TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2021//
TI  - Wolves make roadways safer, generating large economic returns to predator conservation
JO  - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
A1  - Raynor, Jennifer L.
A1  - Grainger, Corbett A.
A1  - Parker, Dominic P.
SP  - e202325111
EP  - e202325111
VL  - 118
IS  - 22
N2  - Recent studies uncover cascading ecological effects resulting from removing and reintroducing predators into a landscape, but little is known about effects on human lives and property. We quantify the effects of restoring wolf populations by evaluating their influence on deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) in Wisconsin. We show that, for the average county, wolf entry reduced DVCs by 24%, yielding an economic benefit that is 63 times greater than the costs of verified wolf predation on livestock. Most of the reduction is due to a behavioral response of deer to wolves rather than through a deer population decline from wolf predation. This finding supports ecological research emphasizing the role of predators in creating a "landscape of fear." It suggests wolves control economic damages from overabundant deer in ways that human deer hunters cannot.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0027-8424
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2023251118
ID  - ref1
ER  -