Scaredy Cats: How Pumas' Fear of Humans Impacts the Santa Cruz Mountains Ecosystem

When considering how species interact with one another, we often think of the food chain – the pattern of how species consume each other. However, the struggle not to be eaten is just as important to animal community structure. Animal fear responses to their predators are powerful drivers of species interactions and ecosystem function. But what happens when it is us who instill fear in animals? This talk will discuss the downstream effects of human-induced fear in the Santa Cruz Mountains' last large carnivore, the puma. By unpacking seven years of data from the Santa Cruz Puma Project, this talk will explore relationships between people, pumas, and the greater Santa Cruz Mountains ecosystem.

Speaker: Justine Smith, UCSC