Effects of Management of Domestic Dogs and Recreation on Carnivores in Protected Areas in Northern California

: In developed countries dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are permitted to accompany human visitors to many protected areas (e.g., >96% of protected lands in California, U.S.A.), and protected-area management often focuses on regulating dogs due to concerns about predation, competition, or transmission of disease and conflicts with human visitors. In 2004 and 2005, we investigated whether carnivore species richness and abundance were associated with management of domestic dogs and recreational visitation in protected areas in northern California. We surveyed for mammalian carnivores and human visitors in 21 recreation areas in which dogs were allowed offleash or onleash or were excluded, and we compared our observations in the recreation areas with observations in seven reference sites that were not open to the public. Carnivore abundance and species richness did not differ among the three types of recreation areas, but native carnivore species richness was 1.7 times greater (p < 0.01) and the relative abundances of native coyotes (Canis latrans) and bobcats (Lynx rufus) were over four times greater (p < 0.01) in the reference sites. Abundances of bobcats and all carnivores declined as the number of visitors increased. The policy on domestic dogs did not appear to affect species richness and abundance of mammalian carnivores. But the number of dogs we observed was strongly associated with human visitation (R2= 0.54), so the key factors associated with recreational effects on carnivores appear to be the presence and number of human visitors to protected areas. Resumen: En paises desarrollados, se permite que perros (Canis lupus familiaris) acompanen a visitantes humanos en muchas areas protegidas (e.g., > 96% de las areas protegidas en California, E.U.A.), y el manejo de areas protegidas a menudo se enfoca en la regulacion de perros debido a preocupaciones respecto a la depredacion, competencia o transmision de enfermedades y conflictos con visitantes humanos. En 2004 y 2005 investigamos si la riqueza y abundancia de especies de carnivoros se asociaban con el manejo de perros domesticos y la visita recreativa en areas protegidas en el norte de California. Muestreamos mamiferos carnivoros y visitantes humanos en 21 areas en las que se permitian perros con o sin correa o que fueran excluidos, y comparamos nuestras observaciones en las areas recreativas con observaciones en 7 sitios de referencia que no estaban abiertos al publico. La riqueza y abundancia de carnivoros no difirio en los 3 tipos de areas recreativas, pero la riqueza de especies de carnivoros fue 1.7 veces mayor (p < 0.01) y las abundancias relativas de coyotes nativos (Canis latrans) y linces (Lynx rufus) fueron mas de 4 veces mayores (p < 0.01) en los sitios de referencia. La abundancia de linces y de todos los carnivoros declino a medida que el incrementaba el numero de visitantes. La politica sobre perros domesticos parecio no afectar a la riqueza y abundancia de mamiferos carnivoros. Pero el numero de perros que observamos estaba fuertemente asociado con la visita de humanos (R2= 0.54), asi que los factores clave asociados con los efectos de actividades recreativas sobre carnivoros parecen ser la presencia y numero de visitantes humanos a las areas protegidas.