Rewilding processes shape the use of Mediterranean landscapes by an avian top scavenger

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 av...

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Autores: Martin Díaz, P., Cortés Avizanda, Ainara, Serrano, David, Arrondo, Eneko, Sánchez Zapata, José Antonio, Donázar, José Antonio
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Institución:Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche
Repositorio:REDIUMH. Depósito Digital de la UMH
OAI Identifier:oai:dspace.umh.es:11000/6003
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11000/6003
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:573 - Biología general y teórica
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spelling Rewilding processes shape the use of Mediterranean landscapes by an avian top scavengerMartin Díaz, P.Cortés Avizanda, AinaraSerrano, DavidArrondo, EnekoSánchez Zapata, José AntonioDonázar, José Antonio573 - Biología general y teóricaThe 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.We thank the staff from Gypaetus Fundation and Junta de Andalucia and RJ, MA, IG-B, ZM-R, MdR, and LAST-EBDThe research was funded by the Projects RNM-1925 (Junta de Andalucía), CGL2015-66966-C2-1-2-R and RTI2018-099609-B-C21 (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and EU/ERDF)A.C.A. was supported by a post-doctoral contract Juan de la Cierva Incorporación (IJCI-2014-20744) and a PostDoc contract Programa Viçent Mut of Govern Balear (PD/039/2017) and EA by La Caixa-Severo Ochoa International PhD Program 2015Departamentos de la UMH::Biología Aplicada2020202020202020info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdf12application/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11000/6003reponame:REDIUMH. Depósito Digital de la UMHinstname:Universidad Miguel Hernández de ElcheIngléshttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59591-2info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:dspace.umh.es:11000/60032026-05-27T13:36:21Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Rewilding processes shape the use of Mediterranean landscapes by an avian top scavenger
title Rewilding processes shape the use of Mediterranean landscapes by an avian top scavenger
spellingShingle Rewilding processes shape the use of Mediterranean landscapes by an avian top scavenger
Martin Díaz, P.
573 - Biología general y teórica
title_short Rewilding processes shape the use of Mediterranean landscapes by an avian top scavenger
title_full Rewilding processes shape the use of Mediterranean landscapes by an avian top scavenger
title_fullStr Rewilding processes shape the use of Mediterranean landscapes by an avian top scavenger
title_full_unstemmed Rewilding processes shape the use of Mediterranean landscapes by an avian top scavenger
title_sort Rewilding processes shape the use of Mediterranean landscapes by an avian top scavenger
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Martin Díaz, P.
Cortés Avizanda, Ainara
Serrano, David
Arrondo, Eneko
Sánchez Zapata, José Antonio
Donázar, José Antonio
author Martin Díaz, P.
author_facet Martin Díaz, P.
Cortés Avizanda, Ainara
Serrano, David
Arrondo, Eneko
Sánchez Zapata, José Antonio
Donázar, José Antonio
author_role author
author2 Cortés Avizanda, Ainara
Serrano, David
Arrondo, Eneko
Sánchez Zapata, José Antonio
Donázar, José Antonio
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Departamentos de la UMH::Biología Aplicada
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv 573 - Biología general y teórica
topic 573 - Biología general y teórica
description 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.
publishDate 2020
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2020
2020
2020
2020
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11000/6003
url http://hdl.handle.net/11000/6003
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59591-2
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
12
application/pdf
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:REDIUMH. Depósito Digital de la UMH
instname:Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche
instname_str Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche
reponame_str REDIUMH. Depósito Digital de la UMH
collection REDIUMH. Depósito Digital de la UMH
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