UC Berkeley

The ecological consequences of animal behaviors range from the fitness of individuals to the functioning of ecosystems. As historic patterns of animal behaviors change in response to changes in climate, land use, and human presence, there is a growing need to better understand the mechanisms by which wildlife perceive and respond to anthropogenic and environmental influences. Understanding how and why animals alter their behavior in anthropogenic spaces requires moving beyond general descriptions of behavioral patterns to investigate the biological mechanisms underpinning these behavioral responses. Such investigations would fill gaps in current theories of animal cognition and behavioral ecology while improving effectiveness of management and conservation efforts. In this dissertation, I aim to help fill these knowledge gaps by investigating the behavioral ecology of large carnivores, their ungulate prey, and migratory wildlife moving through areas where people live, work, and play. In chapter 1, I provide a brief introduction to key themes of wildlife behavioral ecology in the context of anthropogenic influence. In chapter 2, I work with collaborators to synthesize key insights from migration restoration efforts spanning diverse taxa and ecosystems. We use lessons learned to draw broad inference about the conditions under which lost migratory behaviors can be restored. In chapter 3, I use new data collected from wolf kill sites to investigate how humans change natural patterns of predation on native ungulates. Building on this work, chapter 4 investigates how ungulates perceive and respond to these human-influenced patterns of wolf predation risk. I conclude by discussing the considerable opportunities that exist to restore and facilitate the wildlife behaviors on which ecosystems are built. I urge ecologists, natural resource professionals, and policymakers to expand their concept of conservation beyond physical landscapes and species to include the behavior of wild animals moving through an increasingly human-dominated world.