Aïssa Morin 

In a first axis, I investigate the impact of climate change on mammalian predator-prey interactions. First, using theoretical predator-prey population dynamics modelling, I investigate how the interplay between climate-induced changes in prey abundance and prey vulnerability affects the short- and long-term responses of predator populations to climate change. This first chapter revealed that considering climate-induced changes in prey vulnerability to predation affected the expected responses of predator populations to climate fluctuations, both on the short and long terms. Second, I investigate one mechanism underlying this theoretical approach with field data. In this second chapter, I assess how increasing dryness influences the body condition of prey killed by an ambush predator, by studying the prey species and body condition killed by African lions (Panthera leo), and found that lions selected for prey in poor body conditions across seasons.

In a second axis, I address the effects of human practices on interactions among mammalian carnivore species. Among terrestrial carnivores, evidence has accumulated on large carnivore intra-guild interactions and on the effects of large carnivores on smaller species, which in return are commonly expected to adjust their behaviour to avoid negative interaction outcomes with larger carnivores. These complex networks within carnivore communities are likely to be influenced by both resources and people. Indeed, human populations have both direct and indirect effects on carnivores. Behavioural changes in response to human and competitor presence can take the form of modification in space use or temporal activity patterns. Using camera-trapping data deployed in and around Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, multispecies occupancy models and activity patterns analyses, I investigate the effect of management and human exposure on the carnivore community and its interaction network. The third chapter explores the effect of human water management on occupancy and temporal activity patterns of the carnivore community, and showed that water management contributes to shaping the structure of carnivore communities. The last and fourth chapter focuses on the effects of land-use protection level, exposure to humans and distance to park border on carnivores, and showed that large- and medium-sized carnivores were barely present in areas heavily used by humans and less likely to occupy areas with a lower protection level.

Ultimately, this thesis shows that, while simplifying hypotheses can be interesting tool to use to explore the response of the carnivore community to human practices, more complexity is needed to comprehend the effects of climate changes on predator-prey interactions.