NON-INVASIVE SAMPLING AND DNA METABARCODING REVEAL FORAGING PATTERNS AND SPACE-USE OF MONTANE CARNIVORE GUILD

Marie E Martin; marie.martin@oregonstate.edu; Sean M. Matthews, David S. Green, Jennifer Allen, Dustin Garrison, Jennifer Hartman, Heather Mackey, Mike McDonald, B. Heath Smith, Tessa R. Smith, Sarah L. Stock, Stevi L. Vanderzwan; Benjamin N. Sacks; Taal Levi

Interspecific competition is an integral force in animal communities, shaping the distributions, ecology, and behavior of sympatric species. We evaluated breadth and overlap of diets and space-use within a sympatric carnivore guild, including bobcats (Lynx rufus), cougars (Puma concolor), coyotes (Canis latrans), grey foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and Pacific martens (Martes caurina) in Yosemite National Park, CA using two approaches. We used DNA metabarcoding of scats to evaluate composition and overlap among diets and scat locations and remote camera detections to estimate the space-use of carnivores. From 1,176 scat samples, we identified 68 vertebrate prey species from 57 genera, 36 families, 16 orders, and five classes. Composition and body size of prey items varied among consumers. Space-use varied among carnivores with some (e.g., cougars, coyotes) occurring throughout Yosemite, while others predominantly occurred in lower (e.g., grey foxes) or higher (e.g., martens) elevations. Vegetation structure, topography, and precipitation correlated with both foraging patterns and space-use patterns within the carnivore guild. Our results suggest that changes in heterospecific occurrence and habitat could affect competition for space and resources in systems affected by continued climate and landscape change.

Genetics in Wildlife Science, Conservation, and Management - I 
Wednesday 1:05 PM