Abstract:
Hunting can fundamentally alter wildlife population dynamics, but the
consequences of hunting on pathogen transmission and evolution remain
poorly understood. Here we present a study that leverages a unique
landscape-scale experiment coupled with pathogen transmission tracing,
network simulation and phylodynamics to provide insights into how
hunting shapes viral dynamics in puma (Puma concolor ). We show
that removing hunting pressure enhances the role of males in
transmission, increases the viral population growth rate and the role of
evolutionary forces on the pathogen (higher purifying and diversifying
selection) compared with when hunting was reinstated. Changes in
transmission could be linked to short term social changes as male
population increases. These findings are supported through comparison
with a region with stable hunting management over the same time period.
This study shows that routine wildlife management can have profound
impacts on pathogen transmission and evolution not previously
considered.