Zoonoses constitute a major risk to human health. Comprehensive assessments on the potential emergence of novel disease outbreaks are essential to ensure the effectiveness of sanitary controls and to establish mitigating actions. Through a continental‐scale survey of rural human settlements conducted over 13 years in 15 Neotropical countries, we document the vast extent of poaching to meet the local demand for pets, resulting in thousands of families living with ca. 275 species of wild animals without any sanitary controls. Parrots account for ca. 80% of wild pets, dying mostly from diseases at an average age of 1 year. This culturally rooted tradition, which dates back to pre‐Columbian times, may lead to health risks by bringing wild animals prone to carrying parasites and pathogens into close contact with humans and their exotic pets and livestock. Although animal pathogens and parasites have been transmitted to humans for centuries, the current trend of human population growth and connectivity can increase the risk of zoonotic outbreaks spreading at an unprecedented pace. Similarly, disease transmission from humans and poultry to wild animals is also expected to be facilitated via wild pets, leading to conservation problems. Several studies have highlighted the risk posed by wildlife city markets for cross‐species disease transmission, ignoring the risk associated with widespread pet ownership of wild animals poached locally in rural areas. Given its geographic and social dimensions, a holistic approach is required to reduce this illegal activity as well as to strengthen health surveillance of seized individuals and people in close contact with poached pets, which would benefit both people and wildlife. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

The Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is an invader species, and its distribution is continuously on the increase. Today its expansion has spread to the American continent. In this study we describe the effects of the urban environment on the Eurasian collared dove in eastern Spain. The abundance and presence of this dove were analyzed in 46 localities using counting points. Overall, 220-point counts were surveyed between autumn 2015 and late-winter 2016. A hierarchical partitioning analysis was used to identify explanatory variables of different types such as resources, climate and urban structure, and human presence, which may influence the presence and abundance of this species. In the case of presence, the number of town inhabitants, parks, mean minimum temperature, exotic vegetation and schools had a positive association, while pedestrian number and restaurants had a negative association. Abundance was positively related to native vegetation, exotic vegetation, and water, while urban area was negatively associated with it. Exotic vegetation was the only variable that has a positive relation to presence and abundance. These results can help to predict the use of urban habitats in potential localities for its invasion.

The European turtle dove population and breeding range has declined sharply in Spain. This study reanalyses data from the Atlas of Breeding Birds in Alicante (SE Spain), aiming to identify the main variables related to its occurrence and abundance. We used hierarchical partitioning analysis to identify important environmental variables associated with natural vegetation, farming, hydrological web, anthropic presence, climate, and topography. Analysis combining the most explicative variables of each group identified the mixture of pines and scrubland in the semiarid areas and the length of unpaved roads as the most important variables with a positive effect on occurrence, while herbaceous crops and scrublands in dry ombrotype climate areas had the most important negative effect. Abundance was related only to the availability of water points. We discuss the implications of these findings for habitat management in conservation of this species.

Birds select habitats to optimize resources and maximize fitness, with some species recently colonizing new areas, like the Eurasian Collared Dove (ECD) in the Iberian Peninsula. The ECD spread across Europe in the early 20th century from South Asia. This study reanalyzes data from the Atlas of Breeding Birds in the Province of Alicante (SE Spain) to identify macrohabitat-level environmental variables related to its occurrence and abundance in this semi-arid Mediterranean landscape during the breeding season. We performed Hierarchical Partitioning analyses to identify important environmental variables for the species associated with natural vegetation, farming, topography, hydrographical web, urbanization, and climate. Results show that ECD has a higher occurrence probability near anthropic areas (isolated buildings, suburban areas), water points (medium-sized ponds), larger crop surfaces (total cultivated area), and warmer localities (thermicity index). The species avoids natural habitats like pine forests and scrublands. Abundance is positively linked to anthropic features like larger suburban areas and urban-related land uses. These findings can help predict its expansion in regions with a Mediterranean climate in South America, North America, or Australia, and its continuous natural expansion and population increase within the Mediterranean basin and Europe.

Los métodos para estimar el tamaño poblacional de las aves urbanas no suelen considerar los efectos que pueden tener diferentes variables ambientales y antrópicas sobre su detectabilidad. El muestreo por distancia es una técnica de baja aplicación en ambientes urbanos, a pesar de que es un método muy efectivo para estimar densidades poblacionales y de bajo costo. En esta investigación analizamos aquellas covariables que pueden influir en la detectabilidad de la tórtola turca Streptopelia decaocto en ambientes antrópicos para estimar sus densidades en el este de España. A través de puntos de conteo realizamos estimaciones en ambientes urbanos, periurbanos y parques. La probabilidad de detección y la densidad fueron estimadas mediante el muestreo por distancia con múltiples covariables y empleamos varios análisis estadísticos para comparar las densidades estimadas. Nuestros resultados muestran que la altura de los edificios influye de manera negativa y la capacidad de los observadores influye positivamente en la detectabilidad de la tórtola turca. La zona urbana concentra la menor densidad tanto de grupos de aves como de individuos en comparación con las otras zonas. El uso del muestreo por distancia es de fácil aplicación en ambientes metropolitanos que ayuda al desarrollo de la ciencia ciudadana.

This review aims to identify and collect current knowledge on how technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, IoT, and others can strengthen cybersecurity. Method: the PICO strategy and PRISMA diagram were used, 133 relevant articles were selected and analyzed from the SCOPUS database between the years 2019 to April 2024. The methods of this SLR included rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure the relevance and quality of the studies analyzed. Results: within the present work the most widely used emerging technologies and their practical applications in cybersecurity are highlighted, identifying significant trends and patterns in the implementation of these technologies. Conclusions: the main current limitations are pointed out, such as the lack of standardization and the need for further empirical research, and key areas for future research are proposed, including the evaluation of the effectiveness of these technologies in different business contexts; this study provides a comprehensive and updated view that can guide both researchers and practitioners in the implementation of cybersecurity strategies based on emerging technologies, offering a solid foundation for improving defenses against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.