Fine-tuning coexistence: Wildlife's short-term responses to dynamic human disturbance patterns

Abstract

Anthropogenic disturbance elicits adaptive responses in wildlife, generally aimed at risk-avoidance, ultimately imposing constraints on their spatial and temporal niches. Previous studies have largely focused on long-term adaptive responses to stable human pressure, but rapid adjustments in wildlife’s diel and habitat use patterns in response to fine-scale variations in human presence have so far been overlooked. In this study we estimate short-term spatio-temporal deviations in local habitat use and diel activity of medium and large mammal species in response to rapid variations in human disturbance. We employed a year-long camera-trapping within a small private reserve, and recorded spatio-temporal information on all sources of anthropogenic disturbance in the area. By controlling for the average habitat use and diel activity, we explored fine-scale spatiotemporal adjustments in seven mammal species. We found evidence of spatial and/or temporal avoidance across all species, except wild boar, with variations in magnitude and direction coherent with species traits and expected levels of human-tolerance. Most species exhibited temporal avoidance of human activities, with porcupine and roe deer eliciting particularly strong responses. Notably, foxes concurrently displayed temporal avoidance and spatial attraction, likely driven by the presence of anthropogenic trophic resources. Our study underscores the role of behavioral plasticity in enabling wildlife to adjust daily habitat use and activity patterns to varying levels of human pressure across space and time. Understanding these nuanced behavioral strategies can help to promote wildlife-human coexistence and mitigating the adverse impacts of human presence on wildlife fitness.