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Olive groves in the Mediterranean basin have undergone a tremendous increase during the last two decades, with most of the new olive groves being planted on arable land. This conversion may affect habitat suitability for steppe birds, which are associated with arable land and other open-land habitats, such as natural pastures. In this work, we evaluate the presence of new olive groves in the distribution of the Great Bustard Otis tarda and the Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax in Southern Spain (the largest olive oil production zone in the world), and we compare the percentage of different land uses in 2000 and 2018 using data provided by the Corine Land Cover. From 2000 to 2018, new olive groves occupied 2.14 and 2.61% of the distribution areas of the Great Bustard and the Little Bustard, respectively. The decrease in arable land and the increase in permanent crops were the main drivers of the landscape composition changes during the study period. The fragmentation index of arable land was higher in 2018 than 2000. These changes in the landscape suggest a decrease in habitat availability and suitability for steppe birds that could affect the distribution and abundance of their populations. Moreover, there were no differences in the proportion of new olive groves planted inside and outside the limits of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) from 2000 to 2018, which were created to protect these steppe birds, thus suggesting that the management policy of the IBAs should be reviewed to prevent harmful land-use changes.

The lack of refuge has been suggested as one of the main factors affecting reptiles in intensive crops, but this theory has not been explored to any great extent. The aim of this work is to compare the reptile abundance and species richness between traditional and intensive vineyards and olive groves, and to test the acceptance of artificial shelter due to its scarcity in the new intensive woody crop. A total of 288 transects were carried out (144 in olive groves and 144 in vineyards) in six different types of plots: traditional olive groves, traditional vineyards, intensive olive groves with and without artificial refuge, and trellis vineyards with and without artificial refuge. The results showed a greater species richness and abundance of reptiles in the traditional plots than in the intensive plots (independently of the experimental refuges added). An important number of animals were observed using the artificial refuges in olive groves. Furthermore, most of the individuals were located on or escaped to old trees in traditional systems, including an important proportion of reptiles hidden in olive trunk cavities, whereas more individuals were observed on the ground in intensive systems. Our finding suggests the importance for reptile communities of the traditional agricultural systems due to the high availability of the refuge provided by old olive tree trunks and free-standing gobelet vineyards. Our results show that providing refuge may mitigate the negative effects of woody crops intensification on reptile communities.

Sandy beaches are the preferred nesting habitat for sea turtles. Multiple climate change events may, however, impact on this habitat, since the projected increase in the intensity and frequency of high tides as a consequence of rises in sea level and storm events may cause a higher rate of flooding of nests. Knowledge regarding future scenarios of tidal inundation and nest-site selection is required to design action plans with which to protect suitable habitats. The objectives of this study were: i) to quantify the impact of high tides on the nesting of two endangered species of sea turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata and Chelonia mydas in Ecuador, ii) to identify relevant trends regarding tides that might impact on the hatching success of the nests and, iii) to project the hatching success of these sea turtles’ nests in next decade using changes in high tides events as a basis. We measured microhabitat characteristics along seven beaches on which sea turtles nest on the mainland coast of Ecuador. The tidal data and the hatching success of 210 nests were monitored from 2013 to 2020. We observed a positive trend as regards future high tide occurrences, which are a key factor in explaining nest hatching success. This increase in high tide might cause a reduction in the hatching success of these endangered species of sea turtles; with the E. imbricata being the species most affected by this threat. Considering that Eretmochelys imbricata is categorized as critically endangered and Chelonia mydas is listed as endangered, estimations of the potential risk of climate events on their reproductive success might contribute to management strategies, and in turn, to the conservation of their populations.

Este trabajo ha sido financiado parcialmente por el Proyecto Ref. 1264483-R, financiado por la Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad y el Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), y por el Plan Propio de Investigación de la Universidad de Córdoba 2021.

In a context of the growing concern about the impact of biological invasions, our objective is to review the role of those non-native species that have primarily been introduced for angling purposes in at least one European country. We are particularly interested in: (1) the relative role of sport fish species in the context of non-native species introductions; (2) assessing the relative importance of different fish taxa; (3) identifying similarity patterns in the composition of the angling fish species introduced throughout the continent, and (4) assessing the underlying factors that drive their diversity in Europe. According to our results, 23.6% of the freshwater fish introduced into Europe during the last century were released primarily for angling purposes. The species composition differed among countries, with a higher diversity of introduced angling species in larger countries and in those with a greater GDP per capita, along with a lower latitude. This review stresses that angling was a significant pathway for the introduction of invasive fish species into Europe in the last century. Furthermore, some of the introduced angling species had severe environmental impacts on many European regions. However, introductions of non-native angling species are still occurring. Therefore, existing EU regulations need better enforcement as well as to increase public awareness regarding invasive fish. This will help to preserve biodiversity and improve the sustainability of current angling schemes in increasingly managed European freshwater ecosystems. However, non-native fish could make angling sustainable, although not for biodiversity generally., AJC are supported by a “Juan de la Cierva” contract (FJCI-2017-33114) from MINECO-UCM. We thank Helmholtz Zentrum München for the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program PFPII.

Understanding use of space in free ranging populations that cause damage to agriculture can help in the design of measures aimed at reducing their impact. Food availability is known to determine use of space in terrestrial vertebrates so, providing alternative food sources during a specific time period may help the management of vertebrate pests by reducing their ranging behavior. We investigated space use by a crop damaging species, the European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), in an intensively-managed agricultural landscape within its native range and evaluated the potential of food availability to restrict areas of rabbit activity. We determined the size of day-time home range (95% minimum convex polygon, MCP) and core area (50% MCP) of rabbits before and after providing additional food to one rabbit population, while an unsupplemented population served as a control. Rabbits in the study area had large home ranges in comparison with those previously reported in the literature, probably linked to the heterogeneous and unpredictable distribution of resources in intensively-managed Mediterranean agro-ecosystems. There was a general reduction in size of home ranges and core areas between the experimental phases, but we found evidence that additional feeding restricted the space use of rabbits. The wide-ranging behavior of rabbits documented in the present study might explain why even moderate rabbit densities can cause widespread damage to crops. These findings may facilitate the design of management tools to mitigate damage in agricultural areas where rabbits are considered an agricultural pest.

Cover crops can be an effective means to protect soil and reduce risks of erosion in olive groves. However, for this protection to be significant, the vegetation must attain a significant amount of ground cover, which is estimated to be at least 30% during the rainy season. In olive groves on degraded soils, which occupy large surface areas in the olive-growing areas of the Mediterranean region, the establishment of cover crops may be an arduous challenge, particularly in areas with a high density of rabbits. In this study, we have selected two olive orchards with scarce natural vegetation located in Andalusia (southern Spain), in which rabbit populations intensively forage the cover crops, to test whether the self-seeding of an unpalatable species corn chamomile (Anthemis arvensis L., A. arvensis for short) could achieve sufficient coverage for soil protection, in the year following that in which the broadcast-seeding was carried out for the implementation of cover crops. The hand broadcast-seeding of A. arvensis was carried out on sixteen elementary plots in the lanes of the two olive orchards in the autumn of 2015, and seed germination in the subsequent self-seeding took place in the autumn of 2016. The plant height and A. arvensis ground cover in these plots were measured throughout the two growth cycles, and aerial biomass was measured at maturity. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the maximum plant height between the two growth cycles (mean &plusmn, SD of 21.2 &plusmn, 1.6 cm), while the ground cover was significantly greater in the case of self-seeding, especially during the winter (37.2 &plusmn, 8.1 and 9.3 &plusmn, 6.7% for self-seeding and broadcast-seeding, respectively), and aerial biomass at maturity had more than doubled (99.7 and 43.9 g m&minus, 2, respectively). These data suggest that this unpalatable species could establish an effective herbaceous cover by means of self-seeding in olive groves on degraded soils that are being overgrazed owing to the high pressure of rabbits. Despite the poor establishment in the broadcast-seeding year, our findings indicate that A. arvensis might be an alternative cover crop that could help the sustainability of these threatened olive groves. Its high seed production (2000 to 4000 seeds per plant), and an early emergence just after the first autumn rains, should result in an increased ground cover by A. arvensis during the rainy season in the subsequent years of self-seeding. This, therefore, could contribute to soil conservation, in addition to providing other benefits of increased biodiversity and improvement for agricultural landscapes.

Hard coral coverage contributes to increasing the structural complexity of coral reefs, provides biological resources and drives biological and ecological interactions among reef organisms. Declines in the structural complexity and coral diversity of tropical reefs, due to the influence of anthropogenic activities, have been reported around the world in recent decades; however, coral reefs on the continental coast of Ecuador have been poorly studied. From September 2017 to April 2018, the method of permanent belt transects and quadrats was used to assess the status of coral (percentage of live, dead and fractured coral) to determine the contribution of derelict fishing gear to the process of coral fracture, which causes loss of structural complexity on two marginal coral-rocky reefs in the central coast of Manabi-Ecuador: Perpetuo Socorro and Ureles. Three geomorphological zones [crest (5–7 m depth), slope (7–10 m depth) and bottom (10–13 m depth)] were assessed. Results show that the crest zone in Ureles reef was highly affected by the entanglement of nets compared with Perpetuo Socorro, and identify derelict fishing gear as a key driver in the process of the fracturing and fragmentation of coral. Seasonal and site-associated factors also had a significant effect on the structural complexity of the reef studied. Destruction of coral in the crest zones drastically affects invertebrate and fish communities. We recommend a periodical assessment to measure the loss of structural complexity plus the implementation of a recovery program for the reefs studied that involves the education, active participation and collaboration of artisanal fishermen, governmental organizations and universities., AJC is supported by a “Juan de la Cierva” contract (FJCI-2017-33114) from UCLM. JFP was supported by a mobility grant of the Asociación Universitaria Iberoamericana de Posgrado (AUIP).

The nesting environment is known to significantly affect the breeding success of sea turtles. Sandy beach habitats, where sea turtles nest, are frequently affected by high tides and waves on Ecuadorian beaches during windy events. The objectives of this study were: i) to determine the variables that affect nest site selection by two sea turtle species, Eretmochelys imbricata and Chelonia mydas in Ecuador, ii) to compare features of the nesting places of successful vs. failed clutches and iii) to quantify the changes in the intensity and frequency of the tide and its relation to the loss of eggs for the last 10 years. We monitored 15 hawksbill and 26 green turtle nests for two years on five beaches on the mainland coast of Ecuador. The results show that the presence of a dune scarps negatively affected successful nesting, while the proportion of eggs lost was positively associated with road distance, sea distance and nest depth. In addition, the results showed that the loss of eggs was greater for the green turtle, the presence of dune scarps and tides. Finally, using the data available on hatching success over the last 10 years we found a significant relationship between the intensity of the tides and the loss of eggs during this period. We conclude that nest site selection and hatching success vary with beach microhabitats and therefore local information is needed to protect suitable habitats., This work received financial support from the research project PROG-015-DIP-PROYE-001-2019.

Assessing the pathways by which alien species are introduced is essential if we are to identify potential risks and evaluate management decisions. Intentional introductions are responsible for the introductions of millions of animals throughout Latin America. We explore: (1) the relative role of several intentional introduction pathways (hunting, feeding, fur, biological control, the pet trade and others) in the general context of introductions of alien species; (2) the relative importance of the intentional pathways across the different taxa; (3) similar patterns as regards the composition of alien species across countries, (4) the underlying factors that drive the richness of alien species in Latin America, and (5) the potential impacts of alien species on the region. According to our results, 69 species of mammals and 62 species of birds were introduced into Latin America by means of intentional pathways, of which the most important taxa were Artiodactyls, Primates, Passeriformes and Psittaciformes. The main introductions pathways were the pet/ornamental trades (70.9%) for birds, and hunting (39.1%) and pet trade/ornamental purposes (37.7%) for mammals. The composition of species differed among countries, with a higher richness of species in those countries with a high percentage of urban populations, with a higher native species biodiversity, with a high % of GDP owing to imports (birds) and in those with a high number of trafficked species (mammals). This review stresses that the pet trade and hunting are important pathways for the introduction of alien species, some of which have had severe impacts on many countries., AJC is supported by a “Juan de la Cierva” contract (FJCI-2017-33114) from UCLM. This work received financial support from the Southern State University of Manabi research project PROG-015-DIP-PROYE-001-2019.

Monitoring European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations using suitable methods is crucial, especially in those areas in which endangered predators remain and rabbits occur at low densities. We first counted the number of rabbits, the number of scattered pellets, and the number of latrines counted within 16 plots established in areas of low rabbit density, showing that the number of rabbits counted inside the plots was more closely correlated with the number of pellets counted than with the number of latrines. In addition, no latrines were found in 8 plots. In 53 walking transects, the number of pellets m−2 and the number of latrines km−1 had a positive relationship, but no significant correlation was obtained between the two methods when only the transects with a low rabbit abundance were selected. These results suggest that although counting latrines can be useful to compare areas with different abundances, it may underestimate rabbit abundance at low abundances where counting scattered pellets is, therefore, the most accurate alternative.

Rabbits can successfully avoid their enemies by evaluating the risk of predation. They have various defensive strategies, such as morphological adaptations and behaviours patterns, which enable them to perceive their predators and thus reduce the risk of predation. It is well documented that rabbits recognise the scats of terrestrial predators and avoid those areas in which they are present. However, few studies show whether the prey species can recognise the presence of congeners in carnivores’ scats, which would allow them to identify their predators in a more efficient manner. We have carried out a comparative analysis of the use of space made by rabbits on plots on which a neutral odour (water) or the odours of the ferrets’ scats that had consumed either rabbit or another mammal (beef) were applied. Our results showed a lower number of rabbit pellets on those plots containing predator odours than on the control plots. During the first 6 days after applying the first odour, the number of rabbit pellets was lower on plots on which rabbit had been included in the diet when compared with scats obtained from a beef diet. However, no differences between the two experimental plots were recorded during the third visit (9 days after applying the first odour). Our results suggest that rabbits may be able to detect congeners in their predators’ scats, thus leading them to, in the short term, avoid areas in which their terrestrial predators’ diet is based on conspecifics, probably as the result of them perceiving a higher risk of predation.

European rabbit translocation is an extended practice in Spain, France, and Portugal, for both conservation and hunting purposes. Some of these translocations are carried out with the aim of reinforcing existing rabbit populations. In these cases, some of the new rabbits are released into warrens already occupied by resident conspecifics. This could have a negative impact upon both the released and the resident individuals owing to the “dear enemy” effect and the territoriality of the resident rabbits. In this study, we evaluated the effect of rabbit release into occupied warrens, in small areas populated by low-density resident rabbit populations. We observed negative effects at two different levels: the number of active entrances per recipient warren and the number of active warrens per reinforced plot, in addition to a general lack of increase in rabbit abundance in the area and, therefore, the failure of the reinforcement actions. Our results strongly suggest that the release of European rabbits into warrens occupied by resident rabbits is contraindicated if the objective is to recover rabbit populations in the area.

Super high-density olive groves (>800 trees ha−1) are rapidly expanding in olive oil producer countries, which entails a strong modification of the olive growing system with important agronomic, economic, sociocultural, and environmental consequences. Among them, the latter is particularly unknown. The aim of this paper is to bring the attention on the environmental impacts of super high-density olive groves, by systematically reviewing the current evidence and identifying knowledge gaps yet to be filled. As a result, we can argue that new super high-density olive plantations reduce habitat heterogeneity and complexity, and the younger trees of these plantations impoverish habitat quality for farmland biodiversity. In addition, the high input use (e.g. phytosanitary treatments, fertilisers and water supply) may entail ecological impacts as well. Therefore, we conclude that i) new highly intensive olive groves should be limited to areas with lower ecological value; ii) consumers should have more information concerning how is produced the olive oil they buy, including the environmental impacts produced; iii) agricultural policies should be reformulated following the provider-gets principle; iv) input use (fertilisers, pesticides, water, etc.) should be gradually optimised to reduce the environmental impact; and finally, v) more research is necessary to foster decisions based on science., This work was partially funded by the project 1264483-R, supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad de la Junta de Andalucía.

[EN] Dune systems are the most degraded ecosystems of the entire European coast, and human activity on the Mediterranean coast of Spain has caused dramatic transformation. In Torredembarra (Tarragona, Spain), a population of spiny–footed lizards Acanthodactylus erythrurus inhabits the few remaining natural dunes and vegetation patches where wildlife coexists with intensive tourism activities. Our aim was to know whether walkways installed across the dunes were affecting the mobility of the spiny–footed lizard. We compared the mobility of marked lizards in two areas with a similar habitat, one with and one without a walkway. We found that the walkway reduced the distances between consecutive resightings, affecting juveniles more than adults. We conclude that the walkway may affect social interactions in the species., [ES] Los sistemas dunares son los ecosistemas más degradados de toda la costa europea y la actividad humana ha causado una profunda transformación en la costa mediterránea de España. En Torredembarra (Tarragona, España) habita una población de lagartija colirroja Acanthodactylus erythrurus en algunas de las dunas naturales y parches de vegetación que aún existen, donde la fauna silvestre coexiste con unas intensas actividades turísticas. Nuestro objetivo fue conocer si las pasarelas instaladas sobre las dunas estaban afectando a la movilidad de la lagartija colirroja. Se comparó la movilidad de lagartijas marcadas entre dos zonas con hábitat similar, pero una con pasarelas y otra sin. Se observó que las pasarelas acortaron las distancias entre reavistamientos consecutivos y que afectaban más a los juveniles de lagartija colirroja que a los adultos. Llegamos a la conclusión de que la pasarela puede estar afectando a las interacciones sociales naturales de la especie., We are grateful to the GEPEC–EdC organization, specially to Ramon Ferré, for providing logistic l support for this study.

The arrival of a new variant of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus, known as RHDV2, has recently taken place in the native range of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), a keystone species which has undergone a sharp decline over the last sixty years as a consequence of certain harmful factors. Several works have noted the presence of this new variant in wild rabbit populations, and have in some cases recorded high mortality rates. However, little is known about the response to the arrival of this new virus variant at the population level. The goal of this work is therefore to show recent trends in 26 wild rabbit populations between 2010 (before the outbreak of the disease) and 2014 (after its onset) in two different ecosystems (woodland and agricultural areas), in order to test how their abundances changed over this period, which coincided with the spread of the RHDV2. Overall, our results showed that rabbit abundance was much lower in 2014 than in 2010, and that only 11.5% of the populations monitored proved to have a positive trend, that is, a higher abundance in 2014 than 2010. A positive correlation between rabbit abundance in 2010 and rabbit population trends was obtained, thus suggesting that the impact of the new variant on rabbit abundance is less evident in high density populations. Our results suggest that smaller rabbit populations are those most vulnerable to the outbreak of RHDV 2 and are therefore likely to decline sharply or even become extinct.

In the present study, we evaluated the effect of distance to food from rubbish dumps and colony size on White Stork breeding success. Waste from poultry farms is expanding in the study area and is commonly used by the White Stork as a new food resource, which may explain the increase in the number of breeding Storks in the region. The study was carried out at 24 sites, including 88 different colonies of White Stork in northern Algeria, Setif (36°09′N, 05°26′E; 900 m.a.s.l.); over a 4-year period (2002–2005) with considerable variation in rainfall. Nests were monitored at different distances from 30 rubbish dumps emanating largely from chicken farms. Results of the General Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) showed that breeding success of White Stork was dependent upon distance to dumps, recording the highest values in nests close to these places with food supply. There was a highly significant interaction between the year and the distance to the rubbish dumps. That is, reproductive success was higher when there was extra food in all years except in 2002, which could be due to the very low rainfall during spring 2002. Also, we found a significant interaction between colony size and distance to a rubbish dump. Results suggest that White Stork breeding success was also affected by natural food resources, since bigger colonies may deplete natural prey sooner, which is more evident in dry years.

Capsule Accessing extra food from waste dumps increases egg volume and hatching mass in White Storks.Aim To test how White Storks vary their investment in egg size, especially in last laid eggs, in relation to food availability, and to improve our understanding of the importance of extra feeding on intra-clutch variation.Methods The study was carried out in three White Stork breeding colonies in northern Algeria. Breeding performance was recorded in 70 nests over three years. White Stork colonies situated close to chicken farms were considered to be part of a ‘pseudo experiment’ where parents had access to extra food. Egg volume, laying order, hatching order and hatching weight were recorded.Results Egg volume and hatching mass in White Storks was significantly greater when they had access to extra food. The reproductive value of last laid eggs (fourth and fifth) doubled when females had access to extra food.Conclusion Laying smaller last eggs within a clutch provides a mechanism to facilitate early brood...

The intensification of agriculture has significant environmental consequences. This intensification entails the simplification and homogenisation of the landscape, which leads to strong negative impacts at ecosystem level, including declines in animal biodiversity. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of different land uses on reptilian and amphibian biodiversity patterns at a regional scale by analysing a large database on the presence of amphibians and reptiles in Andalusia (southern Spain). GIS techniques and the Ecological-Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) were applied in order to assess whether the habitat was suitable for each reptilian and amphibian species, when the land use variables were excluded. The incongruence between the potential and the observed species richness was then correlated with the main types of land use in Andalusia. Our results showed that irrigated and unirrigated olive groves were associated with a biodiversity deficit of amphibians and reptiles respectively, whereas natural forests and pastures, along with more heterogeneous crops areas, were more suitable. A clustering analysis showed that generalist species were related to olive groves whereas rare and specialist species were related to land uses related to natural vegetation. In summary, our results indicate that large areas covered by olives groves harbour less amphibian and reptilian diversity, thus suggesting that agro-environmental schemes should be carried to promote the species richness in these crops., This work was supported by the project (AGL 2012-40128-C03-01) and EU–FEDER funds. AJC holds an FPI pre-doctoral scholarship.

In recent decades, agricultural intensification and landscape simplification have dramatically affected farmland biodiversity. To reduce this trend, agri-environmental schemes (AES) of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) were launched in the European Union in the early 1990s. Since then an effort has been made to asses the effectiveness of these measures, but, in the Mediterranean region, where olive groves are among the predominant crops, the effectiveness of AESs to maintain farmland biodiversity remains poorly evaluated. In conventional olive farming, the only AES now in practice are the implementation of herbaceous, non-crop vegetation within crops (i.e. ground covers) aimed at preventing soil erosion, and the maintenance of hedges. These practices, when applied separately, can increase structural complexity, likely benefitting farmland biodiversity at different spatial scales; however, little is known about the potential synergistic effects when these measures are applied in combination in...

The effectiveness of using standardized sampling methods for fish communities in coral and rocky reefs has been widely discussed because it largely depends on the experience and skill of the observer, availability of high-definition equipment and the stability of local environmental parameters. The rocky reefs in Ecuador have highly variable conditions of turbidity, which can generate biases in the sampling of reef fish. The present work compares the effectiveness of detection of two sampling methods: 1) observer-band transects and 2) video-transects, as tools to determine the composition of fish communities in two rocky reefs subjected to high anthropic pressure and high variability in the conditions of turbidity. To achieve this goal, 48 transects of 100 m and variable-width on the dependence of turbidity conditions were performed in three geomorphological reef zones: the crest, slope, and bottom, where a community of fish was sampled from September 2017 to April 2018 using both methods. The results showed significant differences in the fish abundance recorded depending on the sampling method, the video-transect method was more efficient for the estimation of abundance. Comparison of the survey methods in reef zones showed that video-transects are more effective in detecting significant differences in abundance on the slopes of the reefs in comparison with observer-band transects. Turbidity significantly affected the abundance of fish detected by both sampling methods. Our results suggest that the video-transect method is more efficient to record fish abundance with respect to the observer-transect method under different conditions of turbidity., AJC is supported by a “Juan de la Cierva” contract (FJCI-2017-33114) from UCLM. JFP was supported by a mobility grant from the Asociación Universitaria Iberoamericana de Posgrado (AUIP).

Este libro compila una serie de investigaciones donde se destaca la importancia de las competencias en la docencia universitaria, como el conjunto de habilidades, conocimientos y actitudes que promuevan un entorno de aprendizaje efectivo, requiriendo que el docente sea más allá de un facilitador de contenidos, un integrador por medio de experiencias cotidianas de la formación del estudiante. Esta compilación recoge los seis mejores trabajos de investigación presentados en el Área de Conocimiento Gestión de los Procesos de la Educación Superior del II Congreso Sociedad del Conocimiento: Retos y Perspectivas de la Universidad Tecnológica ECOTEC.

Understanding how the diversity of invasive species is geographically distributed and identifying the major drivers of that pattern is a relevant challenge as regards invasion biology. The aim of this paper was, therefore, to identify and characterize those areas colonized by a high number of alien species as a means to provide directional indications that can be used to minimize the potential negative effects that the alien species may have on host ecosystems. This is done by applying spatially explicit predictive modeling in order to explain the diversity of vertebrate alien species in Spain. The relative importance of the different factors was assessed using variation partitioning. Our results showed that the main factor as regards predicting the distribution of alien species was the anthropogenic variable, and that this was followed by abiotic variables. The other significant predictor of alien species was the number of native species, which had a positive relationship with the number of alien species. This accord with the ‘the rich get richer’ acceptance hypothesis, which predicts a higher number of alien species in areas with high native species diversity. In this study, we detected actual conflict areas (ACAs), which have high‐medium values for the number of both native and alien species. Many of the ACAs identified some overlap with protected areas, which further aggravate the problem as these areas are often the home to endangered species which may be adversely affected by the emergence of alien species. This signifies that eradication, control or mitigation programs should be carried out to reduce the undesirable impact of alien species in these areas. However, other areas of conflict also appeared in unprotected areas near to big cities, where monitoring and preventive measures are necessary to avoid the release of new species and their subsequent spread., A. J. Carpio holds an FPI grant (project AGL2012‐40128‐C03‐01 from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia). P. Acevedo is supported by MINECO‐UCLM through ‘Ramón y Cajal’ contract (RYC‐2012‐11970).

Understanding how non-invasive indicators of diet quality, such as faecal nitrogen (FN), relate to population performance is a valuable asset when assessing the management of wild ungulates. However, the relationships between FN and protein intake may depend on the ingestion of less palatable plants containing high quantities of tannin (which is known to reduce degradable proteins) and management schemes (such as supplemental feeding). In order to describe the factors and potential use of FN as an indicator of diet quality, we selected a range of red deer (Cervus elaphus) densities in Mediterranean habitats in South Central Spain, which were classified under different management regimens (with and without food supply). We specifically aimed to (i) identify the main population (management, density) and diet quality factors related to FN levels, (ii) assess the relationship between individual performance (body condition measured as kidney fat index, KFI) and FN and (iii) provide evidence of the modulating role that management may play in this relationship. FN was positively associated with the faecal tannin concentration and the density of deer. Interestingly, a positive correlation was observed between FN and nitrogen in plants on hunting estates with a supplemental food supply, whereas this relationship was not evident in the absence of supplemental feeding. Moreover, KFI was negatively associated with FN, and this negative association was more marked in the presence of supplemental feeding. This study exemplifies that caution is necessary when the interpretation of individual FN values is used to monitor the performance of red deer populations, particularly in high density contexts with a reduced quality of forage, and when supplemental food is provided. However, when FN is interpreted in concomitance with body condition, population parameters and diet quality, it has been proved to be a potentially simple, cost-effective and reliable indicator of biological performance and diet quality.

The intensification of agriculture entails the simplification and homogenisation of the landscape, which has serious negative impacts on animal biodiversity. Herbaceous ground cover in olive groves creates heterogeneous patchworks that differ as regards how intensively farmed olive groves are structured and composed, which may lead to a decrease in this loss of biodiversity. Reptiles rapidly respond to changes in vegetation and other habitat disturbances, in spite of which, this taxa has received very little attention with regard to their vulnerability to agriculture systems. In this study, we investigated the response of a squamate reptile assemblage to different management systems in olive groves. Reptile communities were recorded in areas with three types of olive grove management systems: bare ground, natural cover crop, and monospecific cover crop. We further compared habitat structure and vegetation richness in the study area in order to verify if management systems have an impact on the frequency of occurrence and diversity of squamate reptiles species within olive groves. The community composition of reptiles differed among the three management systems, although this was modulated by the age of the olive trees. Our results show that the squamate reptile communities were more restricted in areas of intense management (bare ground) than in those with cover crops. When herbaceous covers existed, natural ground cover harboured a more diverse community. Our data suggest that while monospecific cover crops improve the frequency of occurrence of reptiles, species richness does not increase; however, more heterogeneous herbaceous ground cover (which, for instance, contain more species and are more similar to natural vegetation) would be a better solution regarding the promotion of diversity in reptile assemblages in agricultural landscapes. Finally our results may be used to improve the habitat quality of squamate reptile communities in similar woody crops like vineyards or orchards, where cover crops are beginning to be implemented., This work was supported by the AGL2012-40128-C03-01 project and EU-FEDER funds provided by the Spanish government. F.S. Tortosa was founded by PROMETEO grant provided by SENESCYT, Ecuador government.

Hunting activities are responsible for the translocation and restocking of millions of animals throughout Europe, including the introduction of alien species. In a context of the growing use of game translocations and of increasing concern about the impact of biological invasions, our goal is to review the role of alien species introduced primarily for hunting purposes on the European scale. In particular, we explore: (1) the relative importance of game species in the context of alien species introductions; (2) the temporal evolution of the number of species introduced for hunting purposes; (3) the contribution of different taxa; (4) the pattern of introduced game species composition across countries (in terms of similarity), and (5) the underlying human demographic factors driving the diversity of introduced game species per country. According to our results, 24.3% of the mammals and 30.2% of the birds introduced into Europe during the last century were released primarily for hunting purposes, in total, 93 species (63 birds and 36 mammals), the most important taxa being Artiodactyls, Anseriformes and Galliformes. The species composition differed among countries, with a higher diversity of introduced game species in larger countries and in those with a higher human population density and proportion of hunters. This review stresses that hunting was a significant pathway for the introduction of invasive species into Europe in the last century. Since some of the game species introduced have had severe environmental impacts on many European regions, and introductions of non-native game species are still occurring, it is essential to improve regulations and increase public awareness regarding invasive game animals. This will help to preserve biodiversity and improve the sustainability of current hunting schemes in increasingly managed European ecosystems., This study received financial support from the research Project AGL2012-40128-C03-01 and EU-FEDER funds. AJC holds an FPI pre-doctoral scholarship. M. Delibes-Mateos is supported by V Plan Propio de Investigación of the University of Sevilla.

[EN] The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.) is a key prey species in Mediterranean ecosystems that has declined in its natural ranges as a result of diseases and loss of habitat. This situation has led to the production of wild rabbits in enclosures in which they can acclimate and breed. The efficiency of these enclosures as extensive breeding systems is defined by their population growth rate (PGR). The aim of this study is to analyse the effect of rabbit abundance on the PGR. This has been done by creating general linear models to explain autumn and spring PGR with the use of rabbit abundance estimates, enclosure size, aerial predation and previous PGR as possible explanatory variables. Rabbit abundance and enclosure size negatively affected the autumn PGR, while only rabbit abundance affected the spring PGR in the best-fit models. It is suggested that maintaining rabbit densities at fewer than 30 rabbits per hectare might help to optimise the efficiency inside enclosures., L.R.A. was supported by a grant from the University of Córdoba. Our English was reviewed by Sally Newton. This work is funded by the Andalusia Autonomous Environmental Government through a project for the conservation of the Cinereous Vulture in Córdoba province.

Extensive farming practices and landscape heterogeneity promote biodiversity in agroecosystems. However, the effect of such practices might be landscape dependent; specifically, the effect might be greatest where the loss of heterogeneity has been the largest. In recent decades, agricultural intensification and landscape simplification have dramatically affected the Mediterranean region, where olive groves are one of the predominant crops. For instance, in Spain from 1996 to 2008, the amount of land dedicated to olive groves increased by 300,000 ha (12 %). In conventional olive farming, herbicides are applied intensively to minimize competition between crops and swards for water; however, to prevent erosion, many farmers are maintaining swards within crops. This practice likely benefits farmland biodiversity, although the heterogeneity of the surrounding landscape might influence the extent of these effects. This study assessed the effects of herbaceous cover on the abundance and species richness of songbird communities in six matched pairs of olive groves (ground cover or bare ground) in homogeneous and heterogeneous landscapes over a 3-year period. We predicted that (1) the presence of ground cover and landscape heterogeneity would have a positive effect on songbird communities, and (2) the effect would be greatest in homogeneous environments. Although bird community composition differed among landscape types and farming practices in the olive groves in southern Spain, the effect of ground cover was not landscape dependent. The presence of ground cover had a positive effect on the abundance and richness of songbirds, including sensitive species, but landscape heterogeneity did not have an effect. This study underscores the important role of agricultural practices in preserving farmland bird communities, while it also suggests that landscape heterogeneity might not be very important in Mediterranean perennial farming systems. The positive effects of ground cover can be important for preserving the wintering quarters of numerous European bird species, including species of conservation concern., The University of Córdoba funded this project. ICB was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship provided by the Consejería de Educación, Ciencia y Cultura (JCCM, Spain) and the European Social Fund.

Over the past few decades, the wild boar has been undergoing an expansion in Europe, which may have negatively affected small game populations and particularly red-legged partridges. We aim to evaluate the red-legged partridge nest predation by wild boar at high boar abundances by placing artificial nests in nine big game estates. Predation rates were compared between nests placed in fenced controlled plots with no wild boar access (but accessible to other predators) and open plots in which the wild boar gains access. The proportion of nests and eggs predated was significantly lower in wild boar exclusion areas, recording a predation rate of 50 % for the nests and 38 % for the eggs in these areas, whereas in the presence of wild boar, the predation rate was 80 % for the nests and 58 % for the eggs. Moreover, the wild boar was identified as the main nest predator in unfenced areas, accounting for 36 and 48 % of the predated nests and eggs respectively. This study sheds light on the wild boar predation on nests of the red-legged partridges.

Rabbit populations in Iberia remain at low densities in several areas in which their endangered predators still coexist, and the recovery of these populations is therefore urgent if the integrity of Iberian Mediterranean ecosystems is to be maintained. The enhancement of wild rabbit populations has been attempted through the use of in situ extensive rabbit captive breeding enclosures (restocking plots), which reduce mortality caused by terrestrial predators and dispersal movements and permit the breeding of young individuals which can then naturally disperse to settle in the surrounding areas. However, their effectiveness, the role of its size, the optimal habitat management that should be promoted around them and the habitat features remains uncertain. Here, we show results from a four year study of an ambitious rabbit restocking plan on a landscape scale. We measured rabbit abundance in a vast area in which thirty-two restocking plots were built to create an initial rabbit population for further dispersion, in addition to an intensive habitat management program. We also compared rabbit abundance between managed and unmanaged UTM cells of 2.5 km × 2.5 km. Our results showed that rabbit abundance was three times higher in managed cells, but four years after restocking, rabbit abundances had only reached the threshold needed to support stable Iberian lynx presence (at least 10 latrines per km −1 ) in 9 of the 23 managed cells. Rabbit abundance was strongly affected by habitat treatment and scrub coverage. The increase of shelter was useful in low cover areas but ineligible in places with high scrub cover, where the increase of refuge plus scrub clearing to create pastures improve rabbit abundance more effectively. In the light of our results, restocking plots should be built only in places with suitable habitat, whereas pastures should be created in dense scrublands and refuge in low cover areas.

Olfactory signalling is widespread among mammal inter- and intra-specific communication systems. Social mammals use latrines (faecal accumulations) as a communication system, which address the needs of individuals both inside and outside the social group. Latrines are commonly used as olfactory and visual signals for the delimitation of territories, and the location of these signals may thus provide useful clues for the study of the marking animals’ behaviour and the delimitation of a spatial framework for these studies. In this work, we have tested the application of indigestible faecal markers in order to define territorial boundaries marked by latrines in wild rabbit social groups. Different combinations of baits and markers were first tested on wild rabbits kept in captive conditions, and the best combinations were then applied to rabbits in semi-natural conditions in order to test their feasibility for use with wild populations. As one possible application of the method, Minimum Convex Polygons and Kernel density estimators were used to analyse the distribution of the latrines of three wild rabbit social groups in semi-natural conditions. The results of this showed that the marked bait method is a useful tool for exploring the territorial behaviour of social mammals that use latrines for communication. It can also provide useful information for the definition of spatial frameworks based on social structures, and is fast, straightforward, easy, cheap, and does not require specialised training.

About half a million rabbits are translocated in southwestern Europe every year for conservation and hunting purposes. However, the success of traditional rabbit restocking is generally extremely low, and this has been attributed to short-term predation by mammalian carnivores. Hence, recent recovery programs have tackled the problem of terrestrial predators with the use of exclusion fences, but no additional measures have been employed to avoid aerial predation. In this study, we have therefore conducted a field experiment to test the short-term effect of total predation exclusion in rabbit restocking enclosures, comparing rabbit abundance in plots which are only accessible to raptors (top-open plots) and plots which are accessible to neither carnivores nor raptors (top-closed plots). The results showed that the top-closed plots had higher rabbit abundance in the short term, and the highest difference in rabbit abundance between the two kinds of fences was attained in the first 2 weeks. We therefore conclude that the top-closed plots were an effective tool to increase rabbit abundance during the first weeks after release through the exclusion of raptor predation.

[EN] The simplification and homogenisation of agricultural landscapes has led to dramatic losses of farmland biodiversity. This decline includes passerine populations and one of the mechanisms that may be contributing toward this may be increased nest predation. Ground covers are agri-environmental measures whose objective is to halt the loss of biodiversity by creating high-quality habitat patches embedded in a homogeneous landscape by maintaining herbaceous ground cover within crops. However, although such patches are selected by breeding birds, they may also attract predators, and an increased nest density in small habitat patches would thus result in increased predation rates. We have therefore performed nest predation experiments with artificial nests in order to investigate whether the effect of ground cover on nest predation is density dependent. The experiments were carried out during the breeding season in 2014, in two areas of olive groves in southern Spain. We used two nest density levels, both in olive groves with ground cover and in those where the ground was bare. A total of 420 nests were placed, 226 of which (53.81%) suffered predation. Our results showed that 1) nest predation was density dependent in olive groves with ground cover only with respect to tree nests, while there was no density-dependent predation in bare-ground olive groves of either ground-based or tree nests, and 2) artificial nests placed on the ground were more frequently depredated (65%) than those placed in trees (29%), irrespective of either the presence of vegetation cover or nest density. This study suggests that variations in patterns of nest predation are determined by the identity of nest predators and their specific foraging behaviours in different landscapes and habitats. It also underscores the need to implement agri-environmental measures aimed at the conservation of farmland birds., [ES] La simplificación y homogeneización de los paisajes agrícolas ha llevado a pérdidas dramáticas de la biodiversidad agrícola. Esto incluye las poblaciones de paseriformes, y uno de los mecanismos que puede contribuir a esto sería el aumento de la depredación de nidos. Las cubiertas del suelo son una de las medidas agroambientales, cuyo objetivo es detener la pérdida de biodiversidad mediante la creación de parches de hábitat de alta calidad integrados en un paisaje homogéneo mediante el mantenimiento de la cubierta vegetal herbácea en los cultivos. Sin embargo, aunque estos parches de buena calidad del hábitat son los preferidos por las aves para criar, podrían también atraer a los depredadores, y un incremento de la densidad de nidos en estos pequeños parches podría dar lugar a un aumento de las tasas de depredación. Por ello, hemos realizado experimentos de depredación de nidos con nidos artificiales con el fin de investigar si el efecto de la cobertura del suelo sobre la depredación de nidos es dependiente de la densidad. Los experimentos se llevaron a cabo durante la temporada de cría en 2014, en dos zonas del sur de España. Se han utilizado dos niveles de densidad de nidos, ya sea en olivares con cubierta o con suelo desnudo. Un total de 420 nidos fueron colocados, de los cuales 226 fueron depredados (53,81%). Nuestros resultados mostraron que: 1) En olivares con cubierta la depredación de nidos fue dependiente de la densidad de nidos solo al considerar los nidos de los árboles, mientras que no hubo depredación dependiente de la densidad en los olivares con suelo desnudo en nidos de suelo ni de árboles, y 2) los nidos artificiales colocados en el suelo fueron depredados con más frecuencia (65%) que los colocados en los árboles (29%), con independencia de la presencia de cubierta vegetal o el nivel de densidad de nidos. Este estudio sugiere que las variaciones en los patrones de depredación de nidos están determinadas por la composición de especies de depredadores de nidos y sus comportamientos de forrajeo específicos en diferentes paisajes y hábitats, mientras que también pone de relieve la necesidad de implementar medidas agroambientales orientadas a la conservación de aves agrícolas.

The wild boar has, over the past few decades, undergone an expansion in Europe, which may have negatively affected ground-nesting bird populations and particularly those of wading birds. The aim of this study was to evaluate predation on waders’ nests by wild boar in Sweden, where this species has been increasing since its reintroduction. This was done by placing artificial nests in seven different study areas. A comparison was then made of predation rates of the nests placed on control plots (areas in which no wild boar were present but other predators were) and plots containing different abundances of wild boar. Contrary to our expectations, the proportion of nests predated was significantly lower in those areas in which wild boar were present, with a predation rate of 54 %, whereas the predation rate was 87.5 % in the others. The wild boar was identified as the second most important nest predator in the plots in which it was present, accounting for 18 % of the predated nests. The main predator on both types of plots was the red fox, which was responsible for 28 and 38.5 % of the predated nests on plots with/without wild boar, respectively. Interestingly, predation by badgers occurred principally in areas in which the wild boar was absent (34.5 % of the predated nests), whereas only one nest was predated by this predator in areas containing wild boar. It is not, however, possible to state whether predation by badgers was lower because of the presence of wild boar or whether this was owing to the fact that badgers do not select those particular patches because of habitat features., This work received financial support from the research project AGL2012-40128-C03-01 and EU–FEDER funds. AJC holds a FPI pre-doctoral scholarship.

In recent decades, the intensification of agricultural practices in olive orchards, including intensive use of agrochemicals, along with the absence of natural herb layer, has led to a decline in songbird communities. Increased nest predation has been suggested as another important factor in the decline of farmland birds. High abundances of alternative prey species, such as European Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus may attract generalist predators, which may increase predation rates on bird nests, a phenomenon known as hyperpredation. In this work, we evaluate artificial nest predation in intensively farmed olive orchards, using quail eggs (one plaster and two natural eggs in each nest) placed on the ground (97 nests) and on trees (106 nests). 53.7% of nests (109 out of 203) were predated; 51 of these nests had at least one egg with signs of predation and in 58 nests all eggs were predated. Nests placed on the ground (61%) were predated more frequently than those on trees (46%). Rabbit abundance was identified as one of the main factors increasing the probabilities of a nest being predated. Despite lower rates of nest predation in areas with low rabbit abundance, we found a higher diversity of nest predators, such as Mustela nivalis, Mustela putorius, Martes foina or Erinaceus europaeus in these areas. This study suggests that conservation efforts aimed at increasing the breeding success of farmland birds should avoid areas with high abundance of rabbits owing to the phenomenon of hyperpredation.

The location and use of warrens is a key factor in the population dynamics of the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus L., which can influence stability and persistence in the long term. Within the species' original distribution range, its numbers have declined sharply in recent decades, which is a serious problem for the conservation of Mediterranean ecosystems. Artificial warrens are commonly used to bolster rabbit populations and the characterization of natural warrens in those areas might improve their efficiency. In this study, we use binomial generalized linear models to identify the factors associated with the location and use of warrens in a low-density area and we evaluate the effect of including the spatial structure of the data in the model. In addition, we generate a map that predicts the most suitable areas for artificial warrens. Contrary to what was expected, habitat variables are only secondary factors, and the location and use of warrens is influenced mainly by spatial factors, such as proximity to nearby warrens. Furthermore, the aggregated spatial pattern of warrens suggests that, at the local scale, for example, the hunting estate, intra-specific interactions might be playing a primary role in these low-density populations. To identify the most suitable sites for artificial warrens and, thereby, improve the efficiency of artificial warren building for conservation purposes, information about spatial structures should be included in models predicting natural warrens of European rabbits.

Knowledge of intrinsic and extrinsic factors associated with survival rates and the underlying causes of mortality is essential to understand both population dynamics and the causes of population declines. We studied the influence of habitat variables and body condition on survival of 151 radio-tracked Red-legged Partridges Alectoris rufa in four areas of Spain, representing a gradient from natural unmanaged areas to highly managed areas. We examined the effects of differences in game management practices, and seasonal and geographical variations in survival and causes of mortality over 4 years, from 1999 to 2002. Monthly survival rate was consistently over 90% for both sexes in the natural area. However, in two areas managed intensively for both hunting and agriculture, survival was low during the hunting period (72% for females and 79% for males), high during the breeding period for males (99%), and intermediate for females (89%) due mainly to diseases. Hunting was the main cause of Red-legged Partridge mortality in both hunting areas where driven partridge shooting was performed, affecting 50% of radio-tagged individuals, and was the main cause of mortality over all areas during both breeding and hunting periods. Disease was the next most common cause of mortality in managed areas, affecting mostly females during the breeding period, whereas predation was the main cause of mortality in unmanaged populations. Finally, we compared the habitat associations and body condition of living and dead individuals with varying causes of mortality. In general, high survival rates were associated with diverse vegetation, habitat edges and a good body condition index. Habitat diversity and a high edge index were also negatively associated with mortality due to predation and diseases. On the other hand, hunting mortality decreased with the proportion of scrubland and increased with the proportion of agricultural land. These results suggest that preventing declines of wild Red-legged Partridge populations might best be achieved by increasing landscape complexity and connectivity, and promoting game management practices to limit both partridge bags and long-term densities.

Intra-brood food distribution in altricial birds can strongly affect nestling competitive hierarchies and subsequent brood reduction. Food allocation patterns result from scramble competitions among the nestlings, various forms of parental favoritism, and/or agonistic interactions among nestlings. Food allocation is related to agonistic interactions among nestlings or to parental favouritism in non-aggressive species. Since white stork chicks are not aggressive and they do not receive direct feeding, parental infanticide has been proposed as an alternative mechanism to control brood reduction. The capacity of white stork parents to control food allocation was examined. We hypothesized that parents favour the senior chick by adjusting prey size to suit its ingestion capacity. We experimentally manipulated (Spain 1996 and Algeria 2004) nestling size by exchanging the senior chick for a larger one. After the exchange parents delivered longer and heavier prey items and they increased the total food amount del...

To understand the factors contributing to the spatial behaviour of the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa), a radio-tracking study of free living partridges was carried out in Spain. During 2000–2002, 275 individuals were captured in four areas with different environmental and management characteristics. Sixty-nine adults and 23 juveniles were used to study space use distributions, including home range size, core area size and habitat selection. According to a generalized linear mixed model, 63% of the variability in home range size was explained by three landscape variables: edge index, average patch size and agricultural disturbance. Habitat selection was not influenced by age or sex because parents and juveniles remained together for most of the year, except during mating. The decline of the red-legged partridge in Spain was preceded by agricultural transformations related to land holding concentration and an increase in cultivated surface per property, which increased patch sizes and decreased edge and marginal areas across Spain., Projects CGL 2005-0234 and PAI 06-0170 contributed to this study. F. Buenestado is supported by the Fundación Ínsula Barataria.