Predator-Prey Dynamics: From Theory to Management conference

Predation is one of the most fundamental interactions in ecology because it is a primary mechanism of energy transfer among trophic levels. The effects of predation on prey populations are continually debated in the literature, even within a specific study system. Is predation compensatory (i.e. animals would have died anyway, were they not eaten), is it limiting (does it reduce the number of prey), or even regulating (is it dependent on the density of prey)? And how do we integrate new ideas, such as non-lethal effects of predation, with the more classical view of predation? An upcoming Columbia Mountains Institute conference will address these questions and others. It will be an excellent opportunity for scientists, managers, students, hunters, and guide-outfitters to learn about some of the current thinking on predator-prey interactions for mammals and birds.

The conference will include speakers and a poster session addressing terrestrial predator-prey systems as well as a training workshop, where participants can learn how to build and run basic predator-prey models (e.g., using Excel or R). Real world examples from the Kootenays and elsewhere in North America will be presented.

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