Predicting the evolutionary consequences of trophy hunting on a quantitative trait

Can compensatory culling offset undesirable evolutionary consequences of trophy hunting?

1. There is growing concern about the evolutionary consequences of human harvesting on phenotypic trait quality in wild populations. Undesirable consequences are especially likely with trophy hunting because of its strong bias for specific phenotypic trait values, such as large antlers in cervids and horns in bovids. Selective hunting can cause a decline in a trophy trait over time if it is her...

The Lion’s Share? on the Economic Benefits of Trophy Hunting

Reply to Hedrick et al.: Trophy hunting influences the distribution of trait values through demographic impacts.

Coltman et al. (1) claimed that the “production of smaller-horned, lighter rams and fewer trophies” is “an evolutionary response to sport hunting of bighorn trophy rams.” Using data from the same population, we conclude (2) that the very rapid shift in body mass they report was principally demographic in origin rather than evolutionary. Our conclusions are further supported by additional resear...

Incentivizing Monitoring and Compliance in Trophy Hunting

Conservation scientists are increasingly focusing on the drivers of human behavior and on the implications of various sources of uncertainty for management decision making. Trophy hunting has been suggested as a conservation tool because it gives economic value to wildlife, but recent examples show that overharvesting is a substantial problem and that data limitations are rife. We use a case st...

Banning Trophy Hunting Will Exacerbate Biodiversity Loss.

International pressure to ban trophy hunting is increasing. However, we argue that trophy hunting can be an important conservation tool, provided it can be done in a controlled manner to benefit biodiversity conservation and local people. Where political and governance structures are adequate, trophy hunting can help address the ongoing loss of species.