Natural expansion versus translocation in a previously human-persecuted bird of prey

Many threatened species in Europe have been expanding their distributions during recent decades owing to protection measures that overcome historical human activity that has limited their distributions. Range expansion has come about via two processes, natural expansion from existing range and reintroductions to new ranges. Reintroductions may prove to be a better way to establish populations because individuals are less subject to competitive relationships lowering breeding success than individuals expanding from existing populations. Whether this is true, however, remains uncertain. We compared success of breeding pairs of an expanding and a reintroduced population of spanish imperial eagles monitored for over 15 years in the south of Spain. We found significant differences in productivity between breeding pairs of each population. Newly established territories in reintroduction areas were almost three times more productive than new territories established as individuals expanded out from an existing population. We conclude that among these eagle populations reintroduced to new areas may fare as well or better than individuals expanding out form existing populations

Open Apps: Opening Teaching Experiences and Applications

The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) is an online university that makes extensive use of information and communication technologies to provide education. Ever since its establishment in 1995, the UOC has developed and tested methodologies and technological support services to meet the educational challenges posed by its student community and its teaching and management staff. The know-how it has acquired in doing so is the basis on which it has created the Open Apps platform, which is designed to provide access to open source technical applications, information on successful learning and teaching experiences, resources and other solutions, all in a single environment. Open Apps is an open, online catalogue, the content of which is available to all students for learning purposes, all IT professionals for downloading and all teachers for reusing. To contribute to the transfer of knowledge, experience and technology, each of the platform¿s apps comes with full documentation, plus information on cases in which it has been used and related tools. It is hoped that such transfer will lead to the growth of an external partner network, and that this, in turn, will result in improvements to the applications and teaching/learning practices, and in greater scope for collaboration. Open Apps is a strategic project that has arisen from the UOC's commitment to the open access movement and to giving knowledge and technology back to society, as well as its firm belief that sustainability depends on communities of interest.La Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) es una universidad en línea que realiza un uso intensivo de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación para proporcionar una educación y aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida. Des de sus inicios la universidad ha desarrollado y testeado metodologías y tecnologías con el objetivo de proporcionar soluciones a los retos de aprendizaje y docentes ofrecidos por la comunidad de estudiantes, académicos y personal de gestión. Fundamentado en este saber hacer, nace la plataforma OpenApps con la finalidad principal de poner a disposición de la comunidad la experiencia acumulada en la UOC durante más de 15 años en docencia, aprendizaje y gestión para que pueda ser aplicado, adaptado o evolucionado por terceros. En este artículo se presentan las características esenciales para que una innovación pueda formar parte de esta plataforma institucional, las especificaciones y usuarios de la plataforma, la finalidad del servicio y las futuras líneas de trabajo.La universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) és una universitat en línia que fa un ús intensiu de les tecnologies de la informació i la comunicació per proporcionar una educació i aprenentatge al llarg de la vida. Des dels seus inicis la universitat ha desenvolupat i testejat metodologies i tecnologies amb l'objectiu de proporcionar solucions als reptes d'aprenentatge i docents oferts per la comunitat d'estudiants, acadèmics i personal de gestió. Basat en aquest saber fer, neix la plataforma OpenApps amb la finalitat principal de posar a disposició de la comunitat l'experiència acumulada a la UOC durant més de 15 anys en docència, aprenentatge i gestió, perquè es pugui aplicar, adaptar o desenvolupar per tercers. En aquest article es presenten les característiques essencials perquè una innovació pugui formar part d'aquesta plataforma institucional, les especificacions i usuaris de la plataforma, la finalitat del servei i les futures línies de treball

Blood chemistry of wild brazilian coscoroba swans during molt

The Coscoroba Swan (Coscoroba coscoroba) is an unusual member of the Anatidae found in South America, from the Falkland Islands and Tierra del Fuego through Chile and Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay as far north as Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil. The species is not threatened globally, but some local populations have declined and the status of others is unknown. The objective of this study was to quantify the plasma chemistry of a wild population of Coscoroba Swans in southern Brazil during their molting period. We captured 12 chicks, 14 juveniles, and 31 mature birds. The following blood parameters were measured: glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, uric acid, creatin-kinase, aspartate amino transferase, alanine-aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, amylase, and pancreatic amylase. Significant differences between males and females were not observed for any of the parameters, and only the levels of alkaline phosphatase differed significantly among age groups. © Wildlife Disease Association 2010.Peer Reviewe

Morphometric sex determination of young Ospreys Pandion haliaetus using discriminant analysis

Capsule Discriminant functions based on morphometric variables provide a reliable method for sex identification of free-living and hacked young Ospreys. Aims To describe an easy, accurate and low-cost method for sex determination of fully grown nestling and fledgling Ospreys Pandion haliaetus based on morphometric measurements. Methods Four different measurements were taken in 114 birds (40-73 days old) and a DNA analysis, using PCR amplification, was carried out for sex identification. A forward stepwise discriminant analysis was performed to build the best explanatory discriminant models, which were subsequently validated using statistics and external samples. Results Our best discriminant function retained forearm and tarsus as the best predictor variables and classified 95.1% of the sample correctly, supported also by external cross-validations with both hacked and free-living birds. Moreover, a discriminant function with only forearm as predictor showed a similar high correct classification power (93.4%). Conclusions These discriminant functions can be used as a reliable and immediate method for sex determination of young Ospreys since they showed high discriminant accuracy, close to that of molecular procedures, and were supported by external cross-validations, both for free-living and hacked birds. Thus, these morphometric measurements should be considered as standard tools for future scientific studies and management of Osprey populations. © 2010 British Trust for Ornithology.Peer Reviewe

Skewed sex ratios in a newly established osprey population

With recent increases in the numbers of reintroduction projects, it has become crucial to know the main factors that allow colonization of new areas and prevent the extinction of small and reintroduced populations. Dispersal is one of the most important phenomena in population biology with consequences to the proportion of individuals that keep breeding in the natal population and the number of individuals that move to other populations to breed. We studied changes in offspring sex ratio and differences in dispersal patterns between the sexes in a reintroduced population of osprey (Pandion haliaetus). Results showed that at the beginning of the colonization process breeding pairs produced more males, which dispersed shorter distances and were more philopatric than females. However, with increasing breeding population size over the years, the offspring production was skewed to females, which dispersed longer distances from their natal area and tended to breed in different areas. Here we suggest that changes in offspring sex ratio during colonization processes, together with differences in dispersal pattern between sexes, could influence colonization rate and the probability of success of future reintroduction projects

OpenApp: experiencias y herramientas docentes y de gestión en abierto

La Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) es una universidad en línea que realiza un uso intensivo de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación para proporcionar una educación y aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida. Des de sus inicios la universidad ha desarrollado y testeado metodologías y tecnologías con el objetivo de proporcionar soluciones a los retos de aprendizaje y docentes ofrecidos por la comunidad de estudiantes, académicos y personal de gestión. Fundamentado en este saber hacer, nace la plataforma OpenApps con la finalidad principal de poner a disposición de la comunidad la experiencia acumulada en la UOC durante más de 15 años en docencia, aprendizaje y gestión para que pueda ser aplicado, adaptado o evolucionado por terceros. En este artículo se presentan las características esenciales para que una innovación pueda formar parte de esta plataforma institucional, las especificaciones y usuarios de la plataforma, la finalidad del servicio y las futuras líneas de trabajo.La universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) és una universitat en línia que fa un ús intensiu de les tecnologies de la informació i la comunicació per proporcionar una educació i aprenentatge al llarg de la vida. Des dels seus inicis la universitat ha desenvolupat i testejat metodologies i tecnologies amb l'objectiu de proporcionar solucions als reptes d'aprenentatge i docents oferts per la comunitat d'estudiants, acadèmics i personal de gestió. Basat en aquest saber fer, neix la plataforma OpenApps amb la finalitat principal de posar a disposició de la comunitat l'experiència acumulada a la UOC durant més de 15 anys en docència, aprenentatge i gestió, perquè es pugui aplicar, adaptar o desenvolupar per tercers. En aquest article es presenten les característiques essencials perquè una innovació pugui formar part d'aquesta plataforma institucional, les especificacions i usuaris de la plataforma, la finalitat del servei i les futures línies de treball.The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) is an online university that makes extensive use of information and communication technologies to provide education. Ever since its establishment in 1995, the UOC has developed and tested methodologies and technological support services to meet the educational challenges posed by its student community and its teaching and management staff. The know-how it has acquired in doing so is the basis on which it has created the Open Apps platform, which is designed to provide access to open source technical applications, information on successful learning and teaching experiences, resources and other solutions, all in a single environment. Open Apps is an open, online catalogue, the content of which is available to all students for learning purposes, all IT professionals for downloading and all teachers for reusing. To contribute to the transfer of knowledge, experience and technology, each of the platform's apps comes with full documentation, plus information on cases in which it has been used and related tools. It is hoped that such transfer will lead to the growth of an external partner network, and that this, in turn, will result in improvements to the applications and teaching/learning practices, and in greater scope for collaboration. Open Apps is a strategic project that has arisen from the UOC's commitment to the open access movement and to giving knowledge and technology back to society, as well as its firm belief that sustainability depends on communities of interest

Using manipulation of density-dependent fecundity to recover an endangered species: the bearded vulture Gypaetus barbatus as an example

1. Endangered species subjected to reintroduction programmes often occur as small and isolated populations with local high density and depressed fecundity. Variation in territory quality may lead to this low fecundity owing to increasing occupation of suboptimal territories as population density grows, known as the habitat heterogeneity hypothesis (HHH). In this context, food supplementation in poor territories may be used to produce extra young which could be allocated to reintroduction programmes. 2. We analyse the density-dependent fecundity pattern and the underlying mechanism in a small population of bearded vultures Gypaetus barbatus in Aragón (northeast Spain). We then use population simulations to examine the viability of a hypothetical reintroduction programme using extra young produced by supplementary feeding on poor-quality territories and the effect on the donor population. We also compare the economic cost of such a reintroduction programme in relation to the cost of a traditional captive breeding programme. 3. The wild population showed clear negative, density-dependent fecundity regulation driven by the HHH mechanism. Simulations showed that extractions for translocations had no relevant long-term effects on the donor population viability, but a marked population reduction during the extraction period. However, the implementation of supplementary feeding to produce extra young for translocation lessened significantly this expected initial population reduction. 4. Analyses showed that the annual budget of a captive breeding programme for this species could be seven times more expensive than the translocation of extra young produced by food supplementation. 5. Synthesis and applications. Reintroduction programmes based on translocation of wild-reared individuals, after a supplementary feeding programme oriented to poor-quality territories, provide a source of young at least seven times cheaper than those from captive breeding programmes. The use of this approach would decrease initial effects on donor population avoiding public criticism. Increasing the number of young released during the first years of the reintroduction decreases total financial cost and increases the final population size in the new area

Estudio y Rentabilización Económica del Patrimonio Inmobiliario Universitario Publico. Praxis Aplicada a la Escuela de Arquitectura Técnica de Madrid

Se presenta la síntesis de un Trabajo liderado por el Grupo de Investigación para el Estudio de la Problemática del Patrimonio Edificado de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, en el entorno de las alternativas socio-económicas en la vía de intensificación rentabilización económica del Patrimonio Inmobiliario Universitario Públic

Método del Grado de Intervención: Modelo Empírico de Predimensionado del Coste en Rehabilitación de Edificios

La idea que dirige el Método de Análisis y Estimación Rápida, que se plantea, se fundamenta en: a) Expresar la cantidad e Intensidad de la Intervención necesaria en el edificio estudiado, expresándola en el parámetro denominado: Grado de Intervención (Gi). b) Ponderar dicho Grado de Intervención con un Coeficiente de Mayoración de Ejecución de Obra (Cm), que tiene en cuenta las circunstancias de la Edificación y de la Realización de las Obras de Adecuación. c) Imputar al Grado de Intervención Mayorado (Gi x Cm), una equivalencia en euros, aplicando un Modulo Actualizado (Ma) a dicho producto. Estas variables nos permiten conocer el Coste de los Trabajos de Intervención (Cti), mediante la Expresión

Reintroducing endangered raptors: a case study of supplementary feeding and removal of nestlings from wild populations

1. Supplementary feeding is a common practice to raise reproductive output in raptors and other species; nevertheless, its application in conservation has only recently been discussed critically. Here, we analyse the effect of supplementary feeding in territorial raptors, taking advantage of two long-term datasets for the Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) and bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus). In both species, supplementary feeding was used over four years, allowing the extraction of eggs or nestlings for reintroduction programmes. 2. Both populations increased during the last 20 years. In 2001, only 10 Spanish imperial eagle pairs were found in Sierra Morena, increasing to 91 pairs in 2015 (810% of increase). The Bearded vulture population in Aragon increased from 15 occupied territories in 1988 to 67 in 2012 (347% of increase). Density-dependent breeding productivity on habitat heterogeneity was established in both populations. 3. Results of generalized linear mixed model analysis with relative productivity as the dependent variable, species and supplementary feeding as fixed factors, and territory as random factor showed a significant effect of supplementary feeding on relative productivity in both species as well as in the interaction between territory and supplementary feeding. This implied a different response among territories to supplementary feeding. Birds in poor-quality territories with low productivity levels responded more strongly to supplementary feeding than birds in territories with higher levels of natural productivity. 4. A reintroduction programme based on supplementary feeding and extraction of nestlings costs eight times less than the same programme based on captive breeding and takes 10 years less. 5. Synthesis and applications. Supplementary feeding in territorial raptors could be useful (1) in an episodic main prey collapse and (2) in poor-quality territories in a high-density population, to produce extra young for reintroduction programmes. For greatest efficiency, supplementary feeding needs to be targeted at poorer territories in which the reproductive rate has the potential to be raised by provision of extra food. The extra young produced can then be used in reintroduction programmes in which chances of recruiting to a breeding population are high