The ecological impact of humans and dogs on wildlife in protected areas in eastern North America
Abstract The establishment of protected areas is a key strategy for preserving biodiversity. However, human use of protected areas can cause disturbance to wildlife, especially in areas that allow hunting and if humans are accompanied by dogs (Canis familiaris) We used citizen science run camera traps to investigate how humans, dogs and coyotes (Canis latrans) used 33 protected areas and analyzed behavioral responses by three prey species: white tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and northern raccoon (Procyon lotor) We obtained 52,863 detections of native wildlife, 162,418 detections of humans and 23,332 detections of dogs over 42,874 camera nights. Most dogs (99% were on the trail, and 89% of off trail dogs were accompanied by humans. Prey avoided dogs, humans and coyotes temporally, but did not avoid them spatially, or greatly increase vigilance. Our results indicate that humans are perceived as a greater risk than coyotes, and this increases when dogs accompany their owners. The concentration of dogs on the trail with their owners, and relatively minor behavioral impacts on prey, contrasts the strong negative ecological effects found in studies of free ranging dogs. We found dog management to be effective: prohibiting dogs in protected areas reduced their use of an area by a factor of 10 and leash laws increased leashing rates by 21% Although millions of dogs use natural areas in North America each year, regulations enacted by protected areas combined with responsible management of dog behavior greatly reduce the ecological impact of man's best friend.