Wolf prey selection in an elk-bison system: choice or circumstance?
Number of files: 1
Item Metadata
Dublin Core
Title
Wolf prey selection in an elk-bison system: choice or circumstance?
Description
What a predator eats when given choices, and the subsequent effects of this behavior on ecosystem stability, has long been a topic of interest for ecologists. Prey selection is influenced by the absolute and relative abundances of prey types, the life history characteristics of predators and prey, and the attributes of the environment in which these interactions occur. Strong preference by a predator for a particular prey type can lead to ecosystem instability, while prey switching can lessen predation effects on the less abundant prey and enhance system stability. Evaluating prey selection in large mammal systems is difficult due to the broad spatial and temporal scales at which these predatory interactions occur, and investigations, particularly with wolf-ungulate systems, typically involve only the primary prey. Multiple prey species characterize most large mammal predator-prey systems, therefore research into predator-multiple prey dynamics has the potential to yield important ecological insights. We studied winter prey selection during 1996–1997 through 2006–2007 in a newly established wolf-elk-bison system where prey differed substantially in their vulnerability to wolf (Canis lupus) predation and wolves preyed primarily on elk (Cervus elaphus) but also used bison (Bison bison) to varying degrees within and among winters and packs. We analyzed the relative influences of prey abundance, predator abundance, and environmental variables on the selection of prey species and age classes and evaluated whether wolves exhibited prey switching from elk to bison.
Bibliographic Citation
Becker, M. S., R. A. Garrott, P. J. White, C. N. Gower, E. J. Bergman and R. Jaffe. 2008. Wolf prey selection in an elk-bison system: choice or circumstance? Pages 305-337 in Garrott, R.A., P.J. White and F.G.R. Watson, editors. The ecology of large mammals in central Yellowstone: sixteen years of integrated field studies. Academic Press, New York, New York, USA. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1936-7961(08)00216-9
Creator
Becker, Matthew S.
Garrott, Robert A.
White, P.J.
Gower, Claire N.
Bergman, Eric J.
Jaffe, Rosemary
Subject
Prey selection
Wolf
Elk
Bison
Extent
33 pages
Date Created
2008-11-14
Type
Article
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Is Part Of
Terrestrial Ecology
Collection
Citation
Becker, Matthew S. et al., “Wolf prey selection in an elk-bison system: choice or circumstance?,” CPW Digital Collections, accessed October 31, 2025, https://cpw.cvlcollections.org/items/show/269.