Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: Predator-prey interactions between leopards (Panthera pardus) and chacma baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus) in South Africa

博士论文改进：南非豹子（Panthera pardus）和恰克玛狒狒（Papio hamadryas ursinus）之间的捕食者与猎物之间的相互作用

• 批准号: 0550918
• 负责人: Leanne Nash
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: Arizona State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-05-01 至 2008-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0550918&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Improvement; Predator; prey

Under the direction of Leanne Nash, Ms. Laura Bidner will investigate the predator-prey interactions between leopards and chacma baboons at Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, South Africa.. Field research will involve simultaneously monitoring the behavior and movement patterns of a baboon troop habituated to the presence of human observers and the radio-collared leopards within the troop's home range. This will allow patterns of predation and predation risk faced by primates to be studied in greater detail than it has been to date.The risk of being killed by a predator is considered to be a critical factor affecting the behavior and ecology of primates in their natural environments. However, despite the vast amount of behavioral and ecological research conducted on wild, non-human primates, very little is known about the accuracy of most primates' perception of predation risk in their environment. This is largely due to the elusive nature of many predators which discourages primate researchers from gaining accurate information on predator activity. Leopards, notoriously stealthy predators, pose serious risk to many primate species in Africa and Asia. Leopards have been identified as the primary predator of baboons, which travel widely through leopard-occupied areas during daily ranging. Studies of leopard movement patterns show core areas of intense utilization within relatively large ranges which should cause variation in the risk faced by prey species. Baboons are ideal subjects for investigating such perception of variation in risk posed by leopards within their environment. This project is designed to test hypotheses regarding (1) how well baboons' perceived risk, measured by risk-aversion or antipredatory behaviors, corresponds with leopard presence, (2) the effect of nocturnal encounters between leopards and baboons on baboon behavior, and (3) the effect of baboon behaviors on leopard behavior. Field data collected for this project will show how well primate antipredatory behaviors reflect detection risk posed by actual predators as well as how well environmental factors such as habitat type serve as good proxies for actual predation risk. Field research will also provide data on how predators respond to complex prey behavior. Thus, the results of the study will expand our understanding of current predator-prey interactions as well as how this dynamic relationship may have affected both primate and predator evolution.This project has broader implications for paleoanthropology, conservation in South Africa, and science education. As early hominins were preyed upon by leopards in habitats similar to that of this study, the results will be useful in interpreting strategies hominin ancestors may have used to avoid predation and even compete with predators. Studies of current predator-prey interactions are crucial in order to understand how such interactions may have shaped human origins. Today, both leopards and baboons are persecuted in many areas of South Africa. Inclusion of both species in this project will increase local awareness of the patterns of behavior and ranging for these animals which are considered pests and often misunderstood. The findings of this study will be used directly by park managers in creating animal management plans and will add to the body of knowledge currently being compiled by the newly-formed South African Leopard Forum. Finally, both US and South African students will be involved in the project directly in the field and gain valuable experience toward their own careers in science.

在Leanne Nash的指导下，Laura Bidner女士将在南非的Loskop Dam自然保护区调查豹子和Chacma狒狒之间的捕食者-猎物相互作用。 实地研究将涉及同时监测狒狒群体的行为和运动模式，狒狒群体习惯于人类观察者的存在，而无线电项圈豹则在该群体的家范围内。 这将使灵长类动物面临的捕食模式和捕食风险得到比迄今为止更详细的研究。被捕食者杀死的风险被认为是影响灵长类动物在自然环境中的行为和生态的关键因素。 然而，尽管对野生非人类灵长类动物进行了大量的行为和生态研究，但人们对大多数灵长类动物对其环境中捕食风险感知的准确性知之甚少。 这在很大程度上是由于许多捕食者难以捉摸的性质，这阻碍了灵长类动物研究人员获得捕食者活动的准确信息。 豹是出了名的潜行掠食者，对非洲和亚洲的许多灵长类物种构成严重威胁。 豹已被确定为狒狒的主要捕食者，狒狒在日常活动中广泛穿越豹占领的地区。 对豹子运动模式的研究表明，在相对较大的范围内集中利用的核心地区，应会导致被捕食物种面临的风险发生变化。 狒狒是研究豹子在其环境中造成的风险变化的理想对象。 该项目旨在测试以下假设：（1）狒狒的感知风险（通过风险规避或反掠夺行为测量）与豹子的存在有多一致，（2）豹子和狒狒之间夜间相遇对狒狒行为的影响，以及（3）狒狒行为对豹子行为的影响。 该项目收集的实地数据将显示灵长类动物的反捕食行为如何反映实际捕食者带来的检测风险，以及栖息地类型等环境因素如何作为实际捕食风险的良好代理。 实地研究还将提供有关捕食者如何应对复杂猎物行为的数据。 因此，这项研究的结果将扩大我们对当前捕食者-猎物相互作用的理解，以及这种动态关系如何影响灵长类动物和捕食者的进化。 由于早期人类在与本研究相似的栖息地中被豹子捕食，因此研究结果将有助于解释人类祖先可能用于避免捕食甚至与捕食者竞争的策略。 为了理解这种相互作用如何塑造了人类的起源，对当前捕食者-猎物相互作用的研究至关重要。今天，豹和狒狒在南非的许多地区都受到迫害。 将这两个物种纳入本项目将提高当地对这些动物行为模式和范围的认识，这些动物被认为是有害生物，经常被误解。 这项研究的结果将被公园管理者直接用于制定动物管理计划，并将增加新成立的南非豹论坛目前正在汇编的知识体系。最后，美国和南非的学生将直接参与该领域的项目，并为自己的科学事业获得宝贵的经验。