Variation in anthropogenic tolerance alters dispersal capacity of a large carnivore

Abstract

Population connectivity is essential for long-term species persistence, and a major challenge to the conservation of isolated wildlife populations globally. Understanding how individual variation in movement behavior scales up to affect population connectivity across human-dominated landscapes is essential for the development and implementation of effective conservation and management plans, particularly for wide-ranging species with potential for human-wildlife conflict. Based on the observed movement behavior of 84 pumas (Puma concolor) in the Santa Cruz Mountains, we characterized individual variation in tolerance towards anthropogenic presence and used EcoScape, a novel functional habitat connectivity algorithm, to predict how individual differences in behavior affect the connectivity and dispersal capacity of an at-risk carnivore population. We found that individual differences in human tolerance have a greater effect than sex-based differences on modeled ability to disperse through anthropogenic landscapes, and strongly influence connectivity. This work highlights how individual variation in animal responses to human disturbance affects dispersal capacity, and offers a novel approach to predicting the persistence of metapopulations in the context of rapid global change.