Click here to view Michael's PowerPoint presentation with audio
Predation Impacts on Native Species and Vegetative Communities
Michael Bodenchuk, USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services, San Antonio, TX
Predation affects native wildlife in both abundance and in habitat use. Non-native predators can overwhelm naive prey which have not developed adaptive strategies for predation avoidance. Even native predators can negatively affect prey in altered ecosystems. Because prey species make habitat selections based on the risk of predation, even restored vegetative communities may not be utilized if predation impacts habitat use negatively. Restoration of western systems may require management of native predators and the elimination of non-native predators to assure investments in habitat are worthwhile.