Evaluating diversionary feeding as a method to resolve conservation conflicts in a recovering ecosystem

Abstract

AbstractThe recovery of mammalian predators of conservation concern in Europe is a success story, but their impact on some prey species of conservation concern may cause conservation dilemmas. This calls for effective intervention strategies that mitigate predator impacts without compromising their recovery.We evaluated diversionary feeding as a management intervention tool to reduce depredation on nests of rapidly declining Western capercaillies in Scotland. We studied the influence of diversionary feeding provision on the fates of artificial nests deployed using a replicated and representative randomised landscape-scale experiment. This comprised paired control (no diversionary feeding) and treatment (diversionary feeding applied) sites, each with six artificial nests distributed across 600 km2. The experiment was conducted over two years, and in the second year, the control-treatment pairs were swapped.Diversionary feeding substantially reduced depredation of artificial nests, translating into an 83% increase in predicted nest survival over 28 days of incubation. The increase in survival was mostly accounted for by a reduction in the probability that a pine marten, the main nest predator, consumed or cached eggs. Diversionary food also significantly reduced nest predation by badgers, although the magnitude of this effect varied by year.Diversionary feeding is an easily employable method shown in this study to reduce predator impact (functional) without lethal (numerical) intervention. Managers should proceed with its application for conserving capercaillie in Scotland without delay.