Beneficial Spillover Effects of Antipredation Interventions Support Human–Carnivore Coexistence

ABSTRACT Reducing human–wildlife conflict is critical for global biodiversity conservation and supporting livelihoods in landscapes where people and wildlife co‐occur. Interventions intended to reduce conflicts and their negative outcomes are diverse and widespread, yet there is often a dearth of em...

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Main Authors: Jonathan Salerno, Rekha Warrier, Stewart W. Breck, Neil H. Carter, Joel Berger, Brendan J. Barrett, Justine Robert Lukumay, Joseph Francis Kaduma, Ana Grau, Amy J. Dickman, Kevin R. Crooks
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-03-01
Series:Conservation Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13085
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author Jonathan Salerno
Rekha Warrier
Stewart W. Breck
Neil H. Carter
Joel Berger
Brendan J. Barrett
Justine Robert Lukumay
Joseph Francis Kaduma
Ana Grau
Amy J. Dickman
Kevin R. Crooks
author_facet Jonathan Salerno
Rekha Warrier
Stewart W. Breck
Neil H. Carter
Joel Berger
Brendan J. Barrett
Justine Robert Lukumay
Joseph Francis Kaduma
Ana Grau
Amy J. Dickman
Kevin R. Crooks
author_sort Jonathan Salerno
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Reducing human–wildlife conflict is critical for global biodiversity conservation and supporting livelihoods in landscapes where people and wildlife co‐occur. Interventions intended to reduce conflicts and their negative outcomes are diverse and widespread, yet there is often a dearth of empirical evidence regarding effectiveness, particularly at appropriate spatiotemporal scales. We investigate an underappreciated question relevant to large carnivore–livestock systems globally regarding spillover effects of anti‐conflict interventions: Do fortified livestock enclosures modify carnivore predation on livestock for neighbors who lack such interventions? We use ca. 25,000 monthly reports from agropastoralists in an East African landscape critical for large carnivore conservation. Results from Bayesian multilevel statistical models demonstrate robust effects of fortified livestock enclosures in reducing reported predation not only in target households, but also in neighboring households that lack such fortification—a beneficial spillover effect. Results provide empirical evidence for policy and practice regarding tools to reduce large carnivore conflicts while pointing to the important role of complex‐systems processes in determining coexistence outcomes.
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issn 1755-263X
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publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Wiley
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series Conservation Letters
spelling doaj-art-e4e50cca693f492f9d34130a282927512025-08-20T02:28:50ZengWileyConservation Letters1755-263X2025-03-01182n/an/a10.1111/conl.13085Beneficial Spillover Effects of Antipredation Interventions Support Human–Carnivore CoexistenceJonathan Salerno0Rekha Warrier1Stewart W. Breck2Neil H. Carter3Joel Berger4Brendan J. Barrett5Justine Robert Lukumay6Joseph Francis Kaduma7Ana Grau8Amy J. Dickman9Kevin R. Crooks10Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USADepartment of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USANational Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USASchool for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USADepartment of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Fort, Collins, Colorado 80523 Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USADepartment for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department of Biology & Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior University of Konstanz Konstanz GermanyNelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology Lion Landscapes Arusha TanzaniaLion Landscapes Iringa TanzaniaLion Landscapes Iringa TanzaniaLion Landscapes Iringa TanzaniaDepartment of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Center for Human‐Carnivore Coexistence Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USAABSTRACT Reducing human–wildlife conflict is critical for global biodiversity conservation and supporting livelihoods in landscapes where people and wildlife co‐occur. Interventions intended to reduce conflicts and their negative outcomes are diverse and widespread, yet there is often a dearth of empirical evidence regarding effectiveness, particularly at appropriate spatiotemporal scales. We investigate an underappreciated question relevant to large carnivore–livestock systems globally regarding spillover effects of anti‐conflict interventions: Do fortified livestock enclosures modify carnivore predation on livestock for neighbors who lack such interventions? We use ca. 25,000 monthly reports from agropastoralists in an East African landscape critical for large carnivore conservation. Results from Bayesian multilevel statistical models demonstrate robust effects of fortified livestock enclosures in reducing reported predation not only in target households, but also in neighboring households that lack such fortification—a beneficial spillover effect. Results provide empirical evidence for policy and practice regarding tools to reduce large carnivore conflicts while pointing to the important role of complex‐systems processes in determining coexistence outcomes.https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13085African lion (Panthera leo)East Africahuman–wildlife conflictleopard (Panthera pardus)livestock depredationRuaha‐Rungwa Landscape
spellingShingle Jonathan Salerno
Rekha Warrier
Stewart W. Breck
Neil H. Carter
Joel Berger
Brendan J. Barrett
Justine Robert Lukumay
Joseph Francis Kaduma
Ana Grau
Amy J. Dickman
Kevin R. Crooks
Beneficial Spillover Effects of Antipredation Interventions Support Human–Carnivore Coexistence
Conservation Letters
African lion (Panthera leo)
East Africa
human–wildlife conflict
leopard (Panthera pardus)
livestock depredation
Ruaha‐Rungwa Landscape
title Beneficial Spillover Effects of Antipredation Interventions Support Human–Carnivore Coexistence
title_full Beneficial Spillover Effects of Antipredation Interventions Support Human–Carnivore Coexistence
title_fullStr Beneficial Spillover Effects of Antipredation Interventions Support Human–Carnivore Coexistence
title_full_unstemmed Beneficial Spillover Effects of Antipredation Interventions Support Human–Carnivore Coexistence
title_short Beneficial Spillover Effects of Antipredation Interventions Support Human–Carnivore Coexistence
title_sort beneficial spillover effects of antipredation interventions support human carnivore coexistence
topic African lion (Panthera leo)
East Africa
human–wildlife conflict
leopard (Panthera pardus)
livestock depredation
Ruaha‐Rungwa Landscape
url https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13085
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