Managing wildlife tolerance to humans for ecosystem goods and services.

Abstract

Many animals can vary their behaviors to better utilize anthropogenic environments. Wildlife living in highly disturbed environments often show an increased tolerance towards humans. While animal behavior can play a vital role in producing and delivering ecosystem services, we know less about how variation in wildlife tolerance to humans can influence ecosystem services. Increased tolerance to humans changes a variety of animal behaviors, and these behavioral modifications, such as changes to foraging, habitat selection, and movement, can alter the supply and flow of both ecosystem services and disservices. We highlight the need to understand the links between increased tolerance to humans and ecosystem services to develop an effective tool to enhance services while minimizing the risk of creating disservices.