Washington State U. study details 'landscape of fear' caused by humans in wildlife settings

A recent study published by Washington State University (WSU) and the U.S. National Park Service reveals that human presence can create a "landscape of fear" like other apex predators in areas rich with wildlife, according to a WSU Insider article published Jan. 19.

The study, published in the Scientific Reports journal, focused on Montana's Glacier National Park, where researchers found that 16 of 22 mammal species, including both predators and prey, altered their behavior in the presence of human hikers. Some animals completely abandoned places they frequented, others used them less frequently, and some became more active at night to avoid humans. 

Researchers expected to find an effect named "human shielding," which occurs when human presence causes larger predators to avoid the area, but the red fox was the only species to display this effect. The foxes were more present on and near trails when the park was open, which was possibly because coyotes, their main competitors, avoided those areas while humans were present.

Several species became less active in trail areas when the park was open, including black bears, elk and white-tailed deer. Other species, such as mule deer, snowshoe hares, grizzly bears and coyotes, decreased their daytime activities. Some species, such as cougars, appeared indifferent to human presence.

The study, conducted partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, found that low-impact recreation is concerning. The researchers stated that more studies are needed to determine if human presence has a negative impact on the species' survival.

“This study does not say that hiking is necessarily bad for wildlife but it does have some impacts on spatiotemporal ecology, or how wildlife uses a landscape and when,” said WSU master's graduate and study author Alissa Anderson. "Maybe they are not on the trails as much, but they’re using different places, and how much does that actually impact species’ ability to survive and thrive in a place, or not? There are a lot of questions about how this actually plays into population survival."

Glacier National Park, spread over 1,600 square miles of northwestern Montana, has more than 3 million human visitors per year. It also houses a diverse array of animals, including nearly all of the mammal species that have historically existed in the region. 

The study was supported by, both the Glacier National Park Conservancy, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“It’s obviously important that people are able to get out there, but there might be a level of which that starts to be problematic,” said WSU wildlife ecologist and senior study author Daniel Thornton. “Some additional research could help get a better understanding of that and help develop some guidelines and goals.”

The study was conducted through the use of camera traps near several trails to study lynx populations in Glacier National Park following the onset of COVID-19.  

To help keep the virus from spreading to the nearby Blackfeet Indian Reservation, the park's eastern portion was closed in 2020 and only allowed minimal access to administrators and researchers. This permitted Anderson, Thornton and study co-author and Glacier National Park employee John Waller to conduct a natural experiment. They captured images in summer 2020, while the park was closed, as well as in 2021, when it reopened.