Temporal overlap of human and apex predator activity on wildlife trails and forest roads

The daily activity patterns of animals are modulated by external factors such as habitat selection, temporal niche prey availability and predation risk. Furthermore, different species show a variety responses to human disturbance; therefore, understand the effects activities on wildlife, it is crucial consider disturbance characteristics (e.g. type, frequency, timing location activity). Our objective was evaluate whether vehicles forest roads altered three apex predators; Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), grey wolf (Canis lupus) brown bear (Ursus arctos), using an extensive camera trap data set collected across gradient wildlife trails in Croatian part Dinaric mountains. We expected low overlap between humans predators but predicted this even lower at sites where present. Consistent with our expectations, general all low, former being primarily active night/dawn/dusk hours latter during daylight hours. In contrast, results showed similarity more frequent diverse.