Table 1 Predictor variables hypothesized to explain variation in species responses to higher human activity, with greater reductions in amount of activity or increases in nocturnality predicted for more sensitive species (further details in Supplementary Information)

Species trait

Body mass

Large-bodied species will be more sensitive

Small (1–20 kg; n = 101); large (20–4,600 kg; n = 62)

Species trait

Trophic level

Higher trophic levels will be more sensitive

Carnivore (n = 59), omnivore (n = 27), herbivore (n = 77)

Species trait

Diet breadth

Specialists with narrower diet will be more sensitive

1–4 diet categories

Species trait

Habitat breadth

Specialists with narrower habitat preference will be more sensitive

1–9 habitat categories

Species trait

Diel activity

Diurnal species will be most sensitive, cathemeral species intermediate and nocturnal species least sensitive

Diurnal (n = 13), cathemeral (n = 91), nocturnal (n = 59)

Species trait

Hunting status

Hunted species (within projects) will be more sensitive to increased human activity than their non-hunted counterparts

Yes (n = 486), no (n = 491) (total = 977 project–species)

Species trait

Relative brain size

Small-brained species will be more sensitive

0.006–5.3 kg

Habitat structure

Openness

Animals will be more sensitive in open habitat types relative to closed habitats

Open (n = 31), closed (n = 71)

Land-use disturbance

Human modification index

Animals will be more sensitive in landscapes with more human modification

0.005–0.834

Magnitude of human change

Global stringency index

Animals will show stronger responses where lockdowns were more stringent

38.9–96.0 stringency units

Magnitude of human change

Mean change in human detections (at camera traps)

Animals will show stronger responses where change in human activity greater

1–100-fold changes