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In reintroduction projects, an analysis of dispersal, exploratory movements and territorial behavior of the species concerned offers valuable information on the adaptive management of threatened species and provides a basis for the management of future reintroductions. This is the case of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) an endemic and endangered species reintroduced in Extremadura (Spain) in 2014. We analysed spatial data from 32 individuals just after their reintroduction. Our findings show exploratory movements sufficient to colonise and connect population nuclei within a radius of about 50 km of the reintroduction area. No significant differences were found in the exploratory movements capacity or in any directionality of males and females. Our results showed an effect of sex on the sizes of the territories established, as well as an inverse relationship between them and the time elapsed since release. No effects of rabbit abundance and lynx density on the size of territories are occurring during the early stages of reintroduction. On average, the territories of reintroduced individuals were less stable than those previously described in natural populations. Findings indicate that the reintroduced population has successfully been established but it takes more than 5 years to stabilize the territories in the area. Exploratory movements of reintroduced lynx can be large and in any direction, even when there is still a lot of high quality habitat available, which should be taken into account when reintroducing species, especially terrestrial carnivores.
Carmen Rueda; José Jiménez; María Jesús Palacios; Antoni Margalida. Exploratory and territorial behavior in a reintroduced population of Iberian lynx. Scientific Reports 2021, 11, 1 -12.
AMA StyleCarmen Rueda, José Jiménez, María Jesús Palacios, Antoni Margalida. Exploratory and territorial behavior in a reintroduced population of Iberian lynx. Scientific Reports. 2021; 11 (1):1-12.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarmen Rueda; José Jiménez; María Jesús Palacios; Antoni Margalida. 2021. "Exploratory and territorial behavior in a reintroduced population of Iberian lynx." Scientific Reports 11, no. 1: 1-12.
Antoni Margalida; Rhys E. Green; Fernando Hiraldo; Guillermo Blanco; José A. Sánchez-Zapata; Andrea Santangeli; Olivier Duriez; José A. Donázar. Ban veterinary use of diclofenac in Europe. Science 2021, 372, 694.2 -695.
AMA StyleAntoni Margalida, Rhys E. Green, Fernando Hiraldo, Guillermo Blanco, José A. Sánchez-Zapata, Andrea Santangeli, Olivier Duriez, José A. Donázar. Ban veterinary use of diclofenac in Europe. Science. 2021; 372 (6543):694.2-695.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntoni Margalida; Rhys E. Green; Fernando Hiraldo; Guillermo Blanco; José A. Sánchez-Zapata; Andrea Santangeli; Olivier Duriez; José A. Donázar. 2021. "Ban veterinary use of diclofenac in Europe." Science 372, no. 6543: 694.2-695.
Nature's contributions to people (NCP) are fundamental to human well-being. In particular, non-material NCP, defined as effects on personal perspectives which enhance people's quality of life, are currently the most abstract and least well-defined NCP. Avian scavengers are a globally threatened guild that plays a key role in our society but currently only valued for their NCP of disease control and carcass removal. We describe the first economic valuation of the recreational and educational experiences brought by avian scavenger-based tourism in Spain, concretely, at vulture supplementary feeding sites (SFS) in the Pyrenees and their important contribution to the incomes of the local human population. Between February 2018 and January 2020, we collected information on the management and characteristics of 53 (c. 80%) of the Pyrenean SFS using telephone interviews and questionnaires. We estimated that photography and avian scavenger-watching at SFS produce an average of US $4.90 ± 2.67 million annually, including US $2.53 ± 1.36 million in direct economic benefits to the local population. Using a conservative economic approach, this study is one of only a few to value some of the important non-material contribution provided by avian scavengers to our society. Our study also suggests that further research on non-material NCP provided by avian scavengers at SFS is needed. Finally, we discuss the delicate balance between recreational experiences arising from wildlife-based tourism and biodiversity conservation, contrasting the contribution of SFS to the income of local human populations against the problems they raise for vulture conservation.
Ruth García-Jiménez; Zebensui Morales-Reyes; Juan M. Pérez-García; Antoni Margalida. Economic valuation of non-material contributions to people provided by avian scavengers: Harmonizing conservation and wildlife-based tourism. Ecological Economics 2021, 187, 107088 .
AMA StyleRuth García-Jiménez, Zebensui Morales-Reyes, Juan M. Pérez-García, Antoni Margalida. Economic valuation of non-material contributions to people provided by avian scavengers: Harmonizing conservation and wildlife-based tourism. Ecological Economics. 2021; 187 ():107088.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRuth García-Jiménez; Zebensui Morales-Reyes; Juan M. Pérez-García; Antoni Margalida. 2021. "Economic valuation of non-material contributions to people provided by avian scavengers: Harmonizing conservation and wildlife-based tourism." Ecological Economics 187, no. : 107088.
We developed an agent-based stochastic model, based on P Systems methodology, to decipher the effects of vaccination and contact tracing on the control of COVID-19 outbreak at population level under different control measures (social distancing, mask wearing and hand hygiene) and epidemiological scenarios. Our findings suggest that without the application of protection social measures, 56.1% of the Spanish population would contract the disease with a mortality of 0.4%. Assuming that 20% of the population was protected by vaccination by the end of the summer of 2021, it would be expected that 45% of the population would contract the disease and 0.3% of the population would die. However, both of these percentages are significantly lower when social measures were adopted, being the best results when social measures are in place and 40% of contacts traced. Our model shows that if 40% of the population can be vaccinated, even without social control measures, the percentage of people who die or recover from infection would fall from 0.41% and 56.1% to 0.16% and 33.5%, respectively compared with an unvaccinated population. When social control measures were applied in concert with vaccination the percentage of people who die or recover from infection diminishes until 0.10% and 14.5%, after vaccinating 40% of the population. Vaccination alone can be crucial in controlling this disease, but it is necessary to vaccinate a significant part of the population and to back this up with social control measures.
Mª Colomer; Antoni Margalida; Francesc Alòs; Pilar Oliva-Vidal; Anna Vilella; Lorenzo Fraile. Modeling of Vaccination and Contact Tracing as Tools to Control the COVID-19 Outbreak in Spain. Vaccines 2021, 9, 386 .
AMA StyleMª Colomer, Antoni Margalida, Francesc Alòs, Pilar Oliva-Vidal, Anna Vilella, Lorenzo Fraile. Modeling of Vaccination and Contact Tracing as Tools to Control the COVID-19 Outbreak in Spain. Vaccines. 2021; 9 (4):386.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMª Colomer; Antoni Margalida; Francesc Alòs; Pilar Oliva-Vidal; Anna Vilella; Lorenzo Fraile. 2021. "Modeling of Vaccination and Contact Tracing as Tools to Control the COVID-19 Outbreak in Spain." Vaccines 9, no. 4: 386.
We are pleased to launch the new peer-reviewed open access journal, Conservation, published by MDPI (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute), which offers an exciting new opportunity to publish comprehensive reviews, original research articles, communications, case reports, letters, commentaries, and other perspectives related to the biological, sociological, ethical, economic, methodological, and other transdisciplinary dimensions of conservation
Antoni Margalida; Luca Luiselli; José Tella; Shuqing Zhao. Conservation: A New Open Access Journal for Rapid Dissemination of the Transdisciplinary Dimensions of Biodiversity Conservation. Conservation 2021, 1, 17 -20.
AMA StyleAntoni Margalida, Luca Luiselli, José Tella, Shuqing Zhao. Conservation: A New Open Access Journal for Rapid Dissemination of the Transdisciplinary Dimensions of Biodiversity Conservation. Conservation. 2021; 1 (1):17-20.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntoni Margalida; Luca Luiselli; José Tella; Shuqing Zhao. 2021. "Conservation: A New Open Access Journal for Rapid Dissemination of the Transdisciplinary Dimensions of Biodiversity Conservation." Conservation 1, no. 1: 17-20.
Intentional poisoning is a global wildlife problem and an overlooked risk factor for public health. Managing poisoning requires unbiased and high-quality data through wildlife monitoring protocols, which are largely lacking. We herein evaluated the biases associated with current monitoring programmes of wildlife poisoning in Spain. We compared the national poisoning database for the 1990–2015 period with information obtained from a field experiment during which we used camera-traps to detect the species that consumed non-poisoned baits. Our findings suggest that the detection rate of poisoned animals is species-dependent: Several animal groups (e.g., domestic mammalian carnivores and vultures) tended to be over-represented in the poisoning national database, while others (e.g., corvids and small mammals) were underrepresented. As revealed by the GLMM analyses, the probability of a given species being overrepresented was higher for heaviest, aerial, and cryptic species. In conclusion, we found that monitoring poisoned fauna based on heterogeneous sources may produce important biases in detection rates; thus, such information should be used with caution by managers and policy-makers. Our findings may guide to future search efforts aimed to reach a more comprehensive understanding of the intentional wildlife poisoning problem.
José Gil-Sánchez; Natividad Aguilera-Alcalá; Marcos Moleón; Esther Sebastián-González; Antoni Margalida; Zebensui Morales-Reyes; Carlos Durá-Alemañ; Pilar Oliva-Vidal; Juan Pérez-García; José Sánchez-Zapata. Biases in the Detection of Intentionally Poisoned Animals: Public Health and Conservation Implications from a Field Experiment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021, 18, 1201 .
AMA StyleJosé Gil-Sánchez, Natividad Aguilera-Alcalá, Marcos Moleón, Esther Sebastián-González, Antoni Margalida, Zebensui Morales-Reyes, Carlos Durá-Alemañ, Pilar Oliva-Vidal, Juan Pérez-García, José Sánchez-Zapata. Biases in the Detection of Intentionally Poisoned Animals: Public Health and Conservation Implications from a Field Experiment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18 (3):1201.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJosé Gil-Sánchez; Natividad Aguilera-Alcalá; Marcos Moleón; Esther Sebastián-González; Antoni Margalida; Zebensui Morales-Reyes; Carlos Durá-Alemañ; Pilar Oliva-Vidal; Juan Pérez-García; José Sánchez-Zapata. 2021. "Biases in the Detection of Intentionally Poisoned Animals: Public Health and Conservation Implications from a Field Experiment." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 3: 1201.
Global warming affects ecosystem services, communities and populations, influencing the physiology, behaviour or environment of living beings, and hence impacts its survival or breeding. Identifying species susceptibility to warming is relevant in assessing risks to animal populations and ecological processes. The progressive increase in ambient temperature as a result of global warming might have an effect on the timing of primary moult. This could affect a bird’s annual cycle, influencing reproductive success and population dynamics. We describe a method to examine the potential effects of global warming on the primary moult process in a sedentary population of Red-legged Partridges (Alectoris rufa). We organised the factors that might influence the timing of moult end into a network and distinguished between environmental and intrinsic factors. We sorted the factors according to their contribution to quantitative moult models and constructed a diagrammatic scheme showing their interactions and effect on the end of primary moult over the annual cycle. In Red-legged Partridges, the timing of the end of moult varies according to age-sex class. We found no timing differences by age, but found significant timing differences by adult sex. More females overlap their moult with juveniles than males because female parental effort is higher, more females incubate and brood chicks. The timing of the end of moult varies by year due to conspecific interactions that change according to influences of the weather, habitat, and social and flock conditions. Parent birds synchronize their primary moult with the chick's growth, degree of cover and food resources. From the time of hatching to the following year, the date (day-length), social factors (conspecific interactions), and weather (resources) affect the timing of moult and the birds’ annual cycle. Global warming affects the timing of the end of moult and that of the annual cycle. If the extent of the breeding period is shortened, there could be a negative effect on population outcomes. Middle size prey species are key in trophic chains. Our results suggest that the timing of the end of moult could be used as a proxy measure of warming impacts on wildlife and ecosystems and also as a tool for the management of game birds.
Jesús Nadal; Carolina Ponz; Antoni Margalida. The end of primary moult as an indicator of global warming effects in the Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa, a medium sized, sedentary species. Ecological Indicators 2021, 122, 107287 .
AMA StyleJesús Nadal, Carolina Ponz, Antoni Margalida. The end of primary moult as an indicator of global warming effects in the Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa, a medium sized, sedentary species. Ecological Indicators. 2021; 122 ():107287.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJesús Nadal; Carolina Ponz; Antoni Margalida. 2021. "The end of primary moult as an indicator of global warming effects in the Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa, a medium sized, sedentary species." Ecological Indicators 122, no. : 107287.
In recent decades, global positioning system (GPS) location data and satellite telemetry systems for data transmission have become fundamental in the study of basic ecological traits in wildlife biology. Evaluating GPS location errors is essential in assessing detailed information about the behaviour of an animal species such as migration, habitat selection, species distribution or foraging strategy. While many studies of the influence of environmental and technical factors on the fix errors of solar-powered GPS transmitters have been published, few studies have focussed on the performance of GPS systems in relation to a species' biological traits. Here, we evaluate the possible effects of the biological traits of a large raptor on the frequency of lost fixes-the fix-loss rate (FLR). We analysed 95,686 records obtained from 20 Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus tracked with 17 solar-powered satellite transmitters in the Pyrenees (Spain, France and Andorra), between 2006 and 2019 to evaluate the influence of biological, technical, and environmental factors on the fix-loss rate of transmitters. We show that combined effects of technical factors and the biological traits of birds explained 23% of the deviance observed. As expected, the transmitter usage time significantly increased errors in the fix-loss rate, although the flight activity of birds revealed an unexpected trade-off: the greater the proportion of fixes recorded from perched birds, the lower the FLR. This finding seems related with the fact that territorial and breeding birds spend significantly more time flying than non-territorial individuals. The fix success rate is apparently due to the interactions between a complex of factors. Non-territorial adults and subadults, males, and breeding individuals showed a significantly lower FLR than juveniles-immatures females, territorial birds or non-breeding individuals. Animal telemetry tracking studies should include error analyses before reaching any ecological conclusions or hypotheses about spatial distribution.
Ruth García-Jiménez; Antoni Margalida; Juan M. Pérez-García. Influence of individual biological traits on GPS fix-loss errors in wild bird tracking. 2020, 10, 19621 .
AMA StyleRuth García-Jiménez, Antoni Margalida, Juan M. Pérez-García. Influence of individual biological traits on GPS fix-loss errors in wild bird tracking. . 2020; 10 (1):19621.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRuth García-Jiménez; Antoni Margalida; Juan M. Pérez-García. 2020. "Influence of individual biological traits on GPS fix-loss errors in wild bird tracking." 10, no. 1: 19621.
Antoni Margalida; José Jiménez; José M. Martínez; José A. Sesé; Diego García‐Ferré; Alfonso Llamas; Martine Razin; MªÀngels Colomer; Beatriz Arroyo. An Assessment of Population Size and Demographic Drivers of the Bearded Vulture Using Integrated Population Models. The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 2020, 101, 1 .
AMA StyleAntoni Margalida, José Jiménez, José M. Martínez, José A. Sesé, Diego García‐Ferré, Alfonso Llamas, Martine Razin, MªÀngels Colomer, Beatriz Arroyo. An Assessment of Population Size and Demographic Drivers of the Bearded Vulture Using Integrated Population Models. The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 2020; 101 (3):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntoni Margalida; José Jiménez; José M. Martínez; José A. Sesé; Diego García‐Ferré; Alfonso Llamas; Martine Razin; MªÀngels Colomer; Beatriz Arroyo. 2020. "An Assessment of Population Size and Demographic Drivers of the Bearded Vulture Using Integrated Population Models." The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 101, no. 3: 1.
Aujeszky’s disease is one of the main pig viral diseases and results in considerable economic losses in the pork production industry. The disease can be controlled using preventive measures such as improved stock management and vaccination throughout the pig-rearing period. We developed a stochastic model based on Population Dynamics P systems (PDP) models for a standard pig production system to differentiate between the effects of pig farm management regimes and vaccination strategies on the control of Aujeszky’s disease under several different epidemiological scenarios. Our results suggest that after confirming the diagnosis, early vaccination of most of the population (>75%) is critical to decrease the spread of the virus and minimize its impact on pig productivity. The direct economic cost of an outbreak of Aujeszky’s disease can be extremely high on a previously uninfected farm (from 352–792 Euros/sow/year) and highlights the positive benefits of investing in vaccination measures to control infections. We demonstrate the usefulness of computational models as tools in the evaluation of preventive medicine programs aimed at limiting the impact of disease on animal production.
Maria Angels Colomer; Antoni Margalida; Lorenzo Fraile. Vaccination Is a Suitable Tool in the Control of Aujeszky’s Disease Outbreaks in Pigs Using a Population Dynamics P Systems Model. Animals 2020, 10, 909 .
AMA StyleMaria Angels Colomer, Antoni Margalida, Lorenzo Fraile. Vaccination Is a Suitable Tool in the Control of Aujeszky’s Disease Outbreaks in Pigs Using a Population Dynamics P Systems Model. Animals. 2020; 10 (5):909.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Angels Colomer; Antoni Margalida; Lorenzo Fraile. 2020. "Vaccination Is a Suitable Tool in the Control of Aujeszky’s Disease Outbreaks in Pigs Using a Population Dynamics P Systems Model." Animals 10, no. 5: 909.
The organization of ecological assemblages has important implications for ecosystem functioning, but little is known about how scavenger communities organize at the global scale. Here, we test four hypotheses on the factors affecting the network structure of terrestrial vertebrate scavenger assemblages and its implications on ecosystem functioning. We expect scavenger assemblages to be more nested (i.e. structured): 1) in species‐rich and productive regions, as nestedness has been linked to high competition for carrion resources, and 2) regions with low human impact, because the most efficient carrion consumers that promote nestedness are large vertebrate scavengers, which are especially sensitive to human persecution. 3) We also expect climatic conditions to affect assemblage structure, because some scavenger assemblages have been shown to be more nested in colder months. Finally, 4) we expect more organized assemblages to be more efficient in the consumption of the resource. We first analyzed the relationship between the nestedness of the scavenger assemblages and climatic variables (i.e. temperature, precipitation, temperature variability and precipitation variability), ecosystem productivity and biomass (i.e. NDVI) and degree of human impact (i.e. human footprint) using 53 study sites in 22 countries across five continents. Then, we related structure (i.e. nestedness) with its function (i.e. carrion consumption rate). We found a more nested structure for scavenger assemblages in regions with higher NDVI values and lower human footprint. Moreover, more organized assemblages were more efficient in the consumption of carrion. However, our results did not support the prediction that the structure of the scavenger assemblages is directly related to climate. Our findings suggest that the nested structure of vertebrate scavenger assemblages affects its functionality and is driven by anthropogenic disturbance and ecosystem productivity worldwide. Disarray of scavenger assemblage structure by anthropogenic disturbance may lead to decreases in functionality of the terrestrial ecosystems via loss of key species and trophic facilitation processes.
Esther Sebastián‐González; Zebensui Morales‐Reyes; Francisco Botella; Lara Naves Alegre; Juan Manuel Pérez-García; Patricia Mateo‐Tomás; Pedro P. Olea; Marcos Moleón; Jomar Magalhaes Barbosa; Fernando Hiraldo; Eneko Arrondo; José A. Donázar; Ainara Cortés‐Avizanda; Nuria Selva; Sergio A. Lambertucci; Aishwarya Bhattacharjee; Alexis L. Brewer; Erin F. Abernethy; Kelsey L. Turner; James C. Beasley; Travis L. DeVault; Hannah C. Gerke; Olin E. Rhodes Jr; Andrés Ordiz; Camilla Wikenros; Barbara Zimmermann; Petter Wabakken; Christopher C. Wilmers; Justine A. Smith; Corinne J. Kendall; Darcy Ogada; Ethan Frehner; Maximilian L. Allen; Heiko U. Wittmer; James R. A. Butler; Johan T du Toit; Antoni Margalida; Pilar Oliva‐Vidal; David Wilson; Klemen Jerina; Miha Krofel; Rich Kostecke; Richard Inger; Esra Per; Yunus Ayhan; Hasan Ulusoy; Doğanay Vural; Akino Inagaki; Shinsuke Koike; Arockianathan Samson; Paula L. Perrig; Emma Spencer; Thomas M. Newsome; Marco Heurich; José D. Anadón; Evan R. Buechley; José A. Sánchez‐Zapata. Network structure of vertebrate scavenger assemblages at the global scale: drivers and ecosystem functioning implications. Ecography 2020, 43, 1143 -1155.
AMA StyleEsther Sebastián‐González, Zebensui Morales‐Reyes, Francisco Botella, Lara Naves Alegre, Juan Manuel Pérez-García, Patricia Mateo‐Tomás, Pedro P. Olea, Marcos Moleón, Jomar Magalhaes Barbosa, Fernando Hiraldo, Eneko Arrondo, José A. Donázar, Ainara Cortés‐Avizanda, Nuria Selva, Sergio A. Lambertucci, Aishwarya Bhattacharjee, Alexis L. Brewer, Erin F. Abernethy, Kelsey L. Turner, James C. Beasley, Travis L. DeVault, Hannah C. Gerke, Olin E. Rhodes Jr, Andrés Ordiz, Camilla Wikenros, Barbara Zimmermann, Petter Wabakken, Christopher C. Wilmers, Justine A. Smith, Corinne J. Kendall, Darcy Ogada, Ethan Frehner, Maximilian L. Allen, Heiko U. Wittmer, James R. A. Butler, Johan T du Toit, Antoni Margalida, Pilar Oliva‐Vidal, David Wilson, Klemen Jerina, Miha Krofel, Rich Kostecke, Richard Inger, Esra Per, Yunus Ayhan, Hasan Ulusoy, Doğanay Vural, Akino Inagaki, Shinsuke Koike, Arockianathan Samson, Paula L. Perrig, Emma Spencer, Thomas M. Newsome, Marco Heurich, José D. Anadón, Evan R. Buechley, José A. Sánchez‐Zapata. Network structure of vertebrate scavenger assemblages at the global scale: drivers and ecosystem functioning implications. Ecography. 2020; 43 (8):1143-1155.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEsther Sebastián‐González; Zebensui Morales‐Reyes; Francisco Botella; Lara Naves Alegre; Juan Manuel Pérez-García; Patricia Mateo‐Tomás; Pedro P. Olea; Marcos Moleón; Jomar Magalhaes Barbosa; Fernando Hiraldo; Eneko Arrondo; José A. Donázar; Ainara Cortés‐Avizanda; Nuria Selva; Sergio A. Lambertucci; Aishwarya Bhattacharjee; Alexis L. Brewer; Erin F. Abernethy; Kelsey L. Turner; James C. Beasley; Travis L. DeVault; Hannah C. Gerke; Olin E. Rhodes Jr; Andrés Ordiz; Camilla Wikenros; Barbara Zimmermann; Petter Wabakken; Christopher C. Wilmers; Justine A. Smith; Corinne J. Kendall; Darcy Ogada; Ethan Frehner; Maximilian L. Allen; Heiko U. Wittmer; James R. A. Butler; Johan T du Toit; Antoni Margalida; Pilar Oliva‐Vidal; David Wilson; Klemen Jerina; Miha Krofel; Rich Kostecke; Richard Inger; Esra Per; Yunus Ayhan; Hasan Ulusoy; Doğanay Vural; Akino Inagaki; Shinsuke Koike; Arockianathan Samson; Paula L. Perrig; Emma Spencer; Thomas M. Newsome; Marco Heurich; José D. Anadón; Evan R. Buechley; José A. Sánchez‐Zapata. 2020. "Network structure of vertebrate scavenger assemblages at the global scale: drivers and ecosystem functioning implications." Ecography 43, no. 8: 1143-1155.
Conventional approaches for the assessment of population abundance or trends are usually based on a single source of information, such as counts or changes in demographic parameters. However, these approaches usually neglect some of the information needed to properly understand the population as a whole, such as assessments of the non‐breeding proportion of the population and the drivers of population change. The Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus is a threatened species and its Pyrenean population (the largest in Europe) inhabits parts of Spain, Andorra and France. We developed an Integrated Population Model (IPM) using data from a long‐term study (1987–2016) in the three countries, including Capture‐Mark‐Recapture of 150 marked individuals, to assess population size and age structure at the whole population scale, and obtain estimates of survival and breeding parameters of this population. The breeding population experienced a geometric mean population increase of 3.3% annually, falling to 2.3% during the last 10 years. The adult proportion of the population increased with time, from 61% to 73%. There were 365 (95% Bayesian Credible Interval (BCI): 354–373) adult breeding birds in 2016, representing 49% of the adult population and 36% of the total population (estimated at 1026 individuals, 95% BCI: 937‐1119). The large number of non‐breeding adults probably led to higher mean age of first reproduction than previously estimated, and to an estimated 30‐35% of territories occupied by polyandrous trios. Population growth rate was positively and strongly correlated with adult survival, which had a much greater effect on population growth than productivity. The effects of subadult and juvenile survival on population growth were weaker. We found strong evidence for a density dependent decrease in juvenile survival, productivity and adult survival, leading to reduced population growth with increased population size. Our approach allowed us to identify important conservation issues related to the management of supplementary feeding sites and geographic expansion of this population. Our study supports the use of IPMs as a tool to understand long‐lived species, allowing simultaneous estimates of the non‐breeding size of the population (which is critical for understanding population functioning), better estimates of population parameters, and assessment of demographic drivers.
Antoni Margalida; Jose Jimenez; José M. Martínez; José A. Sesé; Diego García‐Ferré; Alfonso Llamas; Martine Razin; MªÀngels Colomer; Beatriz Arroyo. An assessment of population size and demographic drivers of the Bearded Vulture using integrated population models. Ecological Monographs 2020, 90, 1 .
AMA StyleAntoni Margalida, Jose Jimenez, José M. Martínez, José A. Sesé, Diego García‐Ferré, Alfonso Llamas, Martine Razin, MªÀngels Colomer, Beatriz Arroyo. An assessment of population size and demographic drivers of the Bearded Vulture using integrated population models. Ecological Monographs. 2020; 90 (3):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntoni Margalida; Jose Jimenez; José M. Martínez; José A. Sesé; Diego García‐Ferré; Alfonso Llamas; Martine Razin; MªÀngels Colomer; Beatriz Arroyo. 2020. "An assessment of population size and demographic drivers of the Bearded Vulture using integrated population models." Ecological Monographs 90, no. 3: 1.
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Antoni Margalida; José A. Donázar. Fake news and vultures. Nature Sustainability 2020, 3, 492 -493.
AMA StyleAntoni Margalida, José A. Donázar. Fake news and vultures. Nature Sustainability. 2020; 3 (7):492-493.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntoni Margalida; José A. Donázar. 2020. "Fake news and vultures." Nature Sustainability 3, no. 7: 492-493.
The diet of Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus consists mainly of bones, which are completely digested in the gastrointestinal tract, unwanted bone minerals being discarded via the feces. Chemical analyses of feces therefore provide a noninvasive technique for studying the diet of this species. We analysed the inorganic and organic remains in feces collected from Bearded Vulture nests in the Spanish Pyrenees and discussed these results with the diet of individuals determined by video camera observations. Of the food items delivered to the nest, taxonomically 65% were bone fragments of Ovis/Capra spp. (range 56–75%) and anatomically 76% (74–81%) bones from the extremities, indicating a selective preference. At least 15% of the diet was meat based, mainly originating from small prey (e.g. small carnivores, birds). The fecal analyses show that calcium and phosphorus are the most abundant mineral constituents, accounting for 41.3–44.4% of the mineral part of the feces. Among the minor elements identified, the variation in the concentrations of iron, silicon and zinc suggest differences in food selection between territories, although this could be related to varying amounts of accidentally ingested soil particles present in the food. We found variation in the content of uric acid in the feces, ranging between 0.5 and 4.6%. Higher values of uric acid might be due to a more meat or marrow bone-based diet. However, no relationship was found between the amount of calcium and uric acid levels, suggesting that the metabolites of meat digestion (uric acid) and those of bone digestion (calcium) are not negatively correlated as expected. In conclusion, our chemical analyses of feces collected from the nests of Bearded Vultures confirm that their diet consists mainly of bone remains and that these bones are digested completely. However, the direct observations of the prey items delivered to the nest produced more detailed information than the chemical analyses.
Antoni Margalida; Karl Schulze-Hagen; Bernhard Wetterauer; Cornelius Domhan; Pilar Oliva-Vidal; Michael Wink. What do minerals in the feces of Bearded Vultures reveal about their dietary habits? Science of The Total Environment 2020, 728, 138836 .
AMA StyleAntoni Margalida, Karl Schulze-Hagen, Bernhard Wetterauer, Cornelius Domhan, Pilar Oliva-Vidal, Michael Wink. What do minerals in the feces of Bearded Vultures reveal about their dietary habits? Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 728 ():138836.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntoni Margalida; Karl Schulze-Hagen; Bernhard Wetterauer; Cornelius Domhan; Pilar Oliva-Vidal; Michael Wink. 2020. "What do minerals in the feces of Bearded Vultures reveal about their dietary habits?" Science of The Total Environment 728, no. : 138836.
Competition for limiting natural resources generates complex networks of relationships between individuals, both at the intra- and interspecific levels, establishing hierarchical scenarios among different population groups. Within obligate scavengers, and especially in vultures, the coevolutionary mechanisms operating during carrion exploitation are highly specialized and determined in part by agonistic behavior resulting in intra-guild hierarchies. This paper revisits the behavioral and hierarchical organization within the guild of European vultures, on the basis of their agonistic activities during carrion exploitation. We used a dataset distilled from high-quality videorecordings of competitive interactions among the four European vulture species during feeding events. We found a despotic dominance gradient from the larger species to smaller ones, and from the adults to subadults and juveniles, following an age and body size-based linear pattern. The four studied species, and to some extent age classes, show despotic dominance and organization of their guild exerting differential selection to different parts of the carrion. The abundance of these parts could ultimately condition the level of agonistic interactions. We discuss the behavioral organization and the relationship of hierarchies according to the feeding behavior and prey selection, by comparing with other scavenger guilds.
Rubén Moreno-Opo; Ana Trujillano; Antoni Margalida. Larger size and older age confer competitive advantage: dominance hierarchy within European vulture guild. Scientific Reports 2020, 10, 1 -12.
AMA StyleRubén Moreno-Opo, Ana Trujillano, Antoni Margalida. Larger size and older age confer competitive advantage: dominance hierarchy within European vulture guild. Scientific Reports. 2020; 10 (1):1-12.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRubén Moreno-Opo; Ana Trujillano; Antoni Margalida. 2020. "Larger size and older age confer competitive advantage: dominance hierarchy within European vulture guild." Scientific Reports 10, no. 1: 1-12.
Countries share responsibility for the management and conservation of migratory bird species. However, a limited understanding of population dynamics hampers the implementation of harvest and transboundary management. Age-ratios and population density can be useful indicators to assess population dynamics to improve management and conservation actions. Here, the dynamics of an Atlantic population of Common quail Coturnix coturnix, using 32,508 quail samples and 4814 hunter questionnaires over a 20-year period (1996-2016) served as a comparative study for examining age-ratio patterns related to different geographic zones, population density and weather parameters. Results show that age-ratios varied over zones and years, specifically age-ratio 1 (AR1), used as an index of late breeding attempts, varied from 0.1 to 0.21. Age-ratio 2 (AR2), a surrogate of central recruitment, varied from 0.16 to 0.66. Finally, age-ratio 3 (AR3), used as an indicator of the population's annual breeding success, varied from 3.69 to 6.68. Age-ratio is linked to internal and external factors (i.e. effect of rainfall, variations over time and density-dependent relationships) depicting how quail age groups make segregated migration in time and space. Quail age groups perform a complex pattern of migration because of entwined changes in abundance, migration routes and timing, influencing population connectivity and dynamics. Our findings highlight the relevance of citizen science and transboundary agreements to improve management and conservation measures of migrant species. Administrations and policy-makers in developed and developing countries must coordinate efforts to engage hunters in a participatory management systems to achieve sustainability.
Jesús Nadal; Carolina Ponz; Antoni Margalida; Lisa Pennisi. Ecological markers to monitor migratory bird populations: Integrating citizen science and transboundary management for conservation purposes. Journal of Environmental Management 2020, 255, 109875 .
AMA StyleJesús Nadal, Carolina Ponz, Antoni Margalida, Lisa Pennisi. Ecological markers to monitor migratory bird populations: Integrating citizen science and transboundary management for conservation purposes. Journal of Environmental Management. 2020; 255 ():109875.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJesús Nadal; Carolina Ponz; Antoni Margalida; Lisa Pennisi. 2020. "Ecological markers to monitor migratory bird populations: Integrating citizen science and transboundary management for conservation purposes." Journal of Environmental Management 255, no. : 109875.
Farmland bird populations have declined sharply due to agricultural intensification. In Europe, these negative population trends have been linked to the loss of semi‐natural vegetation types, particularly fallow land. The work of Sanz‐Pérez et al. (2019) has far‐reaching implications for the conservation of farmland biodiversity. We argue that it supports a new paradigm for the understanding and management of fallows that should be integrated into the forthcoming post‐2020 common agricultural policy (CAP). Following the abolition of mandatory set‐aside by the European Union in 2008, fallows declined steadily in Europe until 2015, when the CAP implemented greening measures. These restored the requirement to leave 5% of arable land as Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) to enhance biodiversity. While fallows are one of the most beneficial forms of EFA for farmland birds, farmers prefer the less conservation effective planting of nitrogen‐fixing and catch crops (currently more than 70% of EFAs). CAP incentives have been insufficient to make unproductive EFAs such as fallows more attractive to farmers. Sanz‐Pérez et al. (2019) evaluated the impact of different fallow land management practices on the abundance of specialist farmland birds. They concluded that extensive practices – such as tilling or shredding once or twice per year before the breeding season – were more beneficial to these declining species than leaving fallows unmanaged and recommended their incorporation into agri‐environment schemes. But such schemes have had low uptake, and thus a limited potential to drive the widespread recovery of farmland birds at either national or European levels. The post‐2020 CAP, currently under development, should integrate simple fallow management practices within new conditionalities or eco‐schemes to address this problem. Synthesis and applications. The loss of fallow land underlies the decline of farmland birds. The post‐2020 common agricultural policy (CAP) must overcome past mismatches between incentives to farmers and biodiversity benefits and increase farmers’ uptake of the most beneficial options for biodiversity, including fallows. Promoting light management of fallow land within the new CAP eco‐schemes is a win‐win strategy because it would simultaneously allow farmers to continue extensive weed control and enhance habitat quality for farmland birds.
Rocío Tarjuelo; Antoni Margalida; François Mougeot. Changing the fallow paradigm: A win–win strategy for the post‐2020 Common Agricultural Policy to halt farmland bird declines. Journal of Applied Ecology 2020, 57, 642 -649.
AMA StyleRocío Tarjuelo, Antoni Margalida, François Mougeot. Changing the fallow paradigm: A win–win strategy for the post‐2020 Common Agricultural Policy to halt farmland bird declines. Journal of Applied Ecology. 2020; 57 (3):642-649.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRocío Tarjuelo; Antoni Margalida; François Mougeot. 2020. "Changing the fallow paradigm: A win–win strategy for the post‐2020 Common Agricultural Policy to halt farmland bird declines." Journal of Applied Ecology 57, no. 3: 642-649.
Capsule: Differences in parental investment between sexes and stage of the breeding period were found in Bonelli’s Eagles Aquila fasciata. Aims: To describe the sexual differences in parental behaviour of Bonelli’s Eagles and to assess the sex-specific pattern of variation in parental investment in relation to the breeding period. Methods: Between 2006 and 2016, we monitored the parental behaviour of 11 pairs of Bonelli’s Eagles during the incubation and chick-rearing periods in southeastern Spain. Observations were made using 20–60× telescopes from points overlooking the territory at a distance of about 500–800 m from the nest. Results: Our results reveal a marked division in parental duties in Bonelli’s Eagles. Females invested more effort in incubation, nest attendance, chick feeding and nest-building, while males contributed more to food provisioning. Nest attendance and feeding by females decreased with time, and both parents adjusted their provisioning effort in relation to nestling age. Most changeovers took place during the middle of the day, when male provisioning rates and temperatures reach their maximum. Conclusion: Intersexual differences are discussed in the context of the prey capture difficulty hypothesis, which proposes that intra-pair prey differences, due to large sexual size dimorphism, should be particularly advantageous among raptors that pursue agile prey.
José E. Martínez; Iñigo Zuberogoitia; José M. Escarabajal; Ester Cerezo; José F. Calvo; Antoni Margalida. Breeding behaviour and time-activity budgets of Bonelli’s EaglesAquila fasciata: marked sexual differences in parental activities. Bird Study 2020, 67, 35 -44.
AMA StyleJosé E. Martínez, Iñigo Zuberogoitia, José M. Escarabajal, Ester Cerezo, José F. Calvo, Antoni Margalida. Breeding behaviour and time-activity budgets of Bonelli’s EaglesAquila fasciata: marked sexual differences in parental activities. Bird Study. 2020; 67 (1):35-44.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJosé E. Martínez; Iñigo Zuberogoitia; José M. Escarabajal; Ester Cerezo; José F. Calvo; Antoni Margalida. 2020. "Breeding behaviour and time-activity budgets of Bonelli’s EaglesAquila fasciata: marked sexual differences in parental activities." Bird Study 67, no. 1: 35-44.
Capsule: We document previously undescribed nocturnal flight behaviour by Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus using a combination of accelerometer and global positioning system (GPS) information. Aims: To study the nocturnal flight activity of the Bearded Vulture and determine whether nocturnal flights could be linked to foraging behaviour. Methods: We used both accelerometer and GPS location data of 11 Bearded Vultures in the Spanish Pyrenees along with 88 carcasses monitored with camera traps. Results: Over half (55%, n = 11) of the individuals tracked were recorded flying between 0.7 and 6.1 km on at least 19 different nights, including 37% that occurred when less than 20% of the moon was illuminated. Bearded Vultures displayed feeding activity in only 8.2% of the 146 feeding events existing during the hour after dawn and the hour before dusk. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that foraging benefits do not explain the nocturnal flights. Disturbances or adverse weather conditions may result in the abandonment of an overnight roosting site. This could also explain why individuals recovered in the field showed impact injuries.
Ruth García-Jiménez; José María Martínez-González; Pilar Oliva-Vidal; Josep Piqué; José Antonio Sesé; Antoni Margalida. Nocturnal flights by Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus detected for the first-time using GPS and accelerometer data. Bird Study 2020, 67, 135 -141.
AMA StyleRuth García-Jiménez, José María Martínez-González, Pilar Oliva-Vidal, Josep Piqué, José Antonio Sesé, Antoni Margalida. Nocturnal flights by Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus detected for the first-time using GPS and accelerometer data. Bird Study. 2020; 67 (1):135-141.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRuth García-Jiménez; José María Martínez-González; Pilar Oliva-Vidal; Josep Piqué; José Antonio Sesé; Antoni Margalida. 2020. "Nocturnal flights by Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus detected for the first-time using GPS and accelerometer data." Bird Study 67, no. 1: 135-141.
M. À. Colomer; P. Oliva‐Vidal; J. Jiménez; J. M. Martínez; A. Margalida. Prioritizing among removal scenarios for the reintroduction of endangered species: insights from bearded vulture simulation modeling. Animal Conservation 2019, 23, 396 -406.
AMA StyleM. À. Colomer, P. Oliva‐Vidal, J. Jiménez, J. M. Martínez, A. Margalida. Prioritizing among removal scenarios for the reintroduction of endangered species: insights from bearded vulture simulation modeling. Animal Conservation. 2019; 23 (4):396-406.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. À. Colomer; P. Oliva‐Vidal; J. Jiménez; J. M. Martínez; A. Margalida. 2019. "Prioritizing among removal scenarios for the reintroduction of endangered species: insights from bearded vulture simulation modeling." Animal Conservation 23, no. 4: 396-406.