The natural balance of predatory and prey populations is beginning to crumble under the heavy weight of climate change and anthropoengic disturbances. No where is it this delicate dance more visible than between ungulates and their predators, specifically roe deer and gray wolves across Eurasia. It has been well established that the presence of predators drastically increases stress related hormones in ungulate species; however, as humankind continually dominates and spreads across the landscape, prey species are unable to differentiate between predatory and anthropogenic related stress (Bonnot et al. 2018). The continual pressure of anthropogenic disturbances such as deforestation, hunting, and noise has already begun to offset the migration pattern, mating behavior, and stress response in roe deer (Bonnot et al. 2018). As the behavior of herds continues to be altered in response to climate and anthropogenic change, gray wolves will be under an increasing amount of stressors to maintain predator prey equilibrium.
Gray wolves are a keystone species across the globe as a top down pressure to control primarily ungulate species; however, as ungulate species, roe deer in particular, change their behavior, wolves are forced to adapt. The rapid change in climate and overall suitable environment has increased undue stress on native/reintroduced packs that we are yet to see the full effect of (Santos et al. 2017). A major indicator of environmental and social stress in wolves is howling behavior (Mazzini et al. 2013). Therefore, in combination with physiological stress indicators, it can be assumed that changing prey behavior and the increased presence of humanity has begun to place an overwhelming amount of acute stress on packs (Santos et al. 2017). As anthropogenic and prey availability stressors are exponentially increasing, social relationships and the very foundation of packs may begin to unravel. Even under immense efforts to reintroduce the gray wolf across Eurasian, humanities environmental impact may be too severe to support apex predators and subsequently sustainable ecosystems.
References
Bonnot, N. C., Bergvall, U. A., Jarnemo, A., & Kjellander, P. (2018). Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? Variation in the stress response among personalities and populations in a large wild herbivore. Oecologia, 188(1), 85–95. https://doi-org.dml.regis.edu/10.1007/s00442-018-4174-7
Santos, N., Rio-Maior, H., Nakamura, M., Roque, S., Brandão, R., & Álvares, F. (2017). Characterization and minimization of the stress response to trapping in free-ranging wolves ( Canis lupus ): insights from physiology and behavior. Stress: The International Journal on the Biology of Stress, 20(5), 513–522. https://doi-org.dml.regis.edu/10.1080/10253890.2017.1368487
Mazzini, F., Townsend, S. W., Virányi, Z., & Range, F. (2013). Wolf howling is mediated by relationship quality rather than underlying emotional stress. Current Biology : CB, 23(17), 1677–1680. https://doi-org.dml.regis.edu/10.1016/j.cub.2013.06.066
I must admit you end on a bleak outlook for the coexistence of apex predators and humans in the foreseeable future and I partially agree with you. I found an interesting article discussing the reintroduction and conservation of gray wolves in the USA which argues that part of the reason human and wolf coexistence is difficult directly relates to our negative stigmatism towards them (Phillips, 2017). However, it has been shown in numerous studies that wolves stabilize ecosystems and increase the overall biodiversity of their habitat through trophic cascading effects (Phillips, 2017). I think it is important for conservationists to recognize the existing negative rhetoric surround wolves and include in their conservation efforts to introduce a new rhetoric based on science and not fairytales.
ReplyDeletePhillips, A. T. (2017). Bordering Ecosystems: The Rhetorical Function of Characterization in Gray Wolf Management. Environmental Communication, 11(4), 435–451. https://doi-org.dml.regis.edu/10.1080/17524032.2015.1018837