![]() ![]() Changes in predator–prey interactions 7, shifts in diel activity patterns 15– 17 and wildlife movement 18 associated with human activities have led to increased sightings, nuisance reports, and even increased harvest reports of some species, as well as an unprecedented rise in reported interactions between humans and carnivores 19. Thus, the importance of effective land management and planning that balances the needs of humans and wildlife 2, 12 is critical for promoting effective global carnivore conservation and recolonization 10.Īs urban environments continue to expand, growing evidence suggests that human activity results in a dynamic landscape of fear 13, in which wildlife, particularly carnivore species with a history of persecution by humans, perceive humans as ‘super predators’ 7, 14, 15 and respond by modifying their habitat use and behavior 7. Yet, there are still many causes for conservation optimism due to the successful recolonization of some large carnivores across extensive swaths of their historic ranges despite substantial human-modified changes to the global landscape 1, 10, 11. ![]() As anthropogenic development continues to increase, carnivores’ large home range size, low population densities, high metabolic demands associated with large body size 4, and direct persecution due to hunting 5– 9 make them especially vulnerable to landscape changes. Large mammalian carnivores are often elusive, wide-ranging species that have a history of conflict and controversy surrounding their conservation due to mixed human perceptions 1, 2 and contentious decision-making regarding management, resulting in most carnivore species experiencing continued rapid population declines and loss of habitat worldwide 3, 4. Understanding black bear responses to human recreation patterns and environmental variation is essential for minimizing human-mediated disturbance, and fueling conservation efforts of large, charismatic carnivores. Our results suggest bears prioritize avoiding humans spatially, rather than temporally, except during the hunting season and when cubs are present. Human recreational activity increased ~ 38% after hibernation, but bear diurnal activity also increased ~ 36%, except when cubs were present. Bears were more nocturnal during the hunting season, before hibernation. Using 30 camera traps deployed across a rural–wildland interface, we captured black bears at 23 camera sites (~ 77%), which exhibited co-occurrence with humans at 10 sites (~ 33%), revealing that human presence and human population density exert negative effects on black bear seasonal occupancy. ![]() We investigated how environmental and anthropogenic factors influence black bear occupancy, detection, and diel activity patterns across the anthropogenic–wildland interface before and after hibernation. In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, American black bears ( Ursus americanus), a highly mobile, opportunistic species, are common despite an extensive outdoor recreation industry with the potential to affect black bear spatial and temporal activity. Protected areas serve an important role in wildlife conservation, yet most wildlife occur outside these areas, subject to varying degrees of human disturbance. ![]()
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