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Zuluaga S, Vargas FH, Aráoz R, Grande JM. Main aerial top predator of the Andean Montane Forest copes with fragmentation, but may be paying a high cost. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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2
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Panter CT, Allen S, Backhouse N, Mullineaux E, Rose C, Amar A. Causes, temporal trends, and the effects of urbanization on admissions of wild raptors to rehabilitation centers in England and Wales. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8856. [PMID: 35475189 PMCID: PMC9020437 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Arjun Amar
- Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology DSI‐NRF Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Rondebosch South Africa
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3
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Canney AC, McGough LM, Bickford NA, Wallen KE. Systematic Map of Human-Raptor Interaction and Coexistence Research. Animals (Basel) 2021; 12:45. [PMID: 35011154 PMCID: PMC8749526 DOI: 10.3390/ani12010045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Global raptor conservation relies on humans to establish and improve interaction and coexistence. Human-wildlife interaction research is well-established, but tends to focus on large-bodied, terrestrial mammals. The scope and characteristics of research that explores human-raptor interactions are relatively unknown. As an initial step toward quantifying and characterizing the state of applied, cross-disciplinary literature on human-raptor interactions, we use established systematic map (scoping reviews) protocols to catalog literature and describe trends, identify gaps and biases, and critically reflect on the scope of research. We focus on the peer-reviewed (refereed) literature germane to human-raptor interaction, conflict, tolerance, acceptance, persecution and coexistence. Based on 383 papers retrieved that fit our criteria, we identified trends, biases, and gaps. These include a majority of research taking place within North America and Europe; disproportionately few interdisciplinary and social research studies; interactions focused on indirect anthropogenic mortality; and vague calls for human behavior changes, with few concrete steps suggested, when management objectives are discussed. Overall, we note a predominant focus on the study of ecological effects from human-raptor interactions rather than sociocultural causes, and suggest (as others have in various conservation contexts) the imperative of human behavioral, cultural, and political inquiry to conserve raptor species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angeline C. Canney
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University Pueblo, Pueblo, CO 81001, USA; (A.C.C.); (L.M.M.); (N.A.B.)
| | - Lauren M. McGough
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University Pueblo, Pueblo, CO 81001, USA; (A.C.C.); (L.M.M.); (N.A.B.)
| | - Nate A. Bickford
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University Pueblo, Pueblo, CO 81001, USA; (A.C.C.); (L.M.M.); (N.A.B.)
| | - Kenneth E. Wallen
- Department of Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
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4
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Sumasgutner P, Buij R, McClure CJW, Shaw P, Dykstra CR, Kumar N, Rutz C. Raptor research during the COVID-19 pandemic provides invaluable opportunities for conservation biology. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 2021; 260:109149. [PMID: 35722248 PMCID: PMC9188743 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Research is underway to examine how a wide range of animal species have responded to reduced levels of human activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this perspective article, we argue that raptors (i.e., the orders Accipitriformes, Cariamiformes, Cathartiformes, Falconiformes, and Strigiformes) are particularly well-suited for investigating potential 'anthropause' effects: they are sensitive to environmental perturbation, affected by various human activities, and include many locally and globally threatened species. Lockdowns likely alter extrinsic factors that normally limit raptor populations. These environmental changes are in turn expected to influence - mediated by behavioral and physiological responses - the intrinsic (demographic) factors that ultimately determine raptor population levels and distributions. Using this population-limitation framework, we identify a range of research opportunities and conservation challenges that have arisen during the pandemic, related to changes in human disturbance, light and noise pollution, collision risk, road-kill availability, supplementary feeding, and persecution levels. Importantly, raptors attract intense research interest, with many professional and amateur researchers running long-term monitoring programs, often incorporating community-science components, advanced tracking technology and field-methodological approaches that allow flexible timing, enabling continued data collection before, during, and after COVID-19 lockdowns. To facilitate and coordinate global collaboration, we are hereby launching the 'Global Anthropause Raptor Research Network' (GARRN). We invite the international raptor research community to join this inclusive and diverse group, to tackle ambitious analyses across geographic regions, ecosystems, species, and gradients of lockdown perturbation. Under the most tragic of circumstances, the COVID-19 anthropause has afforded an invaluable opportunity to significantly boost global raptor conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Sumasgutner
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ralph Buij
- The Peregrine Fund, 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, ID 83709, USA
- Animal Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Phil Shaw
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
| | | | - Nishant Kumar
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
- Mansfield College, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, UK
- Wildlife Institute of India, Uttarakhand 248001, India
| | - Christian Rutz
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
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5
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Regos A, Tapia L, Gil-Carrera A, Domínguez J. Caution Is Needed When Using Niche Models to Infer Changes in Species Abundance: The Case of Two Sympatric Raptor Populations. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:2020. [PMID: 34359148 PMCID: PMC8300138 DOI: 10.3390/ani11072020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the mounting evidence supporting positive relationships between species abundance and habitat suitability, the capacity of ecological niche models (ENMs) to capture variations in population abundance remains largely unexplored. This study focuses on sympatric populations of hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) and Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus), surveyed in 1997 and 2017 in an upland moor area in northwestern Spain. The ENMs performed very well for both species (with area under the ROC curve and true skill statistic values of up to 0.9 and 0.75). The presence of both species was mainly correlated with heathlands, although the normalized difference water index derived from Landsat images was the most important for hen harrier, indicating a greater preference of this species for wet heaths and peat bogs. The findings showed that ENM-derived habitat suitability was significantly correlated with the species abundance, thus reinforcing the use of ENMs as a proxy for species abundance. However, the temporal variation in species abundance was not significantly explained by changes in habitat suitability predicted by the ENMs, indicating the need for caution when using these types of models to infer changes in population abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Regos
- Departamento de Zooloxía, Xenética e Antropoloxía Física, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.T.); (J.D.)
- CIBIO/InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Predictive Ecology Group, Campus Agrario de Vairão, R. Padre Armando Quintas, N° 7, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Luis Tapia
- Departamento de Zooloxía, Xenética e Antropoloxía Física, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.T.); (J.D.)
- EBX, Estación Biolóxica do Xurés, Vilameá 121, 32870 Lobios, Spain;
| | - Alberto Gil-Carrera
- EBX, Estación Biolóxica do Xurés, Vilameá 121, 32870 Lobios, Spain;
- GREFA, Monte del Pilar S/N, 28220 Majadahonda, Spain
| | - Jesús Domínguez
- Departamento de Zooloxía, Xenética e Antropoloxía Física, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.T.); (J.D.)
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6
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Hays GC, Laloë J, Rattray A, Esteban N. Why do Argos satellite tags stop relaying data? Ecol Evol 2021; 11:7093-7101. [PMID: 34141278 PMCID: PMC8207149 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Satellite tracking of animals is very widespread across a range of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial taxa. Despite the high cost of tags and the advantages of long deployments, the reasons why tracking data from tags stop being received are rarely considered, but possibilities include shedding of the tag, damage to the tag (e.g., the aerial), biofouling, battery exhaustion, or animal mortality.We show how information relayed via satellite tags can be used to assess why tracking data stop being received. As a case study to illustrate general approaches that are broadly applicable across taxa, we examined data from Fastloc-GPS Argos tags deployed between 2012 and 2019 on 78 sea turtles of two species, the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata).Tags transmitted for a mean of 267 days (SD = 113 days, range: 26-687 days, median = 251 days). In 68 of 78 (87%) cases, battery failure was implicated as the reason why tracking data stopped being received. Some biofouling of the saltwater switches, which synchronize transmissions with surfacing, was evident in a few tags but never appeared to be the reason that data reception ceased.Objectively assessing why tags fail will direct improvements to tag design, setup, and deployment regardless of the study taxa. Assessing why satellite tags stop transmitting will also inform on the fate of tagged animals, for example, whether they are alive or dead at the end of the study, which may allow improved estimates of survival rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graeme C. Hays
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityGeelongVic.Australia
| | | | - Alex Rattray
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityGeelongVic.Australia
| | - Nicole Esteban
- Faculty of Science and EngineeringSwansea UniversitySwanseaUK
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Sergio F, Tavecchia G, Blas J, Tanferna A, Hiraldo F. Demographic modeling to fine-tune conservation targets: importance of pre-adults for the decline of an endangered raptor. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e2266. [PMID: 33236470 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Large, long-lived species with slow life histories and protracted pre-breeding stages are particularly susceptible to declines and extinction, often for unknown causes. Here, we show how demographic modeling of a medium-sized raptor, the Red Kite Milvus milvus, can aid to refocus conservation research and attention on the most likely mechanisms driving its decline. Red Kites' survival and reproduction increased through three sequential stages for 1-2, 3-6, and 7-30 yr of age, mainly corresponding to individuals that are dispersing, attempting to gain a territory, and breeding. As typical of long-lived species, elasticities were highest for adult (≥7 yr old) survival, but this was high, with little scope for improvement. Instead, the declines were driven by an extremely low survival of pre-adults in their first years of life, which weakened the whole demographic system by nullifying the offspring contribution of adults and curtailing their replacement by recruits. For example, 27 pairs were necessary to generate a single prime age adult. Simulation of management scenarios suggested that the decline could be halted most parsimoniously by increasing pre-adult survival to the mean levels recorded for other areas, while only the synergistic, simultaneous improvement of breeding success, adult and pre-adult survival could generate a recovery. We propose three actions to attain such goals through selective supplementary feeding of both breeding and non-breeding individuals, and through mortality improvement by GPS remote-sensing devices employed as surveillance monitoring tools. Our results show how improving demographic models by using real, local vital rates rather than "best guess" vital rates can dramatically improve model realism by refocusing attention on the actual stages and mortality causes in need of manipulation, thus building precious time and resources for conservation management. These results also highlight the frequent key role of pre-adult survival for the management of long-lived species, coherent with the idea of demographic systems as integrated chains only as strong as their weakest link.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Sergio
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, C/Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, 41092, Spain
| | - Giacomo Tavecchia
- Population Ecology Group, Institute for Mediterranean Studies (IMEDEA), CSIC-UIB, Esporles, 07190, Spain
| | - Julio Blas
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, C/Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, 41092, Spain
| | - Alessandro Tanferna
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, C/Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, 41092, Spain
| | - Fernando Hiraldo
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, C/Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, 41092, Spain
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8
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Brown LE, Holden J. Contextualizing UK moorland burning studies with geographical variables and sponsor identity. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lee E. Brown
- School of Geography University of Leeds Leeds UK
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9
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Sumasgutner P, Jenkins A, Amar A, Altwegg R. Nest boxes buffer the effects of climate on breeding performance in an African urban raptor. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234503. [PMID: 32579609 PMCID: PMC7313736 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
As the world’s human population increases, transformation of natural landscapes into urban habitats continues to increase. In Africa, rates of human population growth and urbanisation are among the highest in the world, but the impacts of these processes on the continent’s biodiversity remain largely unexplored. Furthermore, the effects of ongoing anthropogenic climate change are likely to be severe and to interact with urbanisation. Some organisms appear resilient to urbanisation, and even proliferate in human-modified environments. One such species is the peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus in Cape Town, South Africa. Using a long-term data set (1989–2014), we investigate the relationship between breeding attempts, timing of breeding and breeding performance under varying weather conditions. Exploring these issues along an urbanisation gradient, we focus on the role of artificially provided nest boxes, and their capacity to buffer against extreme weather events. Pairs in more urbanised areas, and particularly those in nest boxes, were more likely to breed and to commence breeding earlier. Additionally, pairs using nest boxes were more likely to breed in years with higher rainfall. Warm and dry weather conditions generally advanced the timing of breeding, although this relationship with weather was not seen for urban pairs using nest boxes. Furthermore, weather did not impact breeding performance directly (breeding success and fledged brood size), but timing of breeding did, with earlier breeders producing more fledglings. Our study shows that falcons breeding in specially provided nest boxes were less sensitive to local weather dynamics than pairs using more natural nest sites. This has important implications as it suggests that the managed provision of such nesting sites can help this key urban species to cope with extreme weather events, which are predicted to increase with climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Sumasgutner
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology (FIAO), DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Statistics in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation (SEEC), Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Konrad Lorenz Research Centre (KLF), Core Facility for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Grünau/Almtal, Austria
- * E-mail:
| | - Andrew Jenkins
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology (FIAO), DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Statistics in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation (SEEC), Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Arjun Amar
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology (FIAO), DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Res Altwegg
- Statistics in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation (SEEC), Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Ludwig SC, Roos S, Baines D. Fluctuations in field vole abundance indirectly influence red grouse productivity via a shared predator guild. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sonja C. Ludwig
- S. C. Ludwig (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3209-0568) ✉ and D. Baines (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3598-8325), Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, The Coach House, Eggleston Hall, Barnard Castle, DL12 0AG, UK. SCL also at: Langho
| | - Staffan Roos
- S. Roos (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4088-2875), RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David Baines
- S. C. Ludwig (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3209-0568) ✉ and D. Baines (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3598-8325), Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, The Coach House, Eggleston Hall, Barnard Castle, DL12 0AG, UK. SCL also at: Langho
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11
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Littlewood NA, Mason THE, Hughes M, Jaques R, Whittingham MJ, Willis SG. The influence of different aspects of grouse moorland management on nontarget bird assemblages. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11089-11101. [PMID: 31641457 PMCID: PMC6802035 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Conflict between stakeholders with opposing interests can hamper biodiversity conservation. When conflicts become entrenched, evidence from applied ecology can reveal new ways forward for their management. In particular, where disagreement exists over the efficacy or ethics of management actions, research clarifying the uncertain impacts of management on wildlife can move debates forwards to conciliation.Here, we explore a case-study of entrenched conflict where uncertainty exists over the impacts of multiple management actions: namely, moorlands managed for the shooting of red grouse (willow ptarmigan) Lagopus lagopus in the United Kingdom (UK). Debate over how UK moorlands should be managed is increasingly polarized. We evaluate, for the first time at a regional scale, the relative impacts of two major moorland management practices-predator control and heather burning-on nontarget bird species of conservation concern.Birds were surveyed on 18 estates across Northern England and Southeast Scotland. Sites ranged from intensively managed grouse moors to moorland sites with no management for grouse shooting. We hypothesised that both targeted predator control and burning regimes would enhance ground-nesting wader numbers and, as a consequence of this, and of increased grouse numbers, nontarget avian predators should also be more abundant on heavily managed sites.There were positive associations between predator control and the abundance of the three most widespread species of ground-nesting wader: strong effects for European golden plover Pluvialis apricaria and Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata and, less strongly, for common snipe Gallinago gallinago. These effects saturated at low levels of predator control. Evidence for effects of burning was much weaker. We found no evidence of enhanced numbers of nontarget predators on heavily managed sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick A. Littlewood
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences (SNES)Newcastle UniversityNewcastle‐Upon‐TyneUK
| | - Tom H. E. Mason
- Conservation Ecology GroupDepartment of BiosciencesDurham UniversityDurhamUK
| | - Martin Hughes
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences (SNES)Newcastle UniversityNewcastle‐Upon‐TyneUK
| | - Rob Jaques
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences (SNES)Newcastle UniversityNewcastle‐Upon‐TyneUK
| | - Mark J. Whittingham
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences (SNES)Newcastle UniversityNewcastle‐Upon‐TyneUK
| | - Stephen G. Willis
- Conservation Ecology GroupDepartment of BiosciencesDurham UniversityDurhamUK
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Metabarcoding-based dietary analysis of hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) in Great Britain using buccal swabs from chicks. CONSERV GENET 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-019-01215-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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