Livelihood in anthropic landscapes: Stable isotopes as indicators of dependence of obligate avian scavengers on intensive animal farming

The rise of intensive livestock farming poses a significant global threat to biodiversity, affecting scavenger species reliant on carcasses from these operations. Assessing avian scavenger dependence on such resources in human-modified environments is challenging using conventional methods. This stu...

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Authors: Cortés-Avizanda, Ainara, Giménez, Joan, Donázar-Aramendía, I., Arrondo, Eneko, Pérez-García, Juan M., Montelío, Eugenio, Ceballos, Olga, Sánchez-Zapata, José A., Forero, Manuela G., Donázar, José A.
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2025
Country:España
Institution:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repository:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/393039
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/393039
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/105002299700
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Carrion
Isotopic mixing models
Livestock
Trophic niche
Vulture
δ13C/δ15N
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dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Livelihood in anthropic landscapes: Stable isotopes as indicators of dependence of obligate avian scavengers on intensive animal farming
title Livelihood in anthropic landscapes: Stable isotopes as indicators of dependence of obligate avian scavengers on intensive animal farming
spellingShingle Livelihood in anthropic landscapes: Stable isotopes as indicators of dependence of obligate avian scavengers on intensive animal farming
Cortés-Avizanda, Ainara
Carrion
Isotopic mixing models
Livestock
Trophic niche
Vulture
δ13C/δ15N
title_short Livelihood in anthropic landscapes: Stable isotopes as indicators of dependence of obligate avian scavengers on intensive animal farming
title_full Livelihood in anthropic landscapes: Stable isotopes as indicators of dependence of obligate avian scavengers on intensive animal farming
title_fullStr Livelihood in anthropic landscapes: Stable isotopes as indicators of dependence of obligate avian scavengers on intensive animal farming
title_full_unstemmed Livelihood in anthropic landscapes: Stable isotopes as indicators of dependence of obligate avian scavengers on intensive animal farming
title_sort Livelihood in anthropic landscapes: Stable isotopes as indicators of dependence of obligate avian scavengers on intensive animal farming
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Cortés-Avizanda, Ainara
Giménez, Joan
Donázar-Aramendía, I.
Arrondo, Eneko
Pérez-García, Juan M.
Montelío, Eugenio
Ceballos, Olga
Sánchez-Zapata, José A.
Forero, Manuela G.
Donázar, José A.
author Cortés-Avizanda, Ainara
author_facet Cortés-Avizanda, Ainara
Giménez, Joan
Donázar-Aramendía, I.
Arrondo, Eneko
Pérez-García, Juan M.
Montelío, Eugenio
Ceballos, Olga
Sánchez-Zapata, José A.
Forero, Manuela G.
Donázar, José A.
author_role author
author2 Giménez, Joan
Donázar-Aramendía, I.
Arrondo, Eneko
Pérez-García, Juan M.
Montelío, Eugenio
Ceballos, Olga
Sánchez-Zapata, José A.
Forero, Manuela G.
Donázar, José A.
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Bárdenas Reales de Navarra
Junta de Andalucía
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España)
European Commission
Ministerio de Universidades (España)
Generalitat Valenciana
Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España)
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Carrion
Isotopic mixing models
Livestock
Trophic niche
Vulture
δ13C/δ15N
topic Carrion
Isotopic mixing models
Livestock
Trophic niche
Vulture
δ13C/δ15N
description The rise of intensive livestock farming poses a significant global threat to biodiversity, affecting scavenger species reliant on carcasses from these operations. Assessing avian scavenger dependence on such resources in human-modified environments is challenging using conventional methods. This study analyzes GPS-tracking and stable isotopes of 77 Eurasian griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) in the Iberian Peninsula to explore variations in resource consumption. By means of Bayesian isotopic mixing models we examined the influence of home range size, degree of human transformation of landscapes, and individual characteristics on diet. Elevated δ<sup>13</sup>C levels indicate pig consumption, likely due to their reliance on corn-derived feed supplements. Populations in areas with higher Human Footprint Index, like the Ebro Valley, showed utilization of variated livestock resources (sheep and pig), broadening population trophic niches and individual heterogeneity. Conversely, in populations of less transformed (natural) environments, like the Cazorla Mountains, focal birds relied almost exclusively on extensive or semi-extensive sheep farming, with diet variations linked to home range size changes. Finally, the Cádiz mountains population heavily depended on pig remains, likely from vulture feeding stations and farms. We detected sex differences in diet probably linked to asymmetric behavioural responses between males and females to local changes in resource abundance and predictability. These findings demonstrate that Iberian griffon vulture populations heavily rely on intensive livestock from farming and supplementary feeding schemes, sometimes violating regional and European regulations. This dependence threatens individual health and population viability due to ingestion of veterinary drugs, pollutants, and direct mortality from infrastructure accidents, especially in humanized areas. Stable isotopes prove valuable in assessing the real avian scavengers’ reliance on carrion resources on a broad scale, surpassing estimates from widely-used methods.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
2025
2025
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dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/393039
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/105002299700
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/393039
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Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, (COMA)
The underlying dataset has been published as supplementary material of the article in the publisher platform at DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2025.113467
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2025.113467
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spelling Livelihood in anthropic landscapes: Stable isotopes as indicators of dependence of obligate avian scavengers on intensive animal farmingCortés-Avizanda, AinaraGiménez, JoanDonázar-Aramendía, I.Arrondo, EnekoPérez-García, Juan M.Montelío, EugenioCeballos, OlgaSánchez-Zapata, José A.Forero, Manuela G.Donázar, José A.CarrionIsotopic mixing modelsLivestockTrophic nicheVultureδ13C/δ15NThe rise of intensive livestock farming poses a significant global threat to biodiversity, affecting scavenger species reliant on carcasses from these operations. Assessing avian scavenger dependence on such resources in human-modified environments is challenging using conventional methods. This study analyzes GPS-tracking and stable isotopes of 77 Eurasian griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) in the Iberian Peninsula to explore variations in resource consumption. By means of Bayesian isotopic mixing models we examined the influence of home range size, degree of human transformation of landscapes, and individual characteristics on diet. Elevated δ<sup>13</sup>C levels indicate pig consumption, likely due to their reliance on corn-derived feed supplements. Populations in areas with higher Human Footprint Index, like the Ebro Valley, showed utilization of variated livestock resources (sheep and pig), broadening population trophic niches and individual heterogeneity. Conversely, in populations of less transformed (natural) environments, like the Cazorla Mountains, focal birds relied almost exclusively on extensive or semi-extensive sheep farming, with diet variations linked to home range size changes. Finally, the Cádiz mountains population heavily depended on pig remains, likely from vulture feeding stations and farms. We detected sex differences in diet probably linked to asymmetric behavioural responses between males and females to local changes in resource abundance and predictability. These findings demonstrate that Iberian griffon vulture populations heavily rely on intensive livestock from farming and supplementary feeding schemes, sometimes violating regional and European regulations. This dependence threatens individual health and population viability due to ingestion of veterinary drugs, pollutants, and direct mortality from infrastructure accidents, especially in humanized areas. Stable isotopes prove valuable in assessing the real avian scavengers’ reliance on carrion resources on a broad scale, surpassing estimates from widely-used methods.This research was funded by the Comunidad de Bardenas Reales de Navarra and the Projects RNM-1925 and P18-RT-1321 (Junta de Andalucía), Ecotone Telemetry 2017-12-026, CGL2012-32544, CGL2015-66966-C2-1-2-R, RTI2018-099609-B-C21, PID2021-128952NB-I00 (Spanish Ministry of 392 Economy and Competitiveness and EU/FEDER), (Project RTI2018-099609-B-C21, TRASCAR), FEDER2021_1524 and Emergia 2021-1073 ACA was supported by Emergia contract of Junta de Andalucía. ID-A enjoyed a grant ’Margarita Salas’ financed by the European Union (Next Generation EU) and the Ministerio de Universidades of Spain. E.A. was supported by Generalitat Valenciana and European Social Fund (APOSTD/2021) and Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities Contracts (FJC2021-047885-I).Peer reviewedElsevierBárdenas Reales de NavarraJunta de AndalucíaMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad (España)European CommissionMinisterio de Universidades (España)Generalitat ValencianaMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España)Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]202520252025info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501Publisher's versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10261/393039https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/105002299700reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. 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