Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Human Shields And Redistribution Of Prey Species Complicate The Utility Of Protected Areas As Ecological Baselines, Wesley Sarmento

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A key goal of protected areas is the conservation of biodiversity, an aim that garners increasing public support through positive experiences. Increasing visitation, however, can come at the cost of reduced ecological integrity. A fundamental conundrum is that if parks are to serve as our most pristine places, then we must understand how our presence alters species interactions. Species redistributing closer to people is of growing management concern both in and out of national parks because of 1) human safety, 2) animal health, and 3) ecological consequences. Across parks drivers of distributional change are often dissimilar, and include movement to …