Trophic downgrading of an adaptable carnivore in an urbanising landscape
Gabriella R. M. Leighton, William Froneman, Laurel E. K. Serieys, Jacqueline M. Bishop · 2023
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Description
Gabriella Leighton and co-authors show that caracals around Cape Town are feeding lower on the food chain as the city grows, in a 2023 study. Urban growth reshapes what wild animals can eat. Top predators vanish, and human food waste floods the system. Mid-sized hunters like the caracal then face a predation paradox. Their wild prey may shrink while easy scraps abound.
Fur samples carry chemical traces of long-term diet. Stable isotope analysis read the cats' trophic position and diet breadth. Urban and wildland cats were compared across the region. Diets shifted toward lower trophic levels near the city. Niche overlap between groups also changed. Conservationists gain evidence that ecological roles erode quietly in cities.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Gabriella R. M. Leighton, William Froneman, Laurel E. K. Serieys, Jacqueline M. Bishop |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2023 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 46 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |