UC Santa Cruz

Human disturbance is one of the most pervasive forces shaping wildlife behavior, and there is growing recognition that human presence itself acts as a distinct form of disturbance. Outdoor recreation is an increasingly popular form of human presence with potential impacts on wildlife, particularly large carnivores whose large spatial and energetic requirements frequently bring them into close contact – and conflict – with people. As interest in outdoor recreation grows, so too does the need to understand it’s impact on wildlife behavior so that we can develop management strategies that support the interests of both people and wildlife. In my dissertation I explore how outdoor recreation impacts mountain lion (Puma concolor) behavior and how we can apply our understanding of human-mountain interactions to develop effective management strategies that promote human-carnivore coexistence. First, I quantify mountain lion response to recreational activity using a novel metric of recreation intensity. I then explore individual variation in mountain lion response to recreation and ask if differences in individual behavioral responses scale up to affect the risk of human-mountain lion conflict (Chapter 1). Next, I investigate the efficacy of two novel behavioral modification strategies that aim to reduce the potential for human-mountain lion conflict on recreational landscapes (Chapter 2). These tools offer non-lethal alternatives to carnivore management in high-human use areas and attempt to reduce potential conflict by reducing spatiotemporal overlap between people and carnivores. Finally, I apply our findings to develop a human-mountain lion interaction management plan that synthesizes what we know about mountain lion ecology to develop management recommendations that support the long-term population persistence of mountain lions in the Santa Cruz Mountains (Chapter 3). This work attempts to integrate novel research findings with applied management practices to support the long-term conservation of carnivore populations living on human-dominated landscapes.