Modeling Population Growth of Pyrenean Chamois (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica) by Using P-Systems

P systems provide a high level computational modeling framework which integrates the structural and dynamic aspects of ecosystems in a comprehensive and relevant way. In previous works, several ecosystems modeled by using P systems were presented. The good results obtained encourage us to study new ecosystems such as the one presented in this paper. Pyrenean Chamois (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica) is an ungulate species inhabiting the Catalan Pyrenees. In recent years, several diseases have caused a drastic decrease in the number of individuals. Since they provide significant economic contributions in the area and constitutes an important food resource for obligate and facultative scavengers, it is very interesting to provide a model in order to facilitate the management of their ecosystems

Past, present and future of chamois science

The chamois Rupicapra spp. is the most abundant mountain ungulate of Europe and the Near East, where it occurs as two spe- cies, the northern chamois R. rupicapra and the southern chamois R. pyrenaica. Here, we provide a state-of-the-art overview of research trends and the most challenging issues in chamois research and conservation, focusing on taxonomy and systematics, genetics, life history, ecology and behavior, physiology and disease, management and conservation. Research on Rupicapra has a longstanding history and has contributed substantially to the biological and ecological knowledge of mountain ungulates. Although the number of publications on this genus has markedly increased over the past two decades, major differences persist with respect to knowledge of species and subspecies, with research mostly focusing on the Alpine chamois R. r. rupicapra and, to a lesser extent, the Pyrenean chamois R. p. pyrenaica. In addition, a scarcity of replicate studies of populations of different subspecies and/or geographic areas limits the advancement of chamois science. Since environmental heterogeneity impacts behavioral, physiological and life history traits, understanding the underlying processes would be of great value from both an evolutionary and conservation/management standpoint, especially in the light of ongoing climatic change. Substantial contri- butions to this challenge may derive from a quantitative assessment of reproductive success, investigation of fine-scale foraging patterns, and a mechanistic understanding of disease outbreak and resilience. For improving conservation status, resolving taxonomic disputes, identifying subspecies hybridization, assessing the impact of hunting and establishing reliable methods of abundance estimation are of primary concern. Despite being one of the most well-known mountain ungulates, substantial field efforts to collect paleontological, behavioral, ecological, morphological, physiological and genetic data on different popu- lations and subspecies are still needed to ensure a successful future for chamois research and conservation

Positive effect of spring advance on the diet quality of an alpine herbivore

Funding: Govern d'Andorra (ATC015 AND 2015/2016, 2016/2017, and 2017/2018).Altres ajuts: Acord transformatiu CRUE-CSICChanges in vegetation phenology related to global warming are having alarming effects on the life history traits of many herbivore species. Such changes are particularly critical in alpine ecosystems, where strong climate limitations on plant growth make seasonal synchronization imperative for the growth, reproduction and survival of herbivores. However, despite the pivotal role of resource-use strategies on the performances of such species, few studies have explicitly assessed the mechanistic impact of climate change on their diets. We aimed to fill this gap by studying the effect of spring onset on the dietary composition and quality of a medium-size alpine herbivore while considering density-dependent processes and age- and sex-specific differences in foraging behavior. Using an exceptional, long-term (24 years) direct individual-based dietary monitoring of a Pyrenean chamois population (Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica), we showed that ongoing earlier onsets of spring are leading to an earlier access to high-quality forage and therefore a higher diet quality at a fixed date, without apparent changes in diet composition. We also showed that at high densities, intraspecific competition reduced diet quality by driving animals to feed more on woody plants and less on nutritious forbs and graminoids. By assessing the mechanistic effects of global warming on the dietary patterns of species at the center of trophic networks, this study is an essential step for predictive models aiming at understanding the ongoing ecosystem consequences of the global climatic crisis

Different effects of alpine woody plant expansion on domestic and wild ungulates

Changes in land-use and climate affect the distribution and diversity of plant and animal species at different spatiotemporal scales. The extent to which species-specific phenotypic plasticity and biotic interactions mediate organismal adaptation to changing environments, however, remains poorly understood. Woody plant expansion is threatening the extent of alpine grasslands worldwide, and evaluating and predicting its effects on herbivores is of crucial importance. Here, we explore the impact of shrubification on the feeding efficiency of Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica), as well as on the three most abundant coexisting domestic ungulate species: cattle, sheep and horses. We use observational diet composition from May to October and model different scenarios of vegetation availability where shrubland and woodland proliferate at the expense of grassland. We then predicted if the four ungulate species could efficiently utilize their food landscapes with their current dietary specificities measuring their niche breath in each scenario. We observed that the wild counterpart, due to a higher trophic plasticity, is less disturbed by shrubification compared to livestock, which rely primarily on herbaceous plants and will be affected 3.6 times more. Our results suggest that mixed feeders, such as chamois, could benefit from fallow landscapes, and that mountain farmers are at a growing economic risk worldwide due to changing land-use practices and climate conditions

A bioinspired computing approach to model complex systems

The use of models is intrinsic to any scientific activity. In particular, formal/mathematical models provide a relevant tool for scientific investigation. This paper presents a new Membrane Computing based computational paradigm as a framework for modelling processes and real-life phenomena. P systems, devices in Membrane Computing, are not used as a computing paradigm, but rather as a formalism for describing the behaviour of the system to be modelled. They offer an approach to the development of models for biological systems that meets the requirements of a good modelling framework: relevance, understandability, extensibility and computability.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad TIN2012-3743

The physiological cost of male-biased parasitism in a nearly monomorphic mammal

Background: Even though male-biased parasitism is common in mammals, little effort has been made to evaluate whether higher parasitic burden in males results in an extra biological cost, and thus a decrease in fitness. Body condition impairment and the augmentation of oxidative stress can be used as indicators of the cost of parasite infections. Here, we examined relationships between gastrointestinal and respiratory helminths, body condition and oxidative stress markers (glutathione peroxidase, paraoxonase-1) in 28 Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica) sampled in autumn. Results: Only male chamois showed a reduction in body condition and higher oxidative stress due to parasite infection, likely because of the extremely high parasite burdens observed in males. Conclusions: This study made evident a disparity in the physiological cost of multiple parasitism between sexes in a wild mammal, mainly due to parasitic richness. Because of the similar life expectancy in male and female chamois, we suggest that males may have developed natural mechanisms to compensate for higher parasite loads during the rut

Modeling Ecosystems Using P Systems: The Bearded Vulture, a Case Study

The Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is an endangered species in Europe that feeds almost exclusively on bone remains of wild and domestic ungulates. In this paper, we present a model of an ecosystem related to the Bearded Vulture in the Pyrenees (NE Spain), by using P systems. The evolution of six species is studied: the Bearded Vulture and five subfamilies of domestic and wild ungulates upon which the vulture feeds. P systems provide a high level computational modeling framework which integrates the structural and dynamic aspects of ecosystems in a comprehensive and relevant way. P systems explicitly represent the discrete character of the components of an ecosystem by using rewriting rules on multisets of objects which represent individuals of the population and bones. The inherent stochasticity and uncertainty in ecosystems is captured by using probabilistic strategies. In order to experimentally validate the P system designed, we have constructed a simulator that allows us to analyze the evolution of the ecosystem under different initial conditions.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia TIN2006-13425Junta de Andalucía TIC-58

RESPIRATORY VIRUSES IN ALPINE CHAMOIS

In the heterogeneous ecosystem of the Alps an interdisciplinary approach is necessary to prevent, survey and control wildlife diseases in order to ensure the biological integrity, the environmental conservation and so the biodiversity. In this contest the matter of livestock-wildlife interface is of particular importance for the presence of grazing domestic herds and the increase of wild ruminants populations, that lead to novel cohabitation situations with a possible \u201cspill-over\u201d of diseases from livestock or vice versa. Livestock-wildlife interfaces are dynamic and bidirectional and pathogens could be transmitted freely within and between the species. Mountain ungulates appear as a good biological model to study inter-species transmission and in particular, respiratory infections of wild ruminants. Chamois has already been subjected in the past to demographic decreases due to respiratory viruses\u2019 circulation. In this study a total of 394 chamois sera hunted in two different areas of North Western Italian Alps were analysed by virus-neutralization test to detect antibody against Bovine Respiratory Syncytial virus (BRSV), Bovine Viral Diarrhea virus (BVDV) and Mammalian Orthoreovirus (MRV). Seroprevalence of viruses and statistical analysis of antibody titres suggest that infection of pestivirus in chamois populations is sporadic as a spill-over from livestock; BRSV has a high adaptation level in wildlife and can be considered endemic in this two areas; high MRV seroprevalence has been observed and confirms the spread of MRV, that has been identified in a previous study in three chamois lungs. Furthermore, in this study PCR and phylogenetic analysis showed that chamois MRV strains belong to serotype 3 and are closely related to Italian dog and Italian bats strains