Predator effects on terrestrial vertebrate prey: an integrated approach to responses at multiple scales

捕食者吓到的猎物比杀死的多。 杀死猎物显然会减少它们的数量，但吓唬它们也会这样吗？ 如果是这样的话，那么捕食者的存在对猎物数量的影响可能比从死亡率中推测的要大得多。 最大限度地减少引进或入侵的捕食者的影响是至关重要的保护许多物种的风险。 Zanette博士的目标是量化捕食者对陆生脊椎动物（鸟类和哺乳动物）猎物的全面影响，从而帮助有效的保护规划。 尽管最近对昆虫和水生物种的研究表明，惊吓猎物比杀死猎物更快地减少它们的数量，但鉴于鸟类和哺乳动物更大的行为灵活性，我们不确定这是否会在鸟类和哺乳动物中发现。 Zanette博士已经表明，鸣禽：1）在捕食者自然更丰富的地方遭受慢性压力; 2）在捕食者不太丰富的地方，只有在应对更多食物时才能显着增加繁殖成功率; 3）当暴露于捕食者时，可能会产生比儿子少得多的女儿。 她的这些发现和其他发现多次出现在国际科学和大众媒体上。 Zanette博士现在将采取关键的下一步，在不列颠哥伦比亚省实验性地移除引入的（浣熊）和入侵的（棕色头燕八哥）捕食者，以量化对猎物的所有影响。她在墨西哥湾群岛南部进行研究。 Zanette博士和她的学生将测试对成年人的生理、行为和生殖输出的影响;以及对后代的生长、发育和生存的影响;在歌雀和鹿鼠中。 她和她的团队能够使用她设计的全球独一无二的数字视频系统来解决这些问题，该系统允许他们在行动中捕捉捕食者。 多亏了这个系统，Zanette博士现在可以进行实验性的捕食者清除，因为像大多数其他陆生脊椎动物生态学家一样，她以前无法说出谁是主要的捕食者。 除了解决基本的生态过程，Zanette博士的研究将用于规划新的南部海湾群岛国家公园的引进/入侵捕食者缓解计划。

Predators scare more prey than they kill. Killing prey obviously reduces their number but does scaring them do so as well? If so, then the predator's presence may have a far greater impact on the prey population than could be guessed from the kill rate. Minimizing the impact of introduced or invasive predators is crucial to the conservation of numerous species at risk. Dr Zanette's objectives are to, quantify the full impact of predators on terrestrial vertebrate (bird and mammal) prey, and so aid in effective conservation planning. Though recent work on insects and aquatic species shows that scaring prey can reduce their numbers faster than killing them does, it is not certain the same will be found in birds and mammals given their greater behavioural flexibility. Dr Zanette has already shown that songbirds: 1) suffer chronic stress where predators are naturally more abundant; 2) can only dramatically increase their reproductive success in response to more food, where predators are less abundant; and 3) may produce far fewer daughters than sons when exposed to predators. These and other of her discoveries have been repeatedly featured in both the international scientific, and popular, media. Dr Zanette will now take the critical next step of experimentally removing both an introduced (raccoon) and an invasive (brown-headed cowbird) predator to quantify all of the impacts on their prey, in B.C.'s southern Gulf Islands, where she conducts her research. Dr Zanette and her students will test the effects on the physiology, behaviour and reproductive output of adults; and the growth, development and survival of their young; in both song sparrows and deer mice. She and her team are singularly able to address these questions using a globally-unique, digital video system she designed that allows them to catch predators in the act. It is thanks to this system that Dr Zanette can now proceed with experimental predator removals since, like most other terrestrial vertebrate ecologists, she was previously unable to say who the principal predators were. In addition to addressing fundamental ecological processes, Dr Zanette's research will be used in planning an introduced/invasive predator mitigation program for the new Southern Gulf Islands National Park.