物的利用强度数据……