An apex carnivore’s life history mediates a predator cascade

Apex predators can shape communities via cascading top–down effects, but the degree to which such effects depend on predator life history traits is largely unknown. Within carnivore guilds, complex hierarchies of dominance facilitate coexistence, whereby subordinate species avoid dominant counterparts by partitioning space, time, or both. We investigated whether a major trait (hibernation) in an apex (black bears Ursus americanus) mediated its spatio-temporal dynamics three sympatric mesocarnivore (coyotes Canis latrans, bobcats Lynx rufus, and gray foxes Urocyon cinereoargenteus) across 15,000 km2 landscape western USA. compared top–down, bottom–up, environmental these mesocarnivores using integrated modeling approach. Black exerted that varied as function hibernation were stronger than bottom–up impacts. High black bear activity summer fall appeared buffer most (gray foxes) from competition with bobcats), turn released winter early spring. The responses occurred space (i.e., altered occupancy site visitation intensity) rather time diel patterns unaffected). These results suggest this system principally shaped spatial cascade interference hibernation. Thus, certain might coexistence among competing over broad scales, implications for lower trophic levels.