Comparación de los patrones de selección del lugar de nidificación de distintas especies rapaces simpátridas, como herramienta para su conservación

In this study the nest–site selection patterns of four tree–nesting sympatric raptor species in Dadia National Park (Greece) were compared in order to provide a sound conservation tool for their long–term management in the area. The species studied were the Black vulture (Aegypius monachus), the Lesser–spotted eagle (Aquila pomarina), the Booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) and the Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis). Twenty–six variables illustrating the landscape context and vegetation structure of nesting sites were analysed. Multivariate–ANOVA and Discriminant Function Analysis were used to test for significant differentiations in nest–site characteristics among the species. The species studied were initially differentiated by geomorphology and distance to foraging areas. Once these were determined their nesting areas were established according to forest structure. Our results indicate that forest management should integrate the preservation of mature forest stands with sparse canopy and forest heterogeneity in order to conserve suitable nesting habitats for the raptors. Specific conservation me asures such as restriction of road construction should be implemented in order to protect the active nests and provisions should be made for adequate nesting sites for the Black vulture, which is sensitive to human disturbance. Key words: Sympatric raptors, Discriminant analysis, Nesting habitat separation, Conservation guidelines.En este estudio se han comparado los patrones de selección del lugar de nidificación de cuatro especies de rapaces simpátridas que construyen sus nidos en los árboles, en el Dadia National Park (Grecia), con el fin de obtener una buena herramienta de conservación para su gestión a largo plazo en esta zona. Las especies estudiadas fueron el Buitre Negro (Aegypius monachus), el Águila Pomerana (Aquila pomarina), el Aguililla Calzada (Hieraaetus pennatus) y el Azor Común (Accipiter gentilis). Se analizaron 26 variables que ilustraban el contexto paisajístico y la estructura de la vegetación de los lugares de nidificación. Se utilizaron el ANOVA multivariante y el Análisis de Función Discriminante para comprobar las diferencias significativas en las características de los lugares de nidificación según las especies. En primer lugar, las especies estudiadas se diferenciaron en cuanto a la geomorfología y la distancia a los lugares de alimentación. Una vez determinados ambos parámetros, se establecieron sus áreas de nidificación según la estructura forestal. Nuestros resultados indican que la gestión forestal debería integrar la conservación de zonas de bosque maduro con un dosel escaso y la heterogeneidad forestal, para conservar hábitats de nidificación adecuados para estas rapaces. Deberían tomarse medidas específicas de conservación tales como la restricción de construcción de carreteras, para la protección de los nidos activos y se debería proveer de lugares adecuados para la nidificación del buitre negro, que es muy sensible a la presencia humana. Palabras clave: Rapaces simpátridas, Análisis discriminante, Clasificación de hábitats de nidificación, Pautas de conservación

Modélisation de la qualité des stations et de la croissance individuelle des arbres dans des peuplements purs et mélangés de Pinus brutia dans le nord-est de la Grèce

International audienc

An evidence-based assessment of the past distribution of Golden and White-tailed Eagles across Wales

Two species of eagles (Golden and White‐tailed) bred in Wales during prehistoric and historic times and became regionally extinct as breeding species in the mid‐1800s. They are iconic and charismatic, and discussions about reintroducing them back into the Welsh landscape have been ongoing for years. Reintroductions, however, can be risky, costly and/or contentious. To address these concerns, and to judge whether it is appropriate to reintroduce a regionally extinct species; the “International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)” have produced criteria by which a proposed reintroduction can be assessed. A key criterion is that the potential reintroduction location lies within the former range of the species. In this study, we addressed this criterion by assessing the past distributions of Golden and White‐tailed Eagles within Wales. Using historic observational data, fossil/archaeological records and evidence from place‐names in the Welsh language, we demonstrated strong evidence for the presence of both of these eagle species in Wales in pre‐historic and historic times. We used kernel density functions to model the likely core distributions of each species within Wales. The resulting core distributions encompassed much of central and west‐north Wales for both species, with the White‐tailed Eagle exhibiting a wider core distribution extending into south Wales. Our results fill knowledge gaps regarding the historic ranges of both species in Britain, and support the future restoration of either or both species to Wales

Factors affecting biodiversity in agrosylvopastoral ecosystems with in the Mediterranean Basin: A systematic review

The biodiversity of Mediterranean agrosylvopastoral ecosystems has been extensively studied, because the Mediterranean Basin is a crossroad of biogeographical influences between cold temperate biota and subtropical species. Here, we systematically reviewed biodiversity studies published on natural and managed agrosylvopastoral ecosystems between 2000 and 2013 to obtain information on animal and plant species richness and diversity and the factors that affect biodiversity. Overall, 774 studies of potential relevance were identified, of which 230 provided information on biological monitoring and 154 met the requirements for the systematic review. Most articles were published in 2004, 2007, and 2011, and most were conducted in Spain. There was sufficient data on species richness to perform a meta-analysis comparing the species richness of 18 different terrestrial ecosystems containing seven taxonomic groups: plants, birds, invertebrates, reptiles, fungi, mammals, and amphibians. Ecosystem type, experimental design, number of study sites, habitat characteristics, and landscape structure were the most frequently mentioned factors affecting biodiversity. Plants were primarily analyzed (42.9% of reviewed studies), with patches and plots being the most common experimental design (64.8%). In comparison, amphibians were the least studied group (1.7%), with transects being the least used experimental design (11.1%). Plants had the highest average species richness (128.25) in managed woodlands, while birds had the lowest (18), with invertebrates generally representing good indicators of biodiversity. Overall, our review indicates that habitat heterogeneity is of importance for safeguarding species adapted to the variety of microhabitats, with it being important to implement traditional cultivation and grazing practices when managing these areas (such as the maintenance of the agro-forestry systems). © 2017 Elsevier Lt

A GIS-based integrated approach predicts accurately post-fire Aleppo pine regeneration at regional scale

Context: This study investigates post-fire natural regeneration of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) forests at Ilia region (Peloponnesus, Greece) following the catastrophic fire of 2007. Aims: The objective of this study is the prediction of P. halepensis post-fire regeneration at a regional scale through an integrated geographic information systems (GIS) model as a basis for post-fire management plans. Methods: The model was developed in three interconnected stages: (1) field data collection, (2) development of two prediction models (based on interpolation of field data and multicriteria evaluation (MCE) that combined factors known to affect regeneration), and (3) combination of applied models using Bayesian statistics. Results: Post-fire pine regeneration presented high variation among the studied plots. Redundancy analysis revealed the positive effect of fallen branches and a negative correlation with altitude. Both modeling approaches (geostatistical and MCE) predicted the post-fire pine regeneration with high accuracy. A very significant correlation (r00.834, p<0.01) was found between the combined final model and the actual number of counted seedlings, illustrating that less than 10 % of the studied area corresponds to sites of very low post-fire pine regeneration. Conclusion:s The combination of GIS models increased the prediction success of different levels of pine regeneration. Lowaltitude areas with low grass cover overlying tertiary deposits were proved the most suitable for pine regeneration, while stands developing on limestone proved least suitable. The proposed methodology providesmanagement authoritieswith a sound tool to quickly assess Aleppo pine post-fire regeneration potential. © INRA /Springer-Verlag France 2012

Does by-catch pose a threat for the conservation of seabird populations in the southern Ionian Sea (eastern Mediterranean)? A questionnaire based survey of local fisheries

A significant number of studies worldwide have shown that incidental catches (by-catch) of seabirds in fishing gear might pose a considerable risk for the conservation of their populations. Nevertheless reliable data on by-catch rates of seabirds in European marine ecosystems are patchy and need to be improved. This study constitutes a first attempt at the evaluation of by-catch rates in the southern Ionian Sea. Data were obtained by distributing a specific questionnaire to the fishers of Zakynthos Island. 150 professional fishers (representing 90% of the local fishing fleet) participated in the research, and were interviewed during July-December 2010. The information collected showed that commercial longline and (to a lesser extent) gillnet fishery gears caused incidental catches mostly of Scopoli’s Shearwater and Mediterranean Shag. The temporal analysis of the incidental bird mortality showed that seabirds were more susceptible to be trapped in fishery gears set around sunrise during spring and summer whereas spatial analysis of by-catch data indicated variations in the number of seabirds caught in different fishery areas

Towards the use of ecological heterogeneity to design reserve networks: A case study from Dadia National Park, Greece

In this paper, we present a novel approach for using ecological heterogeneity in reserve design. We measured five ecological heterogeneity indices (EHI) and we used a database of six biological groups (woody plants, orchids, orthopterans, aquatic and terrestrial herpetofauna and passerine birds) across 30 sites in a Mediterranean reserve (Greece). We found that all the five EHI were significantly related to the overall species richness and to the species richness of woody plants and birds. Two indices, measuring vertical vegetation complexity (1/D) and horizontal heterogeneity of landcover types (SIDI) in terms of Simpson's index, predicted well overall species richness and had significantly higher values inside the complementary reserve networks designed after five of the six biological groups. We compared five methods of forming reserve networks. The method of ecological heterogeneity (selecting those sites with the greatest 1/D and then SIDI) was less efficient (non-significantly) than the species-based methods (scoring and complementary networks) but significantly more efficient than the random method (randomly selected network). We also found that the method of complementary ecological heterogeneity (selecting those sites where each EHI had its maximum value) was not that efficient, as it did not differ significantly from the random method. These results underline the potential of the ecological heterogeneity method as an alternative tool in reserve design. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V

Influence of habitat on nest location and reproductive output of Montagu’s Harriers breeding in natural vegetation

We examined distribution and breeding success of semi-colonial Montagu’s Harriers (Circus pygargus) in relation to habitat in Castellón province (eastern Spain). Breeding areas used by harriers at a 1-km2 scale were characterised by having intermediate percentages of scrub cover, their nesting habitat, and also had intermediate coverage of herbaceous crops and non-irrigated orchards. Out of all habitat variables considered, only the percentage of herbaceous crops within 500 m from individual nests had a positive and significant effect on breeding output of the species, suggesting that this habitat may be efficiently used by harriers to forage. Breeding output was also related to laying date and number of breeding neighbours within 500 m around nests, with pairs laying later and having a higher number of breeding neighbours showing lower fledged brood sizes. Number of neighbours (but not laying date) was positively related to scrub cover within 500 m and to cover of herbaceous crops within 2,000 m. Conservation actions for Montagu’s Harrier in the study area should be aimed at preserving areas of scrub with nearby presence of herbaceous crops or natural grasslands. However, habitat improvement for semi-colonial species such as Montagu’s Harrier may not result in a change of species distribution area, and good habitat areas may remain unoccupied, as social factors like presence of conspecifics play an important role in breeding area selection for these species.Aeropuerto de Castellón. First author had a grant from the Generalitat Valenciana, and now has a postdoctoral grant (reference 10/12-C) co-funded by Consejería de Educación y Ciencia (Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha) and the European Social Fund