Why Mammals do Not Damage Entire Farmlands Like Insect Pests Do? A Review from a Behavioral Perspective

Abstract

Abstract. Crop damage caused by mammals is not uniformly distributed and is more localized near the forest; this damage distribution differs from that of insect pests. Species that cause damage are often forest inhabitants and hence the damage sites are also biased toward the forest edge. However, these species do not necessarily use forests as their home ranges for cover or shelter, but may be entirely urban (e.g., urban bears). Forest vegetation cannot be considered essential for these species, as this contradicts the behavior of animals that use urbanized areas only. Our review illustrates why crop damage is uneven, localized at forest edges, and less likely to occur on farmlands away from forests in terms of population density, food availability, personality, habituation, and human behavior. This review reveals the role and risk perception of human disturbances. If risk of farmland is perceived to be greater than the true risk, mammals prefer farmlands near forests with low degrees of human disturbances (perceptual trap). The current damage distribution is a result of this perceptual trap because hunting pressures are not always higher in farmlands than in forests.