Landscapes of Fear: Spatial Patterns of Risk Perception and Response

Kaitlyn M Gaynor; Joel S Brown; Arthur D Middleton; Mary E Power; Justin S Brashares

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2019.01.004

Landscapes of Fear: Spatial Patterns of Risk Perception and Response

Trends Ecol Evol. 2019 Apr;34(4):355-368. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.01.004. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Authors

Kaitlyn M Gaynor¹, Joel S Brown², Arthur D Middleton³, Mary E Power⁴, Justin S Brashares⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@kaitlyngaynor%20.
² Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 West Taylor Street (MC 066), Chicago, IL 60607, USA; Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Dr., Tampa, FL 33612, USA; These authors contributed equally to this work.
³ Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; These authors contributed equally to this work.
⁴ Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, 3060 Valley Life Sciences Building #3140, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; These authors contributed equally to this work.
⁵ Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.

PMID: 30745252
DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.01.004

Abstract

Animals experience varying levels of predation risk as they navigate heterogeneous landscapes, and behavioral responses to perceived risk can structure ecosystems. The concept of the landscape of fear has recently become central to describing this spatial variation in risk, perception, and response. We present a framework linking the landscape of fear, defined as spatial variation in prey perception of risk, to the underlying physical landscape and predation risk, and to resulting patterns of prey distribution and antipredator behavior. By disambiguating the mechanisms through which prey perceive risk and incorporate fear into decision making, we can better quantify the nonlinear relationship between risk and response and evaluate the relative importance of the landscape of fear across taxa and ecosystems.

Keywords: antipredator behavior; landscape of fear; nonlethal effects; predation risk; predator–prey; risk effects.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Ecosystem*
Fear
Predatory Behavior*