White-tailed deer responses to acoustic predator cues are contingent upon past land use and contemporary fire regime

Journal Article · 13 September 2023 · Behavioral Ecology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arad071 · OSTI ID:2205151

Bartel, Savannah L. ^[1]; Kilgo, John C.  ^[2]; Orrock, John L.  ^[3]

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1. Washington State University, Pullman, WA (United States); University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); USDA Forest Service-Savannah River
2. USDA Forest Service, New Ellenton, SC (UnitedStates). Southern Research Station
3. University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

Prey can assess the immediate risk of predation by detecting cues of predator presence, and it is expected that prey should invest in costly antipredator behaviors when a cue of predator presence is detected. Features of the habitat in which the cue is detected, such as vegetative concealment, serve as indirect cues of risk and can mediate how prey respond to direct cues of predator presence. Past agricultural land use and contemporary fire regimes are common disturbances that may modify prey perceptions of risk and could, therefore, alter prey responses to direct cues of predator presence. Here we examined whether the overlap of these two disturbances affected white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) responses to cues of predator presence by measuring deer vigilance and foraging bout duration in response to coyote (Canis latrans) vocalizations across 20 woodlands that varied in past land use and contemporary fire regime. Frequent fire regimes consistently increased deer visibility to predators across both land-use history contexts. Deer exhibited no behavioral response to the predator cue in habitats containing infrequent fire regimes or agricultural legacies. Deer responded to the cue in frequently burned woodlands without agricultural legacies through increased vigilance and time spent at a foraging location. These findings reveal that land-use legacies and contemporary fire regimes can mediate how prey respond to direct cues of risk. They also suggest that prey may balance the uncertainty associated with cues of predation risk with the urgency of responding to a potential attack by being vigilant and remaining in place.

• Research Organization: Washington State University, Pullman, WA (United States); University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU); Albert R. and Alma Shadle Fellowship; Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program
• Contributing Organization: USDA Forest Service-Savannah River
• Grant/Contract Number: 89303720SEM000037
• OSTI ID: 2205151
• Report Number(s): 23-10--P; 23-10-P
• Journal Information: Behavioral Ecology, Journal Name: Behavioral Ecology Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 34; ISSN 1045-2249
• Publisher: International Society of Behavioral EcologyCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English