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Wierer A, von Hoermann C, Benbow ME, Büchner C, Feldhaar H, Fiderer C, Mitesser O, Rietz J, Schlüter J, Zeitzler J, Lackner T, Bässler C, Heurich M, Müller J. Mechanisms determining the multi-diversity of carrion visiting species along a gradient of carrion body mass. Oecologia 2024; 206:115-126. [PMID: 39251421 PMCID: PMC11489210 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05611-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
Resource availability and habitat heterogeneity are essential drivers of biodiversity, but their individual roles often remain unclear since both factors are often correlated. Here, we tested the more-individuals hypothesis (MIH) and the habitat-heterogeneity hypothesis (HHH) for bacteria, fungi, dipterans, coleopterans, birds, and mammals on 100 experimentally exposed carcasses ranging by three orders of magnitude in body mass. At the level of each carcass we found marginal or significant support for the MIH for bacteria, fungi, and beetles in spring and significant support for fungi, dipterans, and mammals in summer. The HHH was supported only for bacteria in spring, while it was supported for all groups except mammals in summer. Overall multidiversity always increased with body mass, with a steeper increase in summer. Abundance based rarefaction-extrapolation curves for three classes of body mass showed the highest species richness for medium-sized carcasses, particular for dipterans and microbes, supporting the HHH also among carcasses. These findings complement existing necromass studies of deadwood, showing there are more niches associated with larger resource amounts and an increasing habitat heterogeneity between carcasses most pronounced for medium-sized species. Higher resource amount led to increased diversity of carrion-consuming organisms in summer, particularly due to the increasing number of niches with increasing size. Our findings underline the importance of distributed large carrion as well as medium-sized carrion in ecosystems supporting overall biodiversity of carrion-consumers. Furthermore, the different responses in spring and summer may inform strategies of carrion enrichment management schemes throughout the year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelie Wierer
- Chair of Conservation Biology and Forest Ecology, Biocenter University of Würzburg, Glashüttenstr. 5, 96181, Rauhenebrach, Germany
| | - Christian von Hoermann
- Chair of Conservation Biology and Forest Ecology, Biocenter University of Würzburg, Glashüttenstr. 5, 96181, Rauhenebrach, Germany
- Department of Conservation and Research, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
| | - M Eric Benbow
- Department of Entomology, Department of Osteopathic Medical Specialties; Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program, AgBioResearch, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Christiane Büchner
- Animal Ecology I, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Heike Feldhaar
- Animal Ecology I, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Christian Fiderer
- Department of National Park Monitoring and Animal Management, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Straße 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Oliver Mitesser
- Chair of Conservation Biology and Forest Ecology, Biocenter University of Würzburg, Glashüttenstr. 5, 96181, Rauhenebrach, Germany
| | - Janine Rietz
- Department of National Park Monitoring and Animal Management, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Straße 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Jens Schlüter
- Department of Conservation and Research, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Johannes Zeitzler
- Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Am Hofgarten 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Tomáš Lackner
- Department of Conservation and Research, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Claus Bässler
- Department of Conservation and Research, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
- Fungal Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Marco Heurich
- Department of National Park Monitoring and Animal Management, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Straße 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
- Institute of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Science, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Jörg Müller
- Chair of Conservation Biology and Forest Ecology, Biocenter University of Würzburg, Glashüttenstr. 5, 96181, Rauhenebrach, Germany.
- Department of Conservation and Research, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany.
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Biswas S, Bhowmik T, Ghosh K, Roy A, Lahiri A, Sarkar S, Bhadra A. Scavengers in the human-dominated landscape: an experimental study. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230179. [PMID: 39034699 PMCID: PMC11293862 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Rapid urbanization is a major cause of habitat and biodiversity loss and human-animal conflict. While urbanization is inevitable, we need to develop a good understanding of the urban ecosystem and the urban-adapted species, in order to ensure sustainable cities for our future. Scavengers play a major role in urban ecosystems, and often, urban adaptation involves a shift towards scavenging behaviour in wild animals. We experimented at different sites in the state of West Bengal, India, to identify the scavenging guild within urban habitats, in response to human-provided food. Our study found a total of 17 different vertebrate species across 15 sites, over 498 sessions of observations. We carried out network analysis to understand the dynamics of the system and found that the free-ranging dog and common myna were key species within the scavenging networks. This study revealed the complexity of scavenging networks within human-dominated habitats. This article is part of the theme issue 'Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourabh Biswas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Nadia, West Bengal, India
| | - Tathagata Bhowmik
- Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, India
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Kalyan Ghosh
- Department of Zoology, University of Gour Banga, Malda, India
| | - Anamitra Roy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Nadia, West Bengal, India
| | - Aesha Lahiri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Nadia, West Bengal, India
| | - Sampita Sarkar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Nadia, West Bengal, India
| | - Anindita Bhadra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Nadia, West Bengal, India
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3
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Muñoz-Arnanz J, Cortés-Avizanda A, Donázar-Aramendía I, Arrondo E, Ceballos O, Colomer-Vidal P, Jiménez B, Donázar JA. Levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and the role of anthropic subsidies in the diet of avian scavengers tracked by stable isotopes. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 343:123188. [PMID: 38123115 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) have been identified as a significant factor driving declines in wildlife populations. These contaminants exhibit a dual tendency to biomagnify up the food chains and persist within tissues, rendering long-lived vertebrates, such as raptors, highly vulnerable to their adverse effects. We assessed the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in fledglings of two vulture species, the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) and the griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), coexisting in northern Spain. Vultures, currently facing a severe threat with a population decline exceeding 90%, represent one of the most critically endangered avian groups in the Old World. Despite this critical situation, there remains a scarcity of research examining the intricate relationship between contaminant levels and individual foraging behaviors. In parallel, we analyzed stable isotope levels (δ15N and δ13C) in fledgling's feathers and prey hair to determine the association between individual dietary and contaminant burdens. Our findings revealed higher levels of PCBs in Egyptian vultures, while pesticide concentrations remained very similar between focal species. Furthermore, higher individual values of δ13C, indicating a diet based on intensive farming carcasses and landfills, were associated with higher levels of PCBs. While the levels of POPs found do not raise immediate alarm, the presence of individuals with unusually high values reveals the existence of accessible contamination sources in the environment for avian scavengers. The increasing reliance of these birds on intensive livestock farming and landfills, due to the decline of extensive livestock farming, necessitates long-term monitoring of potential contaminant effects on their populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Muñoz-Arnanz
- Department of Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry (IQOG-CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006, Madrid, Spain.
| | - A Cortés-Avizanda
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Av. Reina Mercedes 6, 41012, Seville, Spain; Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, C/. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092, Seville, Spain
| | - I Donázar-Aramendía
- Laboratorio de Biología Marina, Seville Aquarium R + D + I Biological Research Area, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Sevilla, 41012, Seville, Spain
| | - E Arrondo
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, C/. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092, Seville, Spain; Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University, Elche, Spain; Department of Zoology, University of Granada, Spain
| | - O Ceballos
- UGARRA, Avda. Carlos III 1, 31002, Pamplona, Navarre, Spain
| | - P Colomer-Vidal
- Department of Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry (IQOG-CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - B Jiménez
- Department of Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry (IQOG-CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - J A Donázar
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, C/. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092, Seville, Spain
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4
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Bartel SL, Stephenson T, Crowder DW, Jones ME, Storfer A, Strickland MS, Lynch L. Global change influences scavenging and carrion decomposition. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:152-164. [PMID: 37816662 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Carrion decomposition is fundamental to nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems because it provides a high-quality resource to diverse organisms. A conceptual framework incorporating all phases of carrion decomposition with the full community of scavengers is needed to predict the effects of global change on core ecosystem processes. Because global change can differentially impact scavenger guilds and rates of carrion decomposition, our framework explicitly incorporates complex interactions among microbial, invertebrate, and vertebrate scavenger communities across three distinct phases of carcass decomposition. We hypothesize that carrion decomposition rates will be the most impacted when global change affects carcass discovery rates and the foraging behavior of competing scavenger guilds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah L Bartel
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, 166 FSHN, 100 Dairy Road, Pullman, WA 99164, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, 301 Abelson Hall, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
| | - Torrey Stephenson
- Department of Soil and Water Systems, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - David W Crowder
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, 166 FSHN, 100 Dairy Road, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Menna E Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Life Sciences Building, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
| | - Andrew Storfer
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, 301 Abelson Hall, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Michael S Strickland
- Department of Soil and Water Systems, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Laurel Lynch
- Department of Soil and Water Systems, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
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5
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Arévalo-Ayala DJ, Real J, Mañosa S, Aymerich J, Durà C, Hernández-Matías A. Age-Specific Demographic Response of a Long-Lived Scavenger Species to Reduction of Organic Matter in a Landfill. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3529. [PMID: 38003146 PMCID: PMC10668657 DOI: 10.3390/ani13223529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Food availability shapes demographic parameters and population dynamics. Certain species have adapted to predictable anthropogenic food resources like landfills. However, abrupt shifts in food availability can negatively impact such populations. While changes in survival are expected, the age-related effects remain poorly understood, particularly in long-lived scavenger species. We investigated the age-specific demographic response of a Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) population to a reduction in organic matter in a landfill and analyzed apparent survival and the probability of transience after initial capture using a Bayesian Cormack-Jolly-Seber model on data from 2012-2022. The proportion of transients among newly captured immatures and adults increased after the reduction in food. Juvenile apparent survival declined, increased in immature residents, and decreased in adult residents. These results suggest that there was a greater likelihood of permanent emigration due to intensified intraspecific competition following the reduction in food. Interestingly, resident immatures showed the opposite trend, suggesting the persistence of high-quality individuals despite the food scarcity. Although the reasons behind the reduced apparent survival of resident adults in the final four years of the study remain unclear, non-natural mortality potentially plays a part. In Europe landfill closure regulations are being implemented and pose a threat to avian scavenger populations, which underlines the need for research on food scarcity scenarios and proper conservation measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego J. Arévalo-Ayala
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (J.R.); (S.M.); (A.H.-M.)
| | - Joan Real
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (J.R.); (S.M.); (A.H.-M.)
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Santi Mañosa
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (J.R.); (S.M.); (A.H.-M.)
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Aymerich
- Grup d’Anellament de Calldetenes-Osona (GACO), 08506 Calldetenes, Spain; (J.A.); (C.D.)
| | - Carles Durà
- Grup d’Anellament de Calldetenes-Osona (GACO), 08506 Calldetenes, Spain; (J.A.); (C.D.)
- Estació Biològica del Montseny, Institut Català d’Ornitologia (ICO), Edifici Fontmartina, 08081 Fogars de Montclús, Spain
| | - Antonio Hernández-Matías
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (J.R.); (S.M.); (A.H.-M.)
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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6
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Cerecedo-Iglesias C, Pretus JL, Hernández-Matías A, Cortés-Avizanda A, Real J. Key Factors behind the Dynamic Stability of Pairs of Egyptian Vultures in Continental Spain. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2775. [PMID: 37685040 PMCID: PMC10486963 DOI: 10.3390/ani13172775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Conservation science aims to identify the factors influencing the distribution of threatened species, thereby permitting the implementation of effective management strategies. This is key for long-lived species that require long-term monitoring such as the worldwide endangered Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus). We studied temporal and spatial variations in the distribution of breeding pairs and examined the intrinsic and anthropic factors that may be influencing the abundance of breeding territories in continental Spain. Based on the census data of breeding pairs from 2000, 2008, and 2018, we used Rank Occupancy-Abundance Profiles to assess the temporal stability of the population and identified the spatial heterogeneity through a Local Index of Spatial Autocorrelation analysis. The GLMs showed that the abundance distribution was mainly influenced by the abundance of griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) and cattle at a regional scale. Nonparametric comparisons showed that the presence of wind farms had a significant negative effect on local breeding pairs abundance, but that supplementary feeding stations and food resource-related variables had a positive impact. In light of these findings, we recommend a hierarchical approach in future conservation programs involving actions promoting regional-scale food resource availability and highlight the need to address the negative impact of wind farms at local levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catuxa Cerecedo-Iglesias
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de la Recerca de la Biodiversitat i (IRBIO), Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (J.L.P.); (A.H.-M.); (J.R.)
| | - Joan Lluís Pretus
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de la Recerca de la Biodiversitat i (IRBIO), Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (J.L.P.); (A.H.-M.); (J.R.)
| | - Antonio Hernández-Matías
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de la Recerca de la Biodiversitat i (IRBIO), Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (J.L.P.); (A.H.-M.); (J.R.)
| | - Ainara Cortés-Avizanda
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Avenida Reina Mercedes 6, 41012 Seville, Spain;
- Estacion Biologica Doñana, CSIC, Avenida Americo Vespucio 26, Isla de la Cartuja, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Joan Real
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de la Recerca de la Biodiversitat i (IRBIO), Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (J.L.P.); (A.H.-M.); (J.R.)
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7
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Lewis AC, Hughes C, Rogers TL. Living in human-modified landscapes narrows the dietary niche of a specialised mammalian scavenger. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3582. [PMID: 36869089 PMCID: PMC9984462 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30490-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic impacts on carnivores can be complex, posing numerous threats to many species, yet also benefits to those able to exploit certain resources. This balancing act is particularly precarious for those adapters that exploit dietary resources provided by humans, but still require other resources only available in native habitat. Here we measure the dietary niche of one such species, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), a specialised mammalian scavenger, across an anthropogenic habitat gradient stretching from cleared pasture to undisturbed rainforest. Populations inhabiting areas of greater disturbance showed restricted dietary niches, suggesting that all individuals fed on similar food items, even within regenerated native forest. Populations in undisturbed rainforest habitats had comparatively broad diets and showed evidence of niche partitioning by body size, which may reduce intraspecific competition. Despite the potential benefits of reliable access to high-quality food items in anthropogenically-modified habitats, the constrained niches we observed may be harmful, indicating altered behaviours and potentially increasing the rate of fights between individuals over food. This is of particular concern for a species at risk of extinction due to a deadly cancer primarily transmitted through aggressive interactions. The lack of diversity in devil diets within regenerated native forest compared to those in old-growth rainforest also indicates the conservation value of the latter for both the devil and the species which they consume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Lewis
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- The Carnivore Conservancy, Ulverstone, TAS, Australia.
| | - Channing Hughes
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The Carnivore Conservancy, Ulverstone, TAS, Australia
| | - Tracey L Rogers
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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8
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Sura SA, Gehris CG, Liang MY, Lim AN, Fong P. Press versus pulse nutrient supply and species interactions mediate growth of coral reef macroalgae. OIKOS 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shayna A. Sura
- Univ. of California Los Angeles, Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Los Angeles CA USA
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab Dauphin Island AL USA
| | - Connor G. Gehris
- Univ. of California Los Angeles, Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Michelle Y. Liang
- Univ. of California Los Angeles, Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Alexandra N. Lim
- Univ. of California Los Angeles, Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Peggy Fong
- Univ. of California Los Angeles, Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Los Angeles CA USA
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9
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Morant J, Arrondo E, Sánchez‐Zapata JA, Donázar JA, Cortés‐Avizanda A, De La Riva M, Blanco G, Martínez F, Oltra J, Carrete M, Margalida A, Oliva‐Vidal P, Martínez JM, Serrano D, Pérez‐García JM. Large-scale movement patterns in a social vulture are influenced by seasonality, sex, and breeding region. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9817. [PMID: 36789342 PMCID: PMC9909000 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantifying space use and segregation, as well as the extrinsic and intrinsic factors affecting them, is crucial to increase our knowledge of species-specific movement ecology and to design effective management and conservation measures. This is particularly relevant in the case of species that are highly mobile and dependent on sparse and unpredictable trophic resources, such as vultures. Here, we used the GPS-tagged data of 127 adult Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus captured at five different breeding regions in Spain to describe the movement patterns (home-range size and fidelity, and monthly cumulative distance). We also examined how individual sex, season, and breeding region determined the cumulative distance traveled and the size and overlap between consecutive monthly home-ranges. Overall, Griffon Vultures exhibited very large annual home-range sizes of 5027 ± 2123 km2, mean monthly cumulative distances of 1776 ± 1497 km, and showed a monthly home-range fidelity of 67.8 ± 25.5%. However, individuals from northern breeding regions showed smaller home-ranges and traveled shorter monthly distances than those from southern ones. In all cases, home-ranges were larger in spring and summer than in winter and autumn, which could be related to difference in flying conditions and food requirements associated with reproduction. Moreover, females showed larger home-ranges and less monthly fidelity than males, indicating that the latter tended to use the similar areas throughout the year. Overall, our results indicate that both extrinsic and intrinsic factors modulate the home-range of the Griffon Vulture and that spatial segregation depends on sex and season at the individual level, without relevant differences between breeding regions in individual site fidelity. These results have important implications for conservation, such as identifying key threat factors necessary to improve management actions and policy decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Morant
- Department of Applied BiologyMiguel Hernández University of ElcheElcheSpain
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO‐UMH)Miguel Hernández University of ElcheOrihuelaSpain
| | - Eneko Arrondo
- Department of Applied BiologyMiguel Hernández University of ElcheElcheSpain
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO‐UMH)Miguel Hernández University of ElcheOrihuelaSpain
| | - José Antonio Sánchez‐Zapata
- Department of Applied BiologyMiguel Hernández University of ElcheElcheSpain
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO‐UMH)Miguel Hernández University of ElcheOrihuelaSpain
| | - José Antonio Donázar
- Departament of Conservation BiologyEstación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC)SevillaSpain
| | - Ainara Cortés‐Avizanda
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of BiologyUniversity of SevilleSevilleSpain
| | - Manuel De La Riva
- Departament of Conservation BiologyEstación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC)SevillaSpain
| | - Guillermo Blanco
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyMuseo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Félix Martínez
- Escuela Internacional de DoctoradoUniversidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC)MadridSpain
| | - Juan Oltra
- Department of Physical, Chemical and Natural SystemsUniversidad Pablo de OlavideSevillaSpain
| | - Martina Carrete
- Department of Physical, Chemical and Natural SystemsUniversidad Pablo de OlavideSevillaSpain
| | - Antoni Margalida
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (CSIC)JacaSpain
- Institute for Game and Wildlife ResearchIREC (CSIC‐UCLM)Ciudad RealSpain
| | - Pilar Oliva‐Vidal
- Institute for Game and Wildlife ResearchIREC (CSIC‐UCLM)Ciudad RealSpain
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Life Sciences and EngineeringUniversity of LleidaLleidaSpain
| | - José Maria Martínez
- Departamento Medio Ambiente, Gobierno de AragónSubdirección General de Desarrollo Rural y SostenibilidadHuescaSpain
| | - David Serrano
- Departament of Conservation BiologyEstación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC)SevillaSpain
| | - Juan Manuel Pérez‐García
- Department of Applied BiologyMiguel Hernández University of ElcheElcheSpain
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO‐UMH)Miguel Hernández University of ElcheOrihuelaSpain
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10
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Competitive interactions with dominant carnivores affect carrion acquisition of striped hyena in a semi-arid landscape of Rajasthan, India. MAMMAL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-022-00663-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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11
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Naves‐Alegre L, Morales‐Reyes Z, Sánchez‐Zapata JA, Sebastián‐González E. Scavenger assemblages are structured by complex competition and facilitation processes among vultures. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L. Naves‐Alegre
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO‐UMH) Miguel Hernández University of Elche Elche Spain
- Ecology Department Alicante University Alicante Spain
| | - Z. Morales‐Reyes
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO‐UMH) Miguel Hernández University of Elche Elche Spain
- Instituto de Estudios Sociales Avanzados (IESA), CSIC Córdoba Spain
| | - J. A. Sánchez‐Zapata
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO‐UMH) Miguel Hernández University of Elche Elche Spain
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12
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Almaraz P, Martínez F, Morales-Reyes Z, Sánchez-Zapata JA, Blanco G. Long-term demographic dynamics of a keystone scavenger disrupted by human-induced shifts in food availability. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2579. [PMID: 35279905 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Scavenging is a key ecological process controlling energy flow in ecosystems and providing valuable ecosystem services worldwide. As long-lived species, the demographic dynamics of vultures can be disrupted by spatiotemporal fluctuations in food availability, with dramatic impacts on their population viability and the ecosystem services provided. In Europe, the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in 2001 prompted a restrictive sanitary regulation banning the presence of livestock carcasses in the wild on a continental scale. In long-lived vertebrate species, the buffering hypothesis predicts that the demographic traits with the largest contribution to population growth rate should be less temporally variable. The BSE outbreak provides a unique opportunity to test for the impact of demographic buffering in a keystone scavenger suffering abrupt but transient food shortages. We studied the 42-year dynamics (1979-2020) of one of the world's largest breeding colonies of Eurasian griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus). We fitted an inverse Bayesian state-space model with density-dependent demographic rates to the time series of stage-structured abundances to investigate shifts in vital rates and population dynamics before, during, and after the implementation of a restrictive sanitary regulation. Prior to the BSE outbreak the dynamics was mainly driven by adult survival: 83% of temporal variance in abundance was explained by variability in this rate. Moreover, during this period the regulation of population size operated through density-dependent fecundity and subadult survival. However, after the onset of the European ban, a 1-month delay in average laying date, a drop in fecundity, and a reduction in the number of fledglings induced a transient increase in the impact of fledgling and subadult recruitment on dynamics. Although adult survival rate remained constantly high, as predicted by the buffering hypothesis, its relative impact on the temporal variance in abundance dropped to 71% during the sanitary regulation and to 54% after the ban was lifted. A significant increase in the relative impact of environmental stochasticity on dynamics was modeled after the BSE outbreak. These results provide empirical evidence on how abrupt environmental deterioration may induce dramatic demographic and dynamic changes in the populations of keystone scavengers, with far-reaching impacts on ecosystem functioning worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Almaraz
- Department of Ecology and Coastal Management, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, ICMAN-CSIC, Campus Río San Pedro, Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Félix Martínez
- Escuela Internacional de Doctorado, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), Móstoles, Spain
| | - Zebensui Morales-Reyes
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Elche, Spain
| | - José A Sánchez-Zapata
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Elche, Spain
| | - Guillermo Blanco
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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13
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Oliva‐Vidal P, Sebastián‐González E, Margalida A. Scavenging in changing environments: woody encroachment shapes rural scavenger assemblages in Europe. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Oliva‐Vidal
- Inst. for Game and Wildlife Research, IREC (CSIC‐UCLM‐JCCM) Ciudad Real Spain
- Dept of Animal Science, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, Univ. of Lleida Lleida Spain
| | | | - Antoni Margalida
- Inst. for Game and Wildlife Research, IREC (CSIC‐UCLM‐JCCM) Ciudad Real Spain
- Pyrenean Inst. of Ecology (CSIC) Jaca Spain
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14
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Large-Scale Quantification and Correlates of Ungulate Carrion Production in the Anthropocene. Ecosystems 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-022-00763-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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15
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Hill JE, Holland AE, Brohl LK, Kluever BM, Pfeiffer MB, DeVault TL, Belant JL. Diets of Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures in Coastal South Carolina, USA with a Review of Species' Dietary Information. SOUTHEAST NAT 2022. [DOI: 10.1656/058.021.0102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob E. Hill
- University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, PO Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802
| | - Amanda E. Holland
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210
| | - Lisa K. Brohl
- Lake Erie Islands Conservancy, P.O. Box 461, Put-in-Bay, OH 43456
| | - Bryan M. Kluever
- United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Florida Field Station, 2820 East University Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32641
| | - Morgan B. Pfeiffer
- United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Ohio Field Station, 6100 Columbus Avenue, Sandusky, OH 44870
| | - Travis L. DeVault
- University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, PO Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802
| | - Jerrold L. Belant
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210
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16
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Wenting E, Rinzema SCY, van Langevelde F. Functional differences in scavenger communities and the speed of carcass decomposition. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8576. [PMID: 35228859 PMCID: PMC8861590 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Carcass decomposition largely depends on vertebrate scavengers. However, how behavioral differences between vertebrate scavenger species, the dominance of certain species, and the diversity of the vertebrate scavenger community affect the speed of carcass decomposition is poorly understood. As scavenging is an overlooked trophic interaction, studying the different functional roles of vertebrate species in the scavenging process increases our understanding about the effect of the vertebrate scavenger community on carcass decomposition. We used motion-triggered infrared camera trap footages to profile the behavior and activity of vertebrate scavengers visiting carcasses in Dutch nature areas. We grouped vertebrate scavengers with similar functional roles. We found a clear distinction between occasional scavengers and more specialized scavengers, and we found wild boar (Sus scrofa) to be the dominant scavenger species in our study system. We showed that these groups are functionally different within the scavenger community. We found that overall vertebrate scavenger diversity was positively correlated with carcass decomposition speed. With these findings, our study contributes to the understanding about the different functional roles scavengers can have in ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Wenting
- Department of Environmental SciencesWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
- Department of Animal Ecology and PhysiologyInstitute for Water and Wetland ResearchRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Salomé C. Y. Rinzema
- Department of Environmental SciencesWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Frank van Langevelde
- Department of Environmental SciencesWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
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17
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Temporal resource partitioning mediates vertebrate coexistence at carcasses: the role of competitive and facilitative interactions. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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18
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Pirastru M, Mereu P, Manca L, Bebbere D, Naitana S, Leoni GG. Anthropogenic Drivers Leading to Population Decline and Genetic Preservation of the Eurasian Griffon Vulture ( Gyps fulvus). Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11101038. [PMID: 34685409 PMCID: PMC8540517 DOI: 10.3390/life11101038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human activities are having increasingly devastating effects on the health of marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Studying the adaptive responses of animal species to changes in their habitat can be useful in mitigating this impact. Vultures represent one of the most virtuous examples of adaptation to human-induced environmental changes. Once dependent on wild ungulate populations, these birds have adapted to the epochal change resulting from the birth of agriculture and livestock domestication, maintaining their essential role as ecological scavengers. In this review, we retrace the main splitting events characterising the vultures’ evolution, with particular emphasis on the Eurasian griffon Gyps fulvus. We summarise the main ecological and behavioural traits of this species, highlighting its vulnerability to elements introduced into the habitat by humans. We collected the genetic information available to date, underlining their importance for improving the management of this species, as an essential tool to support restocking practices and to protect the genetic integrity of G. fulvus. Finally, we examine the difficulties in implementing a coordination system that allows genetic information to be effectively transferred into management programs. Until a linking network is established between scientific research and management practices, the risk of losing important wildlife resources remains high.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Pirastru
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43b, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (M.P.); (L.M.)
| | - Paolo Mereu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43b, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (M.P.); (L.M.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Laura Manca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43b, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (M.P.); (L.M.)
| | - Daniela Bebbere
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (D.B.); (S.N.); (G.G.L.)
| | - Salvatore Naitana
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (D.B.); (S.N.); (G.G.L.)
| | - Giovanni G. Leoni
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (D.B.); (S.N.); (G.G.L.)
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19
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Sebastián-González E, Morales-Reyes Z, Botella F, Naves-Alegre L, Pérez-García JM, Mateo-Tomás P, Olea PP, Moleón M, Barbosa JM, Hiraldo F, Arrondo E, Donázar JA, Cortés-Avizanda A, Selva N, Lambertucci SA, Bhattacharjee A, Brewer AL, Abernethy EF, Turner KL, Beasley JC, DeVault TL, Gerke HC, Rhodes OE, Ordiz A, Wikenros C, Zimmermann B, Wabakken P, Wilmers CC, Smith JA, Kendall CJ, Ogada D, Frehner E, Allen ML, Wittmer HU, Butler JRA, du Toit JT, Margalida A, Oliva-Vidal P, Wilson D, Jerina K, Krofel M, Kostecke R, Inger R, Per E, Ayhan Y, Sancı M, Yılmazer Ü, Inagaki A, Koike S, Samson A, Perrig PL, Spencer EE, Newsome TM, Heurich M, Anadón JD, Buechley ER, Gutiérrez-Cánovas C, Elbroch LM, Sánchez-Zapata JA. Functional traits driving species role in the structure of terrestrial vertebrate scavenger networks. Ecology 2021; 102:e03519. [PMID: 34449876 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Species assemblages often have a non-random nested organization, which in vertebrate scavenger (carrion-consuming) assemblages is thought to be driven by facilitation in competitive environments. However, not all scavenger species play the same role in maintaining assemblage structure, as some species are obligate scavengers (i.e., vultures) and others are facultative, scavenging opportunistically. We used a database with 177 vertebrate scavenger species from 53 assemblages in 22 countries across five continents to identify which functional traits of scavenger species are key to maintaining the scavenging network structure. We used network analyses to relate ten traits hypothesized to affect assemblage structure with the "role" of each species in the scavenging assemblage in which it appeared. We characterized the role of a species in terms of both the proportion of monitored carcasses on which that species scavenged, or scavenging breadth (i.e., the species "normalized degree"), and the role of that species in the nested structure of the assemblage (i.e., the species "paired nested degree"), therefore identifying possible facilitative interactions among species. We found that species with high olfactory acuity, social foragers, and obligate scavengers had the widest scavenging breadth. We also found that social foragers had a large paired nested degree in scavenger assemblages, probably because their presence is easier to detect by other species to signal carcass occurrence. Our study highlights differences in the functional roles of scavenger species and can be used to identify key species for targeted conservation to maintain the ecological function of scavenger assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Sebastián-González
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Avenida de la Universidad s/n, Elche, E-03202, Spain.,Department of Ecology, University of Alicante, Cra. San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, E-03690, Spain
| | - Zebensui Morales-Reyes
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Avenida de la Universidad s/n, Elche, E-03202, Spain
| | - Francisco Botella
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Avenida de la Universidad s/n, Elche, E-03202, Spain
| | - Lara Naves-Alegre
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Avenida de la Universidad s/n, Elche, E-03202, Spain
| | - Juan M Pérez-García
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Avenida de la Universidad s/n, Elche, E-03202, Spain.,Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Lleida, E-25002, Spain
| | - Patricia Mateo-Tomás
- Biodiversity Research Institute, University of Oviedo -Spanish National Research Council- Principality of Asturias, Mieres, E-33600, Spain.,Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra, 3000-456, Portugal
| | - Pedro P Olea
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, E-28049, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, E-28049, Spain
| | - Marcos Moleón
- Department of Zoology, University of Granada, Granada, E-18071, Spain
| | - Jomar Magalhães Barbosa
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Avenida de la Universidad s/n, Elche, E-03202, Spain
| | - Fernando Hiraldo
- Department of Conservation Biology, Doñana Biological Station-CSIC, Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, E-41092, Spain
| | - Eneko Arrondo
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Avenida de la Universidad s/n, Elche, E-03202, Spain.,Department of Conservation Biology, Doñana Biological Station-CSIC, Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, E-41092, Spain
| | - José A Donázar
- Department of Conservation Biology, Doñana Biological Station-CSIC, Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, E-41092, Spain
| | - Ainara Cortés-Avizanda
- Department of Conservation Biology, Doñana Biological Station-CSIC, Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, E-41092, Spain.,Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, Seville, E-41012, Spain
| | - Nuria Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, PL-31-120, Poland
| | - Sergio A Lambertucci
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación, Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA, CONICET - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, 8400, Argentina
| | - Aishwarya Bhattacharjee
- Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York, Queens, New York, 10010, USA.,Biology Program, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York, 10010, USA
| | - Alexis L Brewer
- Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York, Queens, New York, 10010, USA.,Biology Program, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York, 10010, USA
| | - Erin F Abernethy
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA
| | - Kelsey L Turner
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Aiken, South Carolina, 29802, USA
| | - James C Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Aiken, South Carolina, 29802, USA
| | - Travis L DeVault
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Aiken, South Carolina, 29802, USA
| | - Hannah C Gerke
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Aiken, South Carolina, 29802, USA
| | - Olin E Rhodes
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Aiken, South Carolina, 29802, USA
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, NO-1432, Norway
| | - Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Riddarhyttan, 73993, Sweden
| | - Barbara Zimmermann
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2318, Norway
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2318, Norway
| | - Christopher C Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, 95064, USA
| | - Justine A Smith
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Corinne J Kendall
- North Carolina Zoo, 4401 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, North Carolina, 27205, USA
| | - Darcy Ogada
- The Peregrine Fund, 5668 Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, Idaho, 83709, USA
| | - Ethan Frehner
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112, USA
| | - Maximilian L Allen
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Heiko U Wittmer
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, 6012, New Zealand
| | | | - Johan T du Toit
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, 84322-5230, USA
| | - Antoni Margalida
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Lleida, E-25002, Spain.,Institute for Game and Wildlife Research, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, E-13071, Spain
| | - Pilar Oliva-Vidal
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Lleida, E-25002, Spain
| | - David Wilson
- The Biodiversity Consultancy, Cambridge, CB2 1SJ, United Kingdom
| | - Klemen Jerina
- Department of Forestry, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, SI-1000, Slovenia
| | - Miha Krofel
- Department of Forestry, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, SI-1000, Slovenia
| | | | - Richard Inger
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Esra Per
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Gazi University, Teknikokullar, Ankara, 06560, Turkey.,DEDE Nature Team, İvedik Organize Sanayi Bölgesi 1122.cad. 1473.Sok. No:4-6-8 Yenimahalle, Ankara, 06374, Turkey
| | - Yunus Ayhan
- DEDE Nature Team, İvedik Organize Sanayi Bölgesi 1122.cad. 1473.Sok. No:4-6-8 Yenimahalle, Ankara, 06374, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Sancı
- DEDE Nature Team, İvedik Organize Sanayi Bölgesi 1122.cad. 1473.Sok. No:4-6-8 Yenimahalle, Ankara, 06374, Turkey
| | - Ünsal Yılmazer
- DEDE Nature Team, İvedik Organize Sanayi Bölgesi 1122.cad. 1473.Sok. No:4-6-8 Yenimahalle, Ankara, 06374, Turkey
| | - Akino Inagaki
- Department of Environment Conservation, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-0054, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Koike
- Department of Environment Conservation, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-0054, Japan
| | - Arockianathan Samson
- Department of Zoology and Wildlife Biology, Government Arts College, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, 643002, India
| | - Paula L Perrig
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación, Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA, CONICET - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, 8400, Argentina.,Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Emma E Spencer
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Thomas M Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Marco Heurich
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Straße 2, Grafenau, 94481, Germany.,Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straße 4, Freiburg, 79106, Germany
| | - José D Anadón
- Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York, Queens, New York, 10010, USA.,Biology Program, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York, 10010, USA.,Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias y el Medio Natural, Universidad de Zaragoza, Huesca, E-50009, Spain
| | - Evan R Buechley
- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, Washington, D.C., 20013, USA.,HawkWatch International, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84106, USA
| | | | - L Mark Elbroch
- Panthera, 8 West 40th Street, New York, New York, 10018, USA
| | - José A Sánchez-Zapata
- Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Avenida de la Universidad s/n, Elche, E-03202, Spain
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20
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Ezenwa IM, Sunday FO, Echude D, Asuoha GC, Ezeorah CC, Ejere VC. Resource constancy and diurnal population variances drive coexistence among avian scavengers at urban slaughterhouses in Nsukka region, Nigeria. Afr J Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ifeanyi Maxwell Ezenwa
- Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology University of Nigeria Nsukka Enugu State Nigeria
| | | | - Daniel Echude
- Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology University of Nigeria Nsukka Enugu State Nigeria
| | | | - Cajetan Chidebem Ezeorah
- Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology University of Nigeria Nsukka Enugu State Nigeria
| | - Vincent Chikwendu Ejere
- Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology University of Nigeria Nsukka Enugu State Nigeria
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Berlinguer F, Ahmed F, Tamponi C, Carta S, Scala A, Cappai MG, Varcasia A. Help from the sky: Can vultures contribute to Cystic Echinococcosis control in endemic areas? PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009615. [PMID: 34264952 PMCID: PMC8345826 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is endemic in Sardinia and constitutes a serious public health concern due to high prevalence in livestock and humans. Despite sustained efforts, control of the disease had been unsuccessful in the region. Problematic carcass disposal due to soaring incineration costs and free access of dogs to infected carrion are dominant factors, fueling endemicity among other. As sole obligate scavenger, griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) are uniquely specialized to eliminate carcasses swiftly and efficiently, saving on unnecessary environmental and economic costs for carrion disposal. However, following drastic population declines across Europe, griffon vultures practically went extinct in Italy. A conservation expansion program in Sardinia successfully reinforced the last remaining Italian vulture population by mitigating the main threats to its survival; food shortage. Through the establishment of supplementary feeding stations, permanent supply of livestock cadavers was provided. In this research, the management and conservation implications on the controlled disposal of carcass disposal through vulture feeding stations on the control of CE in Sardinia were assessed. During the course of the project, vultures scavenged a total of 81,361 kg of biomass, saving €90,041 in incineration costs and € 1,054 in CO2 emission. Through extrapolation of these results, a total of 5,304 kg of suspected CE infected sheep carcasses (65.3%) was calculated to have been disposed by griffons, considerably reducing the CE risk and burden in Sardinia. A quantification of the amount of biomass that could be eliminated by griffon in a succeeding conservation project was also made. These calculations implied that 162,722 kg of biomass, including 10,608 kg of infected biomass from sheep, would be consumed over a period of 5 years, further lowering the CE burden in Sardinia. Our results, driven under one health approach, emphasize the crucial and direct role of griffons in breaking the lifecycle of CE as well as their indirect role in rendering multiple ecosystem and economic services through the elimination of carcasses. Please view a video Abstract here: https://youtu.be/Tm820nPq5KE. Cystic echinococcosis (CE), is a major parasitic disease of animal and public health significance due to high morbidity and mortality. The infection is caused by the larval stage of the dog tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus, frequently reported in rural pastoral regions. In Sardinia, CE is very abundant in livestock, especially in sheep (65.3%). Several control strategies were attempted to limit the spread of CE, however, it turns out that the elimination of disease requires long lasting efforts. High prevalence of CE in Sardinia is due to multiple factors, but the cost of carcass incineration and free access of dogs to unattended carcasses are major points in the persistency of the infection. Griffon vultures as sole obligate scavengers, are highly specialized in removing the animal carcasses swiftly and efficiently, but have suffered severe population declines in the last decade. A wildlife conservation project in Sardinia envisioned to expand the griffon population by utilizing animal carcasses of animals as feed for vultures. We aimed to investigate these natural scavenging habits of vultures and the use of such “vulture restaurants” in relation to the control of CE. Our results show that the vultures remove a significant quantity of infected biomass, simultaneously saving high cost for incineration and carbon emission. The study is one of the pioneer investigations in the biological control of CE along with its estimation of ecosystem and economic services provided by the griffons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiammetta Berlinguer
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Fahad Ahmed
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Claudia Tamponi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Silvia Carta
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Antonio Scala
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Cappai
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Antonio Varcasia
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Carcasses at Fixed Locations Host a Higher Diversity of Necrophilous Beetles. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12050412. [PMID: 34064338 PMCID: PMC8147763 DOI: 10.3390/insects12050412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Whereas vertebrate scavengers have a higher diversity reported at randomly placed carcasses, the drivers of insect diversity on carrion, such as the exposure type (fixed versus random) or the carrion species, are still incompletely understood. We analyzed beetle diversity at differently exposed carcasses in the low-range mountain forest of the Bavarian Forest National Park in Germany. We tested if scavenging beetles, similarly to vertebrate scavengers, show a higher diversity at randomly placed carcasses compared to easily manageable fixed places. Ninety-two beetle species at 29 exposed wildlife carcasses (roe, red deer, and red foxes) were detected. Beetle diversity was higher at fixed locations possessing extended highly nutrient-rich cadaver decomposition islands as important refuges for threatened red-listed species, such as Necrobia violacea (Coleoptera: Cleridae). Particularly noticeable in our insect traps were the following two rare species, the “primitive” carrion beetle Necrophilus subterraneus (Coleoptera: Agyrtidae) and the false clown beetle Sphaerites glabratus (Coleoptera: Sphaeritidae). In Europe, only the species S. glabratus out of the genus Sphaerites is present. This emphasizes the importance of carrion for biodiversity conservation. We clearly show the relevance of leaving and additional providing wildlife carcasses in a dedicated place in protected forests for preserving very rare and threatened beetle species as essential members of the decomposing community. Abstract In contrast to other necromass, such as leaves, deadwood, or dung, the drivers of insect biodiversity on carcasses are still incompletely understood. For vertebrate scavengers, a richer community was shown for randomly placed carcasses, due to lower competition. Here we tested if scavenging beetles similarly show a higher diversity at randomly placed carcasses compared to easily manageable fixed places. We sampled 12,879 individuals and 92 species of scavenging beetles attracted to 17 randomly and 12 at fixed places exposed and decomposing carcasses of red deer, roe deer, and red foxes compared to control sites in a low range mountain forest. We used rarefaction-extrapolation curves along the Hill-series to weight diversity from rare to dominant species and indicator species analysis to identify differences between placement types, the decay stage, and carrion species. Beetle diversity decreased from fixed to random locations, becoming increasingly pronounced with weighting of dominant species. In addition, we found only two indicator species for exposure location type, both representative of fixed placement locations and both red listed species, namely Omosita depressa and Necrobia violacea. Furthermore, we identified three indicator species of Staphylinidae (Philonthus marginatus and Oxytelus laqueatus) and Scarabaeidae (Melinopterus prodromus) for larger carrion and one geotrupid species Anoplotrupes stercorosus for advanced decomposition stages. Our study shows that necrophilous insect diversity patterns on carcasses over decomposition follow different mechanisms than those of vertebrate scavengers with permanently established carrion islands as important habitats for a diverse and threatened insect fauna.
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Handler KS, Subalusky AL, Kendall CJ, Dutton CL, Rosi EJ, Post DM. Temporal resource partitioning of wildebeest carcasses by scavengers after riverine mass mortality events. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine S. Handler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut06511USA
| | - Amanda L. Subalusky
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut06511USA
- Department of Biology University of Florida Gainesville Florida32611USA
| | - Corinne J. Kendall
- North Carolina Zoo Asheboro North Carolina27205USA
- North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina27607USA
| | - Christopher L. Dutton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut06511USA
- Department of Biology University of Florida Gainesville Florida32611USA
| | - Emma J. Rosi
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Millbrook New York12545USA
| | - David M. Post
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut06511USA
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Fong CR, Sura SA, Ford AT, Howard HB, Molina NE, Smith NN, Fong P. TESTING THE CONCEPTUAL AND OPERATIONAL UNDERPINNINGS OF HERBIVORY ASSAYS: DOES VARIATION IN PREDICTABILITY OF RESOURCES, ASSAY DESIGN, AND DEPLOYMENT METHOD AFFECT OUTCOMES? JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY 2020; 533:151469. [PMID: 36936734 PMCID: PMC10019850 DOI: 10.1016/j.jembe.2020.151469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Herbivory assays are a valuable tool used by ecologists to understand many of the patterns and processes affecting herbivory, a widely recognized driving force in marine communities. However, methods vary substantially among studies in both design and operation, and the effect of these differences has yet to be evaluated. We assessed the effects of several key components of assay design on estimates of herbivory to offer four recommendations. First, we found assays out-planted on sequential days in both predictable and random locations within a 60m2 site experienced temporal increases in herbivory by an increasingly diverse assemblage of fishes. Thus, we strongly advise against placing herbivory assays in the same site over a series of days. Second, we found while the amount of biomass consumed in assays was density dependent, the percent loss was not. Thus, we recommend researchers report percent consumption because this metric is robust to differences in biomass offered and will facilitate comparisons across studies. Third, we found associational effects, where proximity of species of differing palatabilities impacted estimates of herbivory rate on one or both species, but these impacts were not consistent across species or sites. Thus, we recommend the effect of association be directly tested for multi specie herbivory assays. Fourth, we found no effect of attachment method on estimates of herbivory rate and recommend researchers continue to use the attachment method in which they are most confident. We hope our experimental results prove useful in the future when designing, conducting, and interpreting herbivory assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin R. Fong
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
- Corresponding author:
| | - Shayna A. Sura
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Ashlyn T. Ford
- School of the Environment, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL 32307
| | - Hunter B. Howard
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD 21853
| | - Nury E. Molina
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Nefertiti N. Smith
- Department of Marine and Environmental Science, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668
| | - Peggy Fong
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
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García-Alfonso M, van Overveld T, Gangoso L, Serrano D, Donázar JA. Vultures and Livestock: The Where, When, and Why of Visits to Farms. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10112127. [PMID: 33207713 PMCID: PMC7698296 DOI: 10.3390/ani10112127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent changes in European legislation have legalized the abandonment of carcasses around livestock farms, but our understanding of how vultures exploit these semi-predictable food sources is still very limited. For filling this gap, we determine the individual and ecological drivers influencing vulture visits to farms. We assessed the effects of individual characteristics of both birds and farms on the frequency of vultures' visits to livestock facilities using data collected from 45 GPS-tagged Egyptian Vultures (Neophron percnopterus) and 318 farms (>94% of livestock) on Fuerteventura Island, Spain. Farms were more visited during the vultures' breeding season. Farms located closer to highly predictable feeding places (i.e., vulture restaurants and garbage dumps) or with more available feeding resources were visited by more vultures, whereas those located close to roads and vultures' breeding territories received fewer visits. Younger territorial birds visited a farm more frequently than older territorial ones, whereas older non-territorial individuals concentrated those visits on farms closer to their activity core areas compared with younger ones. Our findings indicate that visits to farms were determined by their spatial distribution in relation to the age-specific birds' activity centers, the availability of carcasses, seasonality, and individual characteristics of vultures. These interacting factors should be considered in vulture conservation, avoiding very general solutions that ignore population structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina García-Alfonso
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; (T.v.O.); (D.S.); (J.A.D.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Thijs van Overveld
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; (T.v.O.); (D.S.); (J.A.D.)
| | - Laura Gangoso
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - David Serrano
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; (T.v.O.); (D.S.); (J.A.D.)
| | - José A. Donázar
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; (T.v.O.); (D.S.); (J.A.D.)
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26
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Deguines N, Lorrilliere R, Dozières A, Bessa-Gomes C, Chiron F. Any despot at my table? Competition among native and introduced bird species at garden birdfeeders in winter. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 734:139263. [PMID: 32475721 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Garden bird feeding constitutes a massive provision of food that can support bird communities, but there is a growing concern it might favour the establishment of exotic species that could be detrimental to others. How bird species compete with novel species for this anthropogenic food resources needs to be assessed. Here, we investigated competition in wintering bird communities at garden birdfeeders. We evaluated whether - and how much - bird access to resources is hampered by the presence of putative superior competing species, among which the Rose-ringed parakeet, the most abundant introduced species across Europe. Using the nation-wide citizen science scheme BirdLab, in which volunteers record in real-time bird attendance on a pair of birdfeeders during 5-minute sessions, we tested whether i) cumulative bird presence time and richness at birdfeeders, and ii) species probability of presence at birdfeeders, were influenced by three large species (the Eurasian magpie, the Eurasian collared-dove, and the Rose-ringed parakeet). Additionally, we assessed whether the Rose-ringed parakeet occupied resources significantly more than others. Presence of the Rose-ringed parakeet or the Eurasian collared-dove similarly reduced community cumulative presence time at birdfeeders, but only the dove reduced community richness. Each of the three large species influenced the presence of at least one of the six smaller species that could be separately modelled, but effects varied in strength and direction. The Rose-ringed parakeet and the Eurasian collared-dove were among the three species monopolising birdfeeders the longest, substantially more than the Eurasian magpie. Our findings confirm the competitive abilities of the large species studied, but do not suggest that garden bird feeding may alarmingly favour introduced species with detrimental effects on native species. Given the variability of large species' effects on small passerines, direct and indirect interactions among all species must be examined to fully understand the ecological net effects at stake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Deguines
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, 91405 Orsay, France; Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Romain Lorrilliere
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, 91405 Orsay, France; Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Anne Dozières
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Carmen Bessa-Gomes
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, 91405 Orsay, France.
| | - François Chiron
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, 91405 Orsay, France.
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Collet J, Weimerskirch H. Albatrosses can memorize locations of predictable fishing boats but favour natural foraging. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200958. [PMID: 32752984 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Human activities generate food attracting many animals worldwide, causing major conservation issues. The spatio-temporal predictability of anthropogenic resources could reduce search costs for animals and mediate their attractiveness. We investigated this through GPS tracking in breeding black-browed albatrosses attracted to fishing boats. We tested for answers to the following questions. (i) Can future boat locations be anticipated from cues available to birds? (ii) Are birds able to appropriately use these cues to increase encounters? (iii) How frequently do birds use these cues? Boats were spatially persistent: birds searching in the direction where they previously attended boats would encounter twice as many boats compared with following a random direction strategy. A large proportion of birds did not use this cue: across pairs of consecutive trips (n = 85), 51% of birds switched their foraging direction irrespective of previous boat encounters. Still, 15 birds (27%) were observed to closely approach (approx. 0.1-1 km) where they previously attended a boat while boats were no longer there. This is less than the distance expected by chance (approx. 10-100 km), based on permutation control procedures accounting for individual-specific spatial consistency, suggesting individuals could memorize where they encountered boats across consecutive trips. We conclude albatrosses were able to exploit predictive cues from recent boat encounters but most favoured alternative resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Collet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de la Rochelle, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France.,Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 10a Mansfield Road, OX1 3QT, Oxford, UK
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de la Rochelle, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
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Brink CW, Santangeli A, Amar A, Wolter K, Tate G, Krüger S, Tucker AS, Thomson RL. Perceptions of vulture supplementary feeding site managers and potential hidden risks to avian scavengers. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christiaan W. Brink
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence, Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Andrea Santangeli
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence, Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
- The Helsinki Lab of Ornithology, Finnish Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Arjun Amar
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence, Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | | | - Gareth Tate
- Birds of Prey ProgrammeEndangered Wildlife Trust Modderfontein South Africa
| | - Sonja Krüger
- Ezemvelo KwaZulu‐Natal Wildlife Cascades South Africa
| | | | - Robert L. Thomson
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence, Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
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Gutiérrez‐Cánovas C, Moleón M, Mateo‐Tomás P, Olea PP, Sebastián‐González E, Sánchez‐Zapata JA. Large home range scavengers support higher rates of carcass removal. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cayetano Gutiérrez‐Cánovas
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM) Lab Departament de Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Facultat de Biologia Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal Barcelona Spain
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) Department of Biology University of Minho Braga Portugal
- Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio‐Sustainability (IB‐S) University of Minho Braga Portugal
| | - Marcos Moleón
- Department of Zoology University of Granada Granada Spain
| | - Patricia Mateo‐Tomás
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UO/CSIC/PA) Oviedo University Mieres Spain
- Centre for Functional Ecology Department of Life Sciences University of Coimbra Coimbra Portugal
| | - Pedro P. Olea
- Departamento de Ecología Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC‐UAM) Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain
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Pitarch A, Gil C, Blanco G. Vultures from different trophic guilds show distinct oral pathogenic yeast signatures and co-occurrence networks. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 723:138166. [PMID: 32224410 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Revised: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Vultures have evolved adaptive mechanisms to prevent infections associated with their scavenging lifestyle. However, food-borne exposure to antimicrobial pharmaceuticals can promote opportunistic infections with adverse outcomes. Here, we used multivariate and network analyses to increase understanding of the behavior of the yeast communities causing oral mycosis outbreaks recently reported in wild nestling cinereous (Aegypius monachus), griffon (Gyps fulvus) and Egyptian (Neophron percnopterus) vultures (CV, GV and EV, respectively) exposed to antibiotics from livestock farming. Common and unique yeast signatures (of Candida, Debaromyces, Diutina, Meyerozyma, Naganishia, Pichia, Rhodotorula, Trichosporon and Yarrowia species) associated with oral mycoses were identified in the three vulture species. Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) highlighted that oral lesions from CV and GV shared similar yeast signatures (of major causative pathogens of opportunistic mycoses, such as Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida tropicalis), while EV had a distinct yeast signature (of uncommon pathogenic species, such as Candida dubliniensis, Candida zeylanoides, Pichia fermentans and Rhodotorula spp.). Synergistic interactions between yeast species from distinct fungal phyla were found in lesions from CV and GV, but not in EV. These formed co-occurrence subnetworks with partially or fully connected topology. This study reveals that the composition, assembly and co-occurrence patterns of the yeast communities causing oral mycoses differ between vulture species with distinct feeding habits and scavenging lifestyles. Yeast species widely pathogenic to humans and animals, and yeast co-occurrence relationships, are distinctive hallmarks of oral mycoses in CV and GV. These vulture species are more exposed to antibiotics from intensively medicated livestock carcasses provided in supplementary feeding stations and show higher incidence of thrush-like oral lesions than EV. These findings may be useful for development of new initiatives or changes in the conservation of these avian scavengers affected by anthropogenic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Pitarch
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and Ramón y Cajal Institute of Health Research (IRYCIS), Spain; Ramón y Cajal University Hospital (HURC) Foundation for Biomedical Research, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Concha Gil
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and Ramón y Cajal Institute of Health Research (IRYCIS), Spain; Ramón y Cajal University Hospital (HURC) Foundation for Biomedical Research, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI), Madrid, Spain
| | - Guillermo Blanco
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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Gómez-Ramírez P, Blanco G, García-Fernández AJ. Validation of Multi-Residue Method for Quantification of Antibiotics and NSAIDs in Avian Scavengers by Using Small Amounts of Plasma in HPLC-MS-TOF. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17114058. [PMID: 32517231 PMCID: PMC7313014 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17114058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals are still considered emerging pollutants affecting both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Scavenging bird species may be exposed to veterinary drugs when they feed on livestock carcasses provided at supplementary feeding stations, as these are often stocked with ailing and/or recently medicated animals. Because those animals may be a source of several different pharmaceutical compounds, analytical methods to evaluate residue levels and exposure potential should enable detection and quantification of as many different compounds as possible, preferably from small sample volumes. Four different extraction methods were tested to conduct HPLC-MS-TOF analysis of some of the most common veterinary drugs used in livestock in Spain. The method deemed most viable was a simple extraction, using methanol and 100 µL of plasma, that allowed quantification of seven antibiotics (tetracycline, oxytetracycline, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, nalidixic acid, trimethoprim, sulfadiazine) and five nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (meloxicam, flunixin, carprofen, tolfenamic acid, phenylbutazone). The method was then applied to analysis of 29 Eurasian griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) nestling samples, wherein enrofloxacin and tolfenamic acid were most commonly detected (69% and 20%, respectively). To our knowledge, this is the first study including NSAIDs in the exposure assessment of different classes of veterinary pharmaceuticals in live avian scavengers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Gómez-Ramírez
- Toxicology and Forensic Veterinary Service, Dept. of Socio-Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain;
- Toxicology and Risk Assessment Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-86-888-9327
| | - Guillermo Blanco
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Antonio Juan García-Fernández
- Toxicology and Forensic Veterinary Service, Dept. of Socio-Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain;
- Toxicology and Risk Assessment Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
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Per E, AYHAN Y. Scavenger Vertebrates of Dörtdivan Vulture Restaurant, Turkey. GAZI UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.35378/gujs.595222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Martin-Díaz P, Cortés-Avizanda A, Serrano D, Arrondo E, Sánchez-Zapata JA, Donázar JA. Rewilding processes shape the use of Mediterranean landscapes by an avian top scavenger. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2853. [PMID: 32071326 PMCID: PMC7028937 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59591-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Mediterranean biome has seen a great decline in its rural population. This trend has been followed by an abandonment of agricultural and livestock practices, which has provided an opportunity for rewilding to take place. Rewilding processes can modify the availability of carrion resources for avian obligate scavengers and reduce accessible open areas due to the increase of shrub and forest. We examined how changes in landscape configuration in the past five decades (1956–2011) mediate the foraging behaviour of griffon vultures. Particularly, we examined whether vultures use those areas under natural succession and with a high availability of wild ungulate carcasses. We used GPS information yielded by 30 adult griffon vultures exploiting large regions of southern Spain. We determined (a) habitat use considering land uses and food availability and (b) how tracked individuals responded to areas in different stages of rewilding. Our results showed that vultures preferentially used Mediterranean scrublands, woodlands and the agroforest Mediterranean ecosystem called dehesa, as well as areas with high food resources, namely wild ungulates in winter and a mixture of wild ungulates and livestock in summer. Due to a higher abundance of wild ungulates, vultures forage preferentially in areas with low levels of rewilding, either for being in the first stages of natural succession or for not having experienced further rewilding since the middle of the last century. Rewilding processes are expected to continue in the future affecting the scavenger guild structure and function deeply. Improved management will be essential to preserve ecological processes, ecosystem services and populations of endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Martin-Díaz
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - A Cortés-Avizanda
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Seville, Spain. .,Animal Ecology and Demography Unit, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Balearic Islands (Mallorca), Spain.
| | - D Serrano
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - E Arrondo
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - J A Sánchez-Zapata
- Department of applied Biology, University Miguel Hernández, Elche (Alicante), Spain
| | - J A Donázar
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Seville, Spain
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Larger size and older age confer competitive advantage: dominance hierarchy within European vulture guild. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2430. [PMID: 32051486 PMCID: PMC7015885 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59387-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Inagaki A, Allen ML, Maruyama T, Yamazaki K, Tochigi K, Naganuma T, Koike S. Vertebrate scavenger guild composition and utilization of carrion in an East Asian temperate forest. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1223-1232. [PMID: 32076509 PMCID: PMC7029075 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Scavenging is a common feeding behavior by many species that plays an important role in ecosystem stability and function while also providing ecosystem services. Despite its importance, facultative scavenging on large animal carcasses has generally been overlooked in Asian temperate forest ecosystems. The aim of this study was to determine the composition and feeding behavior of the facultative scavenger guild as it relates to sika deer (Cervus nippon) carcasses in Japanese forests. There are no obligate scavengers or large predators that kill adult ungulates, but humans fill the role of large predators by culling deer for population management. We documented nine vertebrate species scavenging on deer carcasses and found that mammals were more frequent scavengers than birds and also fed for longer durations. This result suggests that there is a facultative scavenger guild composed mainly of mammals in our forest ecosystem and that carcass utilization by birds was restricted to only forest species. Raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and Asian black bears (Ursus thibetanus) were the most frequent scavenger species and also fed for longer durations than other scavengers. There were significant seasonal differences in scavenging by Asian black bear, Japanese marten (Martes melampus), and mountain hawk-eagle (Nisaetus nipalensis), suggesting the availability of other food resources may alter facultative scavenging by each species. Our results support that scavenging is widespread in this system and likely has important functions including building links in the food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akino Inagaki
- Graduate School of AgricultureTokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyFuchuTokyoJapan
| | | | - Tetsuya Maruyama
- Nature Preservation DivisionTochigi PrefectureUtsunomiyaTochigiJapan
| | - Koji Yamazaki
- Department of Forest ScienceTokyo University of AgricultureSetagayaTokyoJapan
| | - Kahoko Tochigi
- Graduate School of AgricultureTokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyFuchuTokyoJapan
| | - Tomoko Naganuma
- United Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceTokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyFuchuJapan
| | - Shinsuke Koike
- Institute of AgricultureTokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyFuchuJapan
- Institute of Global Innovation ResearchTokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyFuchuJapan
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36
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van Klink R, van Laar-Wiersma J, Vorst O, Smit C. Rewilding with large herbivores: Positive direct and delayed effects of carrion on plant and arthropod communities. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0226946. [PMID: 31967995 PMCID: PMC6975527 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Carrion of large animals is an extremely nutrient rich, ephemeral resource that is essential for many species, but is scarce in the anthropogenic Western-European landscape due to legislative restrictions. Rewilding, a novel conservation strategy that aims at restoring natural processes with minimal human intervention, is increasing in popularity and could lead to increased carrion availability in the landscape. It is therefore important to understand the effects of carrion on biodiversity. We investigated the direct and delayed (five months) effects of red deer (Cervus elaphus) carcasses on plants and arthropods in the Oostvaardersplassen, the Netherlands, one of the oldest rewilding sites in Europe. Specifically, we tested whether carrion has a positive direct effect on the abundances and diversity of various arthropod functional groups, as well as a delayed effect on the vegetation and arthropods through the increased nutrient availability. During the active decomposition stage in spring, we, not surprisingly, observed higher abundances of carrion associated species (scavengers and their specialized predators) at the carrion sites than at control sites without carrion, but no higher abundances of predators or detritivores. In late summer, after near-complete decomposition, plant biomass was five times higher, and nutritional plant quality (C:N ratio) was higher at the carrion sites than at the control sites. Arthropod abundance and diversity were also manifold higher, owing to higher numbers of herbivorous and predatory species. Regression analysis showed that abundances of herbivores and detritivores were positively related to plant biomass, and predator abundances were positively related to abundances of herbivores and detritivores, suggesting bottom-up effects propagating through the food chain. Our results show that even in a naturally nutrient-rich ecosystem like the Oostvaardersplassen, carrion can have strong positive effects on local plant biomass and nutritional quality and arthropod abundances, lasting the whole growing season. We found evidence that these effects were first directly caused by the presence of carrion, and later by the enhanced nutrient availability in the soil. This highlights the importance of the indirect pathways by which carrion can structure arthropod communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roel van Klink
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Conservation Ecology Group, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Jitske van Laar-Wiersma
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Conservation Ecology Group, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Oscar Vorst
- Independent Researcher, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Smit
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Conservation Ecology Group, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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37
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Herring G, Eagles‐Smith CA, Buck JA, Shiel AE, Vennum CR, Emery C, Johnson B, Leal D, Heath JA, Dudek BM, Preston CR, Woodbridge B. The lead (Pb) lining of agriculture‐related subsidies: enhanced Golden Eagle growth rates tempered by Pb exposure. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Garth Herring
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Collin A. Eagles‐Smith
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Jeremy A. Buck
- Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Portland Oregon 97266 USA
| | - Alyssa E. Shiel
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | | | - Colleen Emery
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Branden Johnson
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - David Leal
- Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Portland Oregon 97266 USA
| | | | | | - Charles R. Preston
- Draper Natural History Museum, Buffalo Bill Center of the West Cody Wyoming 82414 USA
| | - Brian Woodbridge
- Division of Migratory Bird Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Corvallis Oregon 97330 USA
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38
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Brink CW, Santangeli A, Amar A, Wolter K, Tate G, Krüger S, Tucker AS, Thomson RL. Quantifying the spatial distribution and trends of supplementary feeding sites in South Africa and their potential contribution to vulture energetic requirements. Anim Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. W. Brink
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - A. Santangeli
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
- The Helsinki Lab of Ornithology Finnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - A. Amar
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | | | - G. Tate
- Birds of Prey Programme Endangered Wildlife Trust Modderfontein South Africa
| | - S. Krüger
- Ezemvelo KwaZulu‐Natal Wildlife Cascades South Africa
| | | | - R. L. Thomson
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
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39
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Arrondo E, Morales-Reyes Z, Moleón M, Cortés-Avizanda A, Donázar JA, Sánchez-Zapata JA. Rewilding traditional grazing areas affects scavenger assemblages and carcass consumption patterns. Basic Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2019.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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40
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Perino A, Pereira HM, Navarro LM, Fernández N, Bullock JM, Ceaușu S, Cortés-Avizanda A, van Klink R, Kuemmerle T, Lomba A, Pe'er G, Plieninger T, Rey Benayas JM, Sandom CJ, Svenning JC, Wheeler HC. Rewilding complex ecosystems. Science 2019; 364:364/6438/eaav5570. [PMID: 31023897 DOI: 10.1126/science.aav5570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The practice of rewilding has been both promoted and criticized in recent years. Benefits include flexibility to react to environmental change and the promotion of opportunities for society to reconnect with nature. Criticisms include the lack of a clear conceptualization of rewilding, insufficient knowledge about possible outcomes, and the perception that rewilding excludes people from landscapes. Here, we present a framework for rewilding that addresses these concerns. We suggest that rewilding efforts should target trophic complexity, natural disturbances, and dispersal as interacting processes that can improve ecosystem resilience and maintain biodiversity. We propose a structured approach to rewilding projects that includes assessment of the contributions of nature to people and the social-ecological constraints on restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Perino
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. .,Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Henrique M Pereira
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. .,Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.,CIBIO (Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources)–InBIO (Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology), Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Laetitia M Navarro
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Néstor Fernández
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | | | - Silvia Ceaușu
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ainara Cortés-Avizanda
- CIBIO (Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources)–InBIO (Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology), Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,Animal Ecology and Demography Unit, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Balearic Islands (Mallorca), Spain.,Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Roel van Klink
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Kuemmerle
- Geography Department and Integrative Research Institute for Transformations in Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Angela Lomba
- CIBIO (Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources)–InBIO (Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology), Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Guy Pe'er
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Economics and Department of Ecosystem Services, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Plieninger
- Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany.,Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - José M Rey Benayas
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | | | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Helen C Wheeler
- Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.,Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France.,Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT Norges Arktiske Universitet, Tromsø, Norway.,Department of Biology, Chemistry and Geography, Université du Quebec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
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41
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O'Bryan CJ, Holden MH, Watson JEM. The mesoscavenger release hypothesis and implications for ecosystem and human well-being. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:1340-1348. [PMID: 31131976 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Many apex scavenger species, including nearly all obligate scavengers, are in a state of rapid decline and there is growing evidence these declines can drastically alter ecological food webs. Our understanding of how apex scavengers regulate populations of mesoscavengers, those less-efficient scavengers occupying mid-trophic levels, is improving; yet, there has been no comprehensive evaluation of the evidence around the competitive release of these species by the loss of apex scavengers. Here we present current evidence that supports the mesoscavenger release hypothesis, the increase in mesoscavengers and increase in carrion in the face of declining apex scavengers. We provide two models of scavenger dynamics to demonstrate that the mesoscavenger release hypothesis is consistent with ecological theory. We further examine the ecological and human well-being implications of apex scavenger decline, including carrion removal and disease regulation services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J O'Bryan
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.,Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Matthew H Holden
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.,Centre for Applications in Natural Resource Mathematics, School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - James E M Watson
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.,Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.,Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, USA
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42
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Schlichting PE, Love CN, Webster SC, Beasley JC. Efficiency and composition of vertebrate scavengers at the land-water interface in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. FOOD WEBS 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2018.e00107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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43
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Byrne ME, Holland AE, Turner KL, Bryan AL, Beasley JC. Using multiple data sources to investigate foraging niche partitioning in sympatric obligate avian scavengers. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael E. Byrne
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia P.O. Drawer E, Aiken Aiken South Carolina 29802 USA
| | - Amanda E. Holland
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia P.O. Drawer E, Aiken Aiken South Carolina 29802 USA
| | - Kelsey L. Turner
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia P.O. Drawer E, Aiken Aiken South Carolina 29802 USA
- Warnel School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 E Green Street Athens Georgia 30602 USA
| | - A. Lawrence Bryan
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia P.O. Drawer E, Aiken Aiken South Carolina 29802 USA
| | - James C. Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia P.O. Drawer E, Aiken Aiken South Carolina 29802 USA
- Warnel School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 E Green Street Athens Georgia 30602 USA
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44
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Blanco G, Cortés-Avizanda A, Frías Ó, Arrondo E, Donázar JA. Livestock farming practices modulate vulture diet-disease interactions. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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45
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Roads do not increase carrion use by a vertebrate scavenging community. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16331. [PMID: 30397216 PMCID: PMC6218489 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34224-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife-vehicle collisions introduce a considerable amount of carrion into the environment, but scavenger use of this resource has not been extensively investigated. Scavengers may use roads for reliable foraging opportunities, but might also use roads for other purposes and encounter carrion opportunistically. We examined scavenging of carrion along linear features by placing 52 rabbit carcasses in each of three treatments in forested habitat during winter (Dec 2016-Mar 2017) in South Carolina, USA: roads, power line clearings (linear feature with fewer carcasses than roads due to lack of road kill), and forest interior. We used motion-activated cameras to compare arrival times and presence of vertebrate scavengers among treatments. There was no difference in proportion of carcasses scavenged or scavenger arrival time across treatments. No species arrived at roads quicker than other treatments. Turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) and coyotes (Canis latrans) scavenged equally across treatments, whereas gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) scavenged along roads and power lines, but not in forests. We suggest that scavenger use of carrion near roads at this location during winter relates to factors other than carrion availability. Because some scavengers readily consumed carrion on roads, this resource has the potential to influence the ecology of these species.
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46
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van Overveld T, García-Alfonso M, Dingemanse NJ, Bouten W, Gangoso L, de la Riva M, Serrano D, Donázar JA. Food predictability and social status drive individual resource specializations in a territorial vulture. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15155. [PMID: 30310140 PMCID: PMC6181911 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33564-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite increasing work detailing the presence of foraging specializations across a range of taxa, limited attention so far has been given to the role of spatiotemporal variation in food predictability in shaping individual resource selection. Here, we studied the exploitation of human-provided carrion resources differing in predictability by Canarian Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus majorensis). We focussed specifically on the role of individual characteristics and spatial constraints in shaping patterns of resource use. Using high-resolution GPS data obtained from 45 vultures tracked for 1 year, we show that individual vultures were repeatable in both their monthly use of predictable and semi-predicable resources (feeding station vs. farms) and monthly levels of mobility (home range size and flight activity). However, individual foraging activities were simultaneously characterized by a high degree of (temporal) plasticity in the use of the feeding station in specific months. Individual rank within dominance hierarchy revealed sex-dependent effects of social status on resource preference in breeding adults, illustrating the potential complex social mechanisms underpinning status-dependent resource use patterns. Our results show that predictable food at feeding stations may lead to broad-scale patterns of resource partitioning and affect both the foraging and social dynamics within local vulture populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thijs van Overveld
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Marina García-Alfonso
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Großhaderner Strasse 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Willem Bouten
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, IBED, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Gangoso
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain.,Theoretical and Computational Ecology, IBED, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Manuel de la Riva
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - David Serrano
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - José A Donázar
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain
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47
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Donázar JA, Ceballos O, Cortés-Avizanda A. Tourism in protected areas: Disentangling road and traffic effects on intra-guild scavenging processes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 630:600-608. [PMID: 29494969 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The expansion of road networks and the increase in traffic have emerged in recent years as key threats to the conservation of biodiversity. This is particularly concerning in many protected areas because the increase of recreational activities requiring the use of vehicles. Effects of roads and traffic within guild scenarios and ecological processes remain however poorly known. Here we examined how road proximity and traffic intensity influence patterns of resource use in an Old-World avian scavenger guild living in a protected natural park in northern Spain. We experimentally placed 130 carcasses at different distances from a scenic road in the centre of the park. Vehicles were recorded by means of traffic counters which revealed that maximum numbers were reached during weekends and holidays and during the middle hours of the day. Avian scavenger attendance at carcasses was recorded by means of camera-traps. Obligated scavengers, Eurasian griffon (Gyps fulvus) and Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) were frequently observed (59.4% and 37.7% of the consumed carcasses) together with five other facultative scavenger species. We found that the richness (number of species) and the probability of consumption of the resource were reduced the smaller the distance to the road and in days with higher traffic intensity. The same factors affected the probability of presence of all the scavenger species. Moreover, some of them, notably griffon vultures, showed hourly patterns of carcass attendance suggesting avoidance of maximum traffic levels. Our results highlight that roads and traffic would trigger consequences on the structure and functioning of scavenger food webs, which may be particularly concerning in protected areas with remarkable levels of biodiversity. Future regulations at protected areas should couple both traffic and tourist affluence with wildlife conservation. In this way important ecological processes would be preserved while maintaining a good dissemination of natural values.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Antonio Donázar
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, C/Américo Vespucio, 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Ainara Cortés-Avizanda
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, C/Américo Vespucio, 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; Animal Ecology and Demography Group, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Miguel Marques 21, 07190 Esporles, Spain.
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48
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Hamman EA, McCoy MW. Top-down pulses reduce prey population sizes and persistence. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9346. [PMID: 29921899 PMCID: PMC6008325 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27661-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Resource pulses are well documented and have important consequences for population dynamics relative to continuous inputs. However, pulses of top-down factors (e.g. predation) are less explored and appreciated in the ecological literature. Here, we use a simple differential equation population model to show how pulsed removals of individuals from a population alter population size relative to continuous dynamics. Pulsed removals result in lower equilibrium population sizes relative to continuous removals, and the differences are greatest at low population growth rates, high removal rates, and with large, infrequent pulses. Furthermore, the timing of the removal pulses (either stochastic or cyclic) affects population size. For example, cyclic removals are less likely than stochastic removals to result in population eradication, but when eradication occurs, the time until eradication is shorter for cyclic than with stochastic removals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael W McCoy
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, USA
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García-Barón I, Cortés-Avizanda A, Verburg PH, Marques TA, Moreno-Opo R, Pereira HM, Donázar JA. How to fit the distribution of apex scavengers into land-abandonment scenarios? The Cinereous vulture in the Mediterranean biome. DIVERS DISTRIB 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Isabel García-Barón
- Department of Conservation Biology; Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC); Sevilla Spain
- AZTI; Pasaia Spain
| | - Ainara Cortés-Avizanda
- Department of Conservation Biology; Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC); Sevilla Spain
- Animal Ecology and Demography Group, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB); Esporles Spain
- Infraestruturas de Portugal Biodiversity Chair, InBio; Vairão Portugal
| | - Peter H. Verburg
- Environmental Geography Group; Institute for Environmental Studies; VU University Amsterdam; Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL; Birmensdorf Switzerland
| | - Tiago A. Marques
- Research Unit for Wildlife Population Assessment; Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling; University of St Andrews; St Andrews UK
- Centro de Estatística e Aplicações; Faculdade de Ciências; Universidade de Lisboa; Lisboa Portugal
| | - Rubén Moreno-Opo
- Evolution and Conservation Biology Research Group; University Complutense of Madrid; Madrid Spain
| | - Henrique M. Pereira
- Infraestruturas de Portugal Biodiversity Chair, InBio; Vairão Portugal
- CEABN/InBio; Centro de Ecologia Aplicada “Professor Baeta Neves”; Instituto Superior de Agronomia; Universidade de Lisboa; Lisboa Portugal
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biology; Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg; Halle, Saale Germany
| | - José A. Donázar
- Department of Conservation Biology; Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC); Sevilla Spain
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Singh B, Minick KJ, Strickland MS, Wickings KG, Crippen TL, Tarone AM, Benbow ME, Sufrin N, Tomberlin JK, Pechal JL. Temporal and Spatial Impact of Human Cadaver Decomposition on Soil Bacterial and Arthropod Community Structure and Function. Front Microbiol 2018; 8:2616. [PMID: 29354106 PMCID: PMC5758501 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
As vertebrate carrion decomposes, there is a release of nutrient-rich fluids into the underlying soil, which can impact associated biological community structure and function. How these changes alter soil biogeochemical cycles is relatively unknown and may prove useful in the identification of carrion decomposition islands that have long lasting, focal ecological effects. This study investigated the spatial (0, 1, and 5 m) and temporal (3-732 days) dynamics of human cadaver decomposition on soil bacterial and arthropod community structure and microbial function. We observed strong evidence of a predictable response to cadaver decomposition that varies over space for soil bacterial and arthropod community structure, carbon (C) mineralization and microbial substrate utilization patterns. In the presence of a cadaver (i.e., 0 m samples), the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes was greater, while the relative abundance of Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, and Verrucomicrobia was lower when compared to samples at 1 and 5 m. Micro-arthropods were more abundant (15 to 17-fold) in soils collected at 0 m compared to either 1 or 5 m, but overall, micro-arthropod community composition was unrelated to either bacterial community composition or function. Bacterial community structure and microbial function also exhibited temporal relationships, whereas arthropod community structure did not. Cumulative precipitation was more effective in predicting temporal variations in bacterial abundance and microbial activity than accumulated degree days. In the presence of the cadaver (i.e., 0 m samples), the relative abundance of Actinobacteria increased significantly with cumulative precipitation. Furthermore, soil bacterial communities and C mineralization were sensitive to the introduction of human cadavers as they diverged from baseline levels and did not recover completely in approximately 2 years. These data are valuable for understanding ecosystem function surrounding carrion decomposition islands and can be applicable to environmental bio-monitoring and forensic sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baneshwar Singh
- Department of Forensic Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Kevan J. Minick
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Michael S. Strickland
- Department of Soil and Water Systems, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
| | - Kyle G. Wickings
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Geneva, NY, United States
| | - Tawni L. Crippen
- Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Aaron M. Tarone
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - M. Eric Benbow
- Department of Entomology and Department of Osteopathic Medical Specialties, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Ness Sufrin
- Bode Cellmark Forensics, Lorton, VA, United States
| | - Jeffery K. Tomberlin
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Jennifer L. Pechal
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
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