Wolf packs are endangered by human interventions
Human interventions destabilize wolf packs. Recreational hunting has negative effects on the reproduction and survival of wolf populations.
Human-caused mortality destabilizes packs
A new study sheds new light on the impact of humans on wolf populations.
The researchers found that human-caused mortality leads to instability in wolf packs. In particular, the team found that human activities such as recreational hunting have negative effects on the reproduction and survival of wolf populations.
«Although our study focused on gray wolves living primarily within national parks and protected areas, we documented a high level of human-caused mortality. Particularly concerning is that these deaths had negative effects on the biological processes within gray wolf packs,» the researchers write.
Death of pack leaders with severe consequences
«For gray wolves, the biological unit is the pack or the family. We found that the probability of a pack surviving and reproducing decreased as the number of human-caused deaths increased,» said lead author Kira Cassidy.
The study found that the probability of a pack remaining together until the end of the year decreased by 27% following a human-caused death, while the reproductive rate dropped by 22%. Even more severe were the effects when a pack leader died: the pack's probability of survival dropped by 73%, and the reproductive rate declined by 49%. Recreational hunting fails as population control.
The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
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