Influence of landscape composition on spatiotemporal interactions between sympatric canids

Apex carnivores influence subordinate carnivores through intraguild competition. Landscape composition and configuration may mediate interactions between sympatric carnivores though intervening landscape-level effects on these interactions are relatively unknown. We used three years of detection data (2018-2020) from 381 sites in Kansas, USA, and Bayesian two-species occupancy models to evaluate how the proportion of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) easements may influence spatial and temporal interactions between coyotes (Canis latrans), an apex carnivore, and swift foxes (Vulpes velox) in human-modified landscapes. Because both intraguild competition with, and predation by, coyotes may affect swift fox distributions, we also assessed how coyote presence influenced site occupancy, colonization, and persistence by swift fox at varying proportions of CRP around sites. Median site occupancy, colonization, and persistence by swift foxes was lower at sites where coyotes were present (0.013 [95% credible intervals {CrI} = 0.008-0.020]; 0.001 [95% CrI = 0.001-0.003]; 0.402 [95% CrI = 0.129-0.862]) than at sites where coyotes were absent (0.096 [95% CrI = 0.062-0.138]; 0.016 [95% CrI = 0.003-0.057]; 0.535 [95% CrI = 0.242-0.874]). The coefficient of temporal overlap between coyotes and swift foxes at sites where the proportion of CRP easements was ≥0.10 was significantly different (95% CIs did not overlap 95% CI of other measured activity) from the coefficient of overlap where CRP easements were <0.10. Swift foxes were influenced by coyotes through space and time only at sites surrounded by low proportions of CRP (≤0.04). Swift foxes and coyotes co-occurred more than would be expected by chance only when the proportion of CRP near a site was low (≤0.04). Swift foxes appear to avoid coyotes in areas where encounter risks are increased. Results from our study indicate that landscapes, and their inherent structure and composition, may influence intraguild interactions between canids in multiuse, agro-prairie ecosystems.