Top-Down and Bottom-Up Processes Jointly Explain Mesopredator Movement and Foraging Ecology.
| Title: | Top-Down and Bottom-Up Processes Jointly Explain Mesopredator Movement and Foraging Ecology. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Florko KRN; Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.; Ross TR; Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.; Ferguson SH; Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.; Northrup JM; Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.; Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.; Obbard ME; Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.; Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.; Thiemann GW; Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.; Yurkowski DJ; Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.; Auger-Méthé M; Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.; Department of Statistics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. |
| Source: | Ecology letters [Ecol Lett] 2026 Mar; Vol. 29 (3), pp. e70364. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101121949 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1461-0248 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 1461023X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Ecol Lett Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing; Original Publication: Oxford, UK : [Paris, France] : Blackwell Science ; Centre national de la recherche scientifique, c1998- |
| MeSH Terms: | Seals, Earless*/physiology ; Ursidae*/physiology ; Ecosystem* ; Feeding Behavior*; Fishes/physiology ; Animals ; Predatory Behavior ; Models, Biological ; Food Chain ; Movement |
| Abstract: | Prey availability and predation risk drive animal distribution, movement, and foraging ecology, yet studies rarely analyse multiple predator-prey levels together. Understanding how predators optimise risk-reward tradeoffs is important for species conservation and management, especially in systems facing extreme ecosystem change. We examined how top-down (modelled polar bear habitat selection) and bottom-up (modelled fish diversity) processes influence the habitat selection, movement, and foraging behaviour of 26 ringed seals (greater than 70,000 dives and 10,000 locations over 877 seal days). Our results suggest that polar bears spatially restrict seal movements and reduce the time seals spend foraging, potentially decreasing foraging success. Seals were more likely to be present and dive longer in high-predation risk areas when prey diversity was high. Further, seal habitat selection models excluding polar bears overestimated core space use. These findings illustrate the dynamic tradeoffs that mesopredators make when balancing predation risk and resource acquisition.; (© 2026 The Author(s). Ecology Letters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.) |
| Grant Information: | Weston Family Foundation; Canada Foundation for Innovation; ArcticNet; Canada Research Chairs; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Nunavut Wildlife Management Board; Polar Knowledge Canada; Canadian Wildlife Federation; Wildlife Conservation Society |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Arctic; foraging behaviour; habitat selection; landscape of fear; non‐consumptive effects; polar bear (Ursus maritimus); predator–prey dynamics; ringed seal (Pusa hispida); satellite telemetry; trophic interactions |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260314 Date Completed: 20260314 Latest Revision: 20260317 |
| Update Code: | 20260317 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC12988822 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/ele.70364 |
| PMID: | 41831238 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
Journal Article