1
|
Achille G, Gafta D, Szabó C, Canzian F, Polini N. Dietary Shift in a Barn Owl ( Tyto alba) Population Following Partial Abandonment of Cultivated Fields (Central Apennine Hills, Italy). Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2562. [PMID: 39272347 PMCID: PMC11394017 DOI: 10.3390/ani14172562] [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: 07/31/2024] [Revised: 08/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
While most studies focused on the impact of intensive agriculture on the barn owl's diet, little is known about the effect of cropland abandonment. We compared the taxon composition/evenness and feeding guild structure of small mammal prey identified in pellets collected before (2004) and after (2012) the abandonment of 9% of cultivated fields within a cultural landscape. Data on prey abundance per pellet were analysed through non-metric multidimensional scaling and permutational, paired tests. Prey taxon evenness in 2012 was significantly lower than in 2004. That induced a shift in prey taxon composition as indicated by the significantly lower dietary similarity compared with the random expectation. The increasing and declining abundance of Murinae and Crocidurinae, respectively, had the largest contribution to the differentiation of the diet spectrum. Insectivorous prey was significantly more abundant in 2004 compared to 2012, while the opposite was true for omnivorous prey. Our results suggest that even a small fraction of abandoned crops in the landscape might induce a detectable shift in the barn owl's food niche. The dietary effects are similar to those observed after agricultural intensification, that is, an increase in the abundance of generalists to the detriment of specialist mammal prey.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Achille
- Laboratory of Protistology and Biology Education, University of Macerata, 62100 Macerata, Italy
| | - Dan Gafta
- Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, 3B Centre, Babeș-Bolyai University, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Csaba Szabó
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Horváth A, Morvai A, Horváth GF. Difference in small mammal assemblages in the diet of the Common Barn-Owl Tyto alba between two landscapes. ACTA ZOOL ACAD SCI H 2022. [DOI: 10.17109/azh.68.2.189.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
As an opportunistic predator, the Common Barn-owl (Tyto alba) proved to be an appropriate model organism to survey the composition of small mammal assemblages. This study analysed barn owls’ pellet samples from 14 localities containing 34 animal taxa and 4,088 prey items in two years (2015–2016). Two groups of samples (7–7 localities) were separated based on the dominance of semi-natural habitats and agricultural lands. Rarefaction analysis proved that the species richness and diversity of barn owls’ diet were significantly higher in semi-natural landscapes. The multiple regression analysis between PCA scores showed that in the agrarian landscape the abundance of generalist species was influenced by the proportion of forests, while the value of the trophic level index was determined by the size of arable fields. In the case of semi-natural landscapes, the abundance of the synantrop guild and generalist species, especially S. araneus and A. agrarius, was influenced by the proportion of urban areas, the number of habitats and the size of arable fields. The results of this study suggested that the small mammal consumption of the Common Barn-owl is significantly different in the two landscapes, which reflects the impact of habitat heterogeneity and agricultural activity on prey availability.
Collapse
|
3
|
Christou A, Hadjisterkotis E, Dalias P, Demetriou E, Christofidou M, Kozakou S, Michael N, Charalambous C, Hatzigeorgiou M, Christou E, Stefani D, Christoforou E, Neocleous D. Lead contamination of soils, sediments, and vegetation in a shooting range and adjacent terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems: A holistic approach for evaluating potential risks. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 292:133424. [PMID: 34974047 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
It is well accepted that shooting ranges constitute hotspots of Pb contamination. This study evaluated the degree of Pb contamination of soils, sediments and vegetation within the boundaries of a highly visited shooting range, as well as the fluvial transport and dispersal of Pb, and therefore the contamination of adjacent river and water reservoir. Soils in the shooting range were severely contaminated with Pb, as indicated by the values of enrichment and contamination factor. The concentration of Pb in these soils ranged from 791 mg kg-1 to 7265 mg kg-1, being several dozens or even hundreds of times higher compared with control background samples. A temporary stream being in close proximity was also polluted, though to a much lesser extent. The degree of Pb contamination was negatively correlated with the distance from the shooting range. To this effect, the degree of contamination of the river and the water reservoir being in the vicinity of the shooting range was negligible, as sediments and water samples preserved similar Pb concentrations with control samples. However, cultivated (olives) and wild native plant species grown in the area of the shooting range were found to uptake and accumulate high concentrations of Pb in their tissues (even 50 times higher compared with control samples). The severe contamination of soils, sediments and vegetation in the studied shooting range can provoke very high ecological risks. Overall, results suggest that management measures should be undertaken within the boundaries of the studied shooting range.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anastasis Christou
- Agricultural Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, P.O. Box 22016, 1516, Nicosia, Cyprus.
| | - Eleftherios Hadjisterkotis
- Agricultural Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, P.O. Box 22016, 1516, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Panagiotis Dalias
- Agricultural Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, P.O. Box 22016, 1516, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Eleni Demetriou
- State General Laboratory, Ministry of Health, P.O. Box 28648, 2081, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Maria Christofidou
- State General Laboratory, Ministry of Health, P.O. Box 28648, 2081, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Sofia Kozakou
- State General Laboratory, Ministry of Health, P.O. Box 28648, 2081, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Nicos Michael
- State General Laboratory, Ministry of Health, P.O. Box 28648, 2081, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | | | - Eftychia Christou
- State General Laboratory, Ministry of Health, P.O. Box 28648, 2081, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Demetris Stefani
- State General Laboratory, Ministry of Health, P.O. Box 28648, 2081, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Damianos Neocleous
- Agricultural Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, P.O. Box 22016, 1516, Nicosia, Cyprus
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nocturnal Birds of Prey as Carriers of Staphylococcus aureus and Other Staphylococci: Diversity, Antimicrobial Resistance and Clonal Lineages. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11020240. [PMID: 35203842 PMCID: PMC8868206 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11020240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Owls are nocturnal predators that inhabit urbanized and farmlands. They are in direct contact with other animals, both livestock and small wild rodents that they mostly feed on. Staphylococci can be both commensal and pathogenic bacteria that are widespread across the various ecological niches. We aimed to isolate staphylococci from owls and to characterize their antimicrobial resistance, virulence factors and genetic lineages. Swab samples were collected from the throat and cloaca of 114 owls admitted to two rehabilitation centers in Portugal. The identification of staphylococci species was performed by MALDI-TOF. Staphylococci antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes were investigated by means of the disk diffusion method and PCR. Staphylococcus aureus isolates were characterized by MLST, agr and spa-typing. Of the tested animals, 66 isolates were recovered, including 10 different species of staphylococci, of which 25 were coagulase-positive (CoPS) and 41 were coagulase-negative (CoNS). Twenty-three S. aureus were isolated, of which one mecC-MRSA was identified. The isolates were mainly resistant to penicillin, aminoglycosides, clindamycin and tetracycline. mecC-MRSA belonged to ST1245 and spa-type t843 and the remaining S. aureus were ascribed to 12 STs and 15 spa types. A high diversity of clonal lineages was identified among the S. aureus isolated from wild owls. Owls feed mainly on small rodents often exposed to waste and anthropogenic sources, which may explain the moderate prevalence of S. aureus in these animals.
Collapse
|
5
|
Large-scale spatial patterns of small-mammal communities in the Mediterranean region revealed by Barn owl diet. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4985. [PMID: 33654215 PMCID: PMC7970837 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84683-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to mainly opportunistic hunting behaviour of Barn owl can be its diet composition used for assessing local structure of small-mammal community. We evaluated the structure of small-mammal communities in the Mediterranean region by analysing Barn owl diet using own pellets and literature data (85 localities comprising 182,343 prey individuals). Contrary to widely accepted macroecological theory, we found a latitudinal increase of small-mammal alpha diversity, a less distinct west–east increase and lower diversity on islands. The mean prey weight decreased with increasing latitude, while on islands it decreased with increasing island area. The mean prey weight on islands was further negatively affected by mean land modification by human and positively affected by its range. The diet diversity on islands was not affected either by island area or its distance from the mainland. Its composition largely conformed to the main pattern pronounced over whole the region: an unexpected homogeneity of small-mammal community structure. Despite high beta diversity and large between-sample variation in species composition, Crocidura (+ Suncus etruscus) and murids (Apodemus, Mus, Rattus, in marginal regions partly replaced by gerbillids, Meriones or Microtus) composed more than 90% of owl prey in 92% of samples. Peak abundances of these widespread species are associated with a dynamic mosaic of dense patches of sparse herb vegetation and evergreen sclerophyllous shrublands interspersing areas of human activity, the dominant habitat of the inner Mediterranean and richest food resource for foraging Barn owls. The respective small-mammal species can be looked upon as invasive elements accompanying large scale human colonization of the region since the Neolithic and replacing original island biota. Our study documented that desertification of the Mediterranean played an important role in shaping inverse latitudinal gradient in diversity of small-mammals that contradicts to widely accepted mecroecological theory.
Collapse
|
6
|
Detection and genetic characterization of a novel parvovirus (family Parvoviridae) in barn owls (Tyto alba) in Hungary. Arch Virol 2020; 166:231-236. [PMID: 33136208 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-020-04862-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
In this study, a novel parvovirus (gyb-MR02/2015/HUN, MT580795) was detected in barn owls (Tyto alba) and genetically characterized using viral metagenomics and PCR methods. The NS1 and VP1 proteins of gyb-MR02/2015/HUN share only 45.4% and 50.1% amino acid sequence identity, respectively, to the corresponding proteins of peafowl parvovirus 2 (MK988620), the closest relative. Out of 11 faecal specimens from owls (six from little owls, three from barn owls, and two from long-eared owls), two barn owl samples were positive for the novel parvovirus, which is distantly related to members of the recently established genus Chaphamaparvovirus in the subfamily Hamaparvovirinae. Systematic investigation is necessary to explore the diversity of parvoviruses.
Collapse
|
7
|
Hadjisterkotis E, Konstantinou G, Sanna D, Pirastru M, Mereu P. First mtDNA Sequences and Body Measurements for Rattus norvegicus from the Mediterranean Island of Cyprus. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:life10080136. [PMID: 32764388 PMCID: PMC7460190 DOI: 10.3390/life10080136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive species are the primary driver of island taxa extinctions and, among them, those belonging to the genus Rattus are considered as the most damaging. The presence of black rat (Rattus rattus) on Cyprus has long been established, while that of brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is dubious. This study is the first to provide molecular and morphological data to document the occurrence of R. norvegicus in the island of Cyprus. A total of 223 black rats and 14 brown rats were collected. Each sample was first taxonomically attributed on the basis of body measurements and cranial observations. Four of the specimens identified as R. norvegicus and one identified as R. rattus were subjected to molecular characterization in order to corroborate species identification. The analyses of the mitochondrial control region were consistent with morphological data, supporting the taxonomic identification of the samples. At least two maternal molecular lineages for R. norvegicus were found in Cyprus. The small number of brown rats collected in the island, as well as the large number of samples of black rats retrieved in the past years might be an indication that the distribution of R. norvegicus is still limited into three out of the six districts of Cyprus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - George Konstantinou
- Society for the Protection of Natural Heritage and the Biodiversity of Cyprus, Keryneias 6, Geri 2200, Cyprus;
| | - Daria Sanna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/b, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (M.P.); (P.M.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Monica Pirastru
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/b, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (M.P.); (P.M.)
| | - Paolo Mereu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/b, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (M.P.); (P.M.)
| |
Collapse
|