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Understanding trophic and demographic dynamics of apex predators is of paramount importance for ecosystems conservation. Apex predators are usually free from predation and, thus, main drivers of population dynamics are trophic resources availability affecting breeding performance. Albeit food habits have been described in many apex species, the effects of changes in the trophic niche on long-term demographic dynamics are poorly known. We describe the long- term (N = 25 years) changes in trophic niche breath of a recovering golden eagle population in a Mediterranean landscape (North Spain), and searched for potential correlates with their productivity (i.e., number of fledged eaglets per controlled pair) as a proxy of their breeding performance (N = 290 pairs*years). We identified a total of 3,475 prey items from 77 species; rabbits, hares and red-legged partridges were the most frequent prey consumed (overall 51%), followed by roe deer (10%), red-billed chough, red foxes and woodpigeons, all of them with >5%. Prey diversity in eagle’s diet decreased along the study period. Rabbits and roe deer consumption increased, hares and partridges decreased, while foxes, choughs and woodpigeons showed no significant trends. Prey diversity and red-legged partridge consumption were negatively correlated with productivity at territory level, while rabbits, corvids and pigeons showed strong positive relationship with productivity. The size of the territory showed the strongest positive relation with productivity, while roughness was negatively correlated. Rabbits and ungulates showed negative and positive correlation with roughness, respectively, while predators consumption has a negative relation with the size of the territory. Our findings give insights the potential trophic mechanisms driving the dynamics of recovering apex predator populations; a reduction in the trophic niche breath towards specific groups of prey, which could be due to a higher availability and individual sp

[EN] This dataset provides the raw data from the mammal censuses carried out from car in one area of the Montaña Palentina Natural Park, between 2016-2023. The main objective of the census was to collect data on the use that wildcats (Felis silvestris) made of pasture fields for cattle grazzing. However, we recorded all mammal observed except dogs and livestock. This dataset will be updated annually., [ES] Este conjunto de datos recoge la información de los censos de mamíferos llevados a cabo desde coche en un área del Parque Natural de la Montaña Palentina, entre 2016-2023. El principal objetivo del censo era recoger datos del uso que los gatos monteses (Felis silvestris) hacían de los prados ganaderos. No obstante, se han anotado todas lo mamíferos observados con la excepción d perros y ganado de diferente tipo. Este dataset será actualizado anualmente.

[EN] This dataset provides the raw results of montane water vole (Arvicola amphibius cantabriae) surveys in 303 fixed points where molehills were counted annually between 2016 and 2023. The points are located in Meadows, grasslands and forests. The main objective of the survey was to obtain a relative abundance index of water vole, but presence of other species (Lusitanian pine vole, Microtus lusitanicus, Spanish mole, Talpa occidentalis, cattle and horse) was also sampled. This dataset will be actualized with new data obtained uring the following years., [ES] Este conjunto de datos proporciona los resultados brutos de los censos de rata topera (Arvicola amphibius cantabriae) en 303 puntos fijos donde se contaron toperas anualmente entre 2016 y 2023. Los puntos están ubicados en prados, pastizales y bosques. El principal objetivo del muestreo era obtener un índice de abundancia relativa de la rata topera, pero también se muestreó la presencia de otras especies (topillo lusitano, Microtus lusitanicus, topo ibérico, Talpa occidentalis, vacas y caballos). Este conjunto de datos se actualizará con nuevos datos obtenidos en los próximos años.

Human population and anthropogenic pressures on Earth´s ecosystems are growing in unprecedented numbers, promoting an increase of animal-human interactions that may have negative effects for both wildlife and humans. Among all types of animal-human interactions, animal-caused damages to human properties and activities (i.e. livestock depredation, crop riding, etc.) are especially relevant, frequently leading to the emergence of human-wildlife conflicts that may additionally jeopardize conservation efforts. In this context, gathering accurate information about damages caused by animals is essential to minimize these conflicts. In Spain, most information about animal-caused damages to human properties and activities is gathered by different regional Administrations (i.e. Comunidades Autónomas), implying that data are generally scattered, fragmented and highly heterogeneous, hindering the implementation of effective and adaptive management strategies aiming at reducing these conflicts. Here we present a unique dataset in which we gathered all the information available about individual damages produced by animals to human activities and properties. Data were collected from different Administrations and subsequently standardized and unified in a single database. This dataset is a valuable resource not only because it will allow a deep characterization of the casuistry of animal-caused damages to human properties and activities in Spain but also because we believe that it provides a good example of which variables must be collected by the different Administrations responsible of collecting these data.

Apex predators play a critical role in shaping the biological and functional diversity of ecosystems. Like in many other living groups, population dynamics of apex predators exhibit auto-regulation traits, including density-dependent processes, which can be important for limiting population numbers. However, the study of these processes is challenging due to their slow life history traits, especially when their populations are depressed. Our main objective is to describe mechanisms driving population dynamics in apex predators by documenting the relationship between population density and demographic parameters at population level and analyzing the influence of population density and other environmental factors on the reproductive parameters at territory level. We used as biological model a recovering population of golden eagles Aquila chrysaetos in a Mediterranean landscape (North Spain). We monitored yearly all known eagle pairs within the study area for 28 years, implying 1539 reproductive events in a total of 84 territories. The average density was 3.04 pairs/1000 km2, and the reproductive success, productivity, and flight rates averaged 0.45, 0.54, and 1.20, respectively. The population increased during the study period (from 37 to 78 pairs), although we did not find any effect of density on the reproductive parameters at population level. At territory level, we found that size of territory, proportion of open habitat, and spring precipitation increased reproductive performance, while older territories performed worse than new ones. Our findings suggest that population dynamics in recovering apex-predators are driven by a complex combination of compensatory density-dependent processes, mainly operating at territorial level, and by environmental factors mainly related with resource availability and human pressure. For species with slow life history traits, population recovery seems to be facilitated by re-colonization from refuge areas, wilder but less productiv

Ecologists have long documented that the world's biota is spatially organised in regions with boundaries shaped by processes acting on geological and evolutionary timescales. Although growing evidence suggests that historical human impact has been key in how biodiversity is currently assembled, its role as a driver of the geographical organisation of biodiversity remains unclear. Using non-volant terrestrial mammals we set up a bioregionalization procedure focused on two datasets, one describing the current ranges of terrestrial mammals, and another describing their potential natural ranges in absence of historic anthropogenic land use. We then quantified the relative importance of anthropogenic land use (5000 and 2000 years ago, and present time) to predict the current and natural biogeographical regions across the Earth. In general, past and present human land use were important predictors of current bioregions but did not largely contribute to predict natural bioregions. Past anthropogenic land use seems to have left an imprint on the taxonomic differentiation of some of the largest biogeographical realms, whereas land use at present stands out as a driver of the taxonomic differences between medium-sized subregions, i.e. within and among continents. Our findings suggest that anthropogenic actions during the last millennia have had a far-reaching effect on the spatial organisation of the Earth's non-volant mammals.

The Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC has been working on large carnivore management and conservation and on the management of wildlife damages for decades, in collaboration with multiple international research bodies. In this Science for Policy Report we provide, together with collaborating scientists from other institutions, evidenced-based scientific information related to the petition expressed by the EC. This response also includes an evaluation of the suggested changes in management policies raised in the EC press release, which are of particular concern for the conservation of wolf populations. Those changes could compromise human-wolf coexistence in Europe and eventually downgrade coexistence targets in the management of other predators in Europe and worldwide.