Puma predation subsidizes an obligate scavenger in the high Andes

PERRIG, PAULA L.; PAULI, JONATHAN N.; DONADIO, EMILIANO; MIDDLETON, ARTHUR D.

Madison

Congreso; 3rd North American Congress for Conservation Biology; 2016

Society for Conservation Biology

Apex predators can have strong, positive effects on scavengers by increasing carrion availability. We investigated the importance of puma (Puma concolor) predation on its native camelid prey (Vicugna vicugna and Lama guanicoe) in food provisioning for Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) in the high Andes of northwestern Argentina. Field investigations of 106 fresh camelid carcasses showed that puma predation represented the overwhelming (94%) cause of camelid mortality. In turn, camelids represented 88% of the prey items identified from 183 condor pellets. Isotopic analyses of 86 molted feathers from individuals identified via multilocus genotyping revealed that camelids and livestock represent 45-58% and 23-38% of condor assimilated biomass, respectively. We demonstrated that puma predation plays a key role in the foraging ecology of Andean condors. Our results highlight the importance of predatory processes to maintaining scavengers, and a community approach to biodiversity conservation.