Human-Dominated Landscapes Driving Behavioral Responses and Movement Patterns of Carnivores During Seasonal Food Scarcity

Abstract

Human dominated landscapes are increasingly influencing carnivore ecology, affecting the structure of the landscape, prey availability, and movement opportunities. The behavioral and spatial responses of carnivores to a human-modified environment when food is scarce in the season are explored in this study. The main objective is to measure shifts in the movement patterns, habitat selection, and activity schedules under different resources. The study took place in a mosaic landscape of forest patches, agricultural fields, and peri-urban areas, and involved GPS telemetry and camera trap surveys of four carnivore species throughout both food-rich and food-scarce seasons: golden jackal (Canis aureus), jungle cat (Felis chaus), Indian fox (Vulpes bengalensis), and leopard (Panthera pardus). Movement data were processed with kernel density estimation, step selection functions, and generalized linear mixed models, and temporal activity patterns were evaluated with circular statistics. The results show that the movement intensity is significantly different during the food-abundant season and the food-scarce season, with mean daily distances traveled increasing from 6.2–9.3 km/day during the food-abundant season to 7.9–13.7 km/day during the food-scarce season. Home range sizes increased by an average of 65–85%, and nocturnal activity rose from 50–61% to 72–83% (Watson's