DOI: 10.5061/dryad.tb2rbp044
title: Ungulate spatiotemporal responses to contrasting predation risk from wolves and snow leopards

description: Spatial responses to risk from multiple predators can precipitate emergent
 consequences for prey (i.e., multiple-predator effects, MPEs) and mediate
 indirect interactions between predators. How prey navigate risk from
 multiple predators may therefore have important ramifications for
 understanding the propagation of predation-risk effects (PREs) through
 ecosystems. The interaction of predator and prey traits has emerged as a
 potentially key driver of anti-predator behaviour but remains
 underexplored in large vertebrate systems, particularly where sympatric
 prey share multiple predators. We sought to better generalize our
 understanding of how predators influence their ecosystems by considering
 how multiple sources of contingency drive prey distribution in a
 multi-predator-multi-prey system. Specifically, we explored how two
 sympatric ungulates with different escape tactics – vertically agile,
 scrambling ibex (Capra sibirica) and sprinting argali (Ovis ammon) –
 responded to predation risk from shared predators with contrasting hunting
 modes – cursorial wolves (Canis lupus) and vertical-ambushing, stalking
 snow leopards (Panthera uncia). Contrasting risk posed by the two
 predators presented prey with clear trade-offs. Ibex selected for greater
 exposure to chronic long-term risk from snow leopards, and argali for
 wolves, in a nearly symmetrical manner that was predictable based on the
 compatibility of their respective traits. Yet, acute short-term risk from
 the same predator upended these long-term strategies, increasing each
 ungulate’s exposure to risk from the alternate predator in a manner
 consistent with a scenario in which conflicting anti-predator behaviours
 precipitate risk-enhancing MPEs and mediate predator facilitation. By
 contrast, reactive responses to wolves led ibex to reduce their exposure
 to risk from both predators – a risk-reducing MPE. Evidence of a similar
 reactive risk-reducing effect for argali vis-à-vis snow leopards was
 lacking. Our results suggest that prey spatial responses and any
 resulting MPEs and prey-mediated interactions between predators are
 contingent on the interplay of hunting mode and escape tactics. Further
 investigation of interactions among various drivers of contingency in PREs
 will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding and improved
 forecasting of the ecological effects of predators. 
description: Data and scripts underlying the manuscript "Ungulate
 spatiotemporal responses to contrasting predation risk from wolves and
 snow leopards." The data provided are derived from
 spatiotemporal location data recorded October 2015–October 2018 for snow
 leopards (<em>Panthera</em> <em>uncia</em>),
 wolves (<em>Canis</em> <em>lupus</em>), Siberian
 ibex (<em>Capra</em> <em>sibirica</em>), and
 argali (<em>Ovis</em> <em>ammon</em>) in and
 around the Sarychat-Ertash Reserve in the Jeti-Oguz region of the Issyk
 Kul Province of the Kyrgyz Republic. For wolves and snow leopards,
 location data were recorded via GPS collars (Vectronic) set to attempt 1
 fix for 180 s every 4 h (wolves) or 5 h (snow leopards). In total, 7 snow
 leopards and 2 wolves were collared. Ibex and argali location data were
 documented via direct observations recorded during point and transect
 surveys.  Raw location data are not provided in
 compliance with permitting agreements.
description: Data are provided as .zip folders containing .csv, .tif, .shp,
 and .Rdata files. Accompanying code is provided as .R scripts.