2024-03-28T11:50:26Zhttp://digital.csic.es/dspace-oai/requestoai:digital.csic.es:10261/2015532020-05-07T01:10:08Zcom_10261_13com_10261_8com_10261_132col_10261_266col_10261_385
Rewilding traditional grazing areas affects scavenger assemblages and carcass consumption patterns
Arrondo, Eneko
Morales-Reyes, Zebensui
Moleón, Marcos
Cortés-Avizanda, Ainara
Donázar, José A.
Sánchez-Zapata, José A.
Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España)
Junta de Andalucía
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España)
Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España)
European Commission
La Caixa
Govern de les Illes Balears
Facultative scavengers
Farmlands abandonment
Livestock
Rewilding
Vultures
Wild ungulates
The abandonment of traditional livestock farming systems in Mediterranean countries is triggering a large-scale habitat transformation, which, in general, consists of the replacement of open grazing areas by woodlands through non-managed regeneration. As a consequence, wild ungulates are occupying rapidly the empty niche left by domestic ungulates. Both types of ungulates represent the main trophic resource for large vertebrate scavengers. However, a comparison of how vertebrate scavengers consume ungulate carcasses in different habitats with different ungulate species composition is lacking. This knowledge is essential to forecast the possible consequences of the current farmland abandonment on scavenger species. Here, we compared the scavenging patterns of 24 wild and 24 domestic ungulate carcasses in a mountainous region of southern Spain monitored through camera trapping. Our results show that carcasses of domestic ungulates, which concentrate in large numbers in open pasturelands, were detected and consumed earlier than those of wild ungulate carcasses, which frequently occur in much lower densities at more heterogenous habitats such as shrublands and forest. Richness and abundance of scavengers were also higher at domestic ungulate carcasses in open habitats. Vultures, mainly griffons (Gyps fulvus), consumed most of the carcasses, although mammalian facultative scavengers, mainly wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes), also contributed importantly to the consumption of wild ungulate carcasses in areas with higher vegetation cover. Our findings evidence that the abandonment of traditional grazing may entail consequences for the scavenger community, which should be considered by ecologists and wildlife managers.
2020-02-21T12:25:16Z
2020-02-21T12:25:16Z
2019-12
2020-02-21T12:25:16Z
artículo
Basic and Applied Ecology 41: 56-66 (2019)
1439-1791
http://hdl.handle.net/10261/201553
10.1016/j.baae.2019.10.006
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003329
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100011033
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000780
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100011011
Preprint
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2019.10.006
Sí
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2013-2016/CGL2015-66966-C2-1-2-R
RTI2018-099609-B-C21/AEI/10.13039/501100011033
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2017-2020/RTI2018-099609-B-C21
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2013-2016/RYC-2015-19231
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2013-2016/IJCI-2014-20744
openAccess
Elsevier