Vultures vs livestock: conservation relationships in an emerging conflict between humans and wildlife

Human-wildlife conflict is emerging as an important topic in conservation. Carnivores and birds of prey are responsible for most conflicts with livestock and game but since the mid 1990s a new conflict is emerging in south-west Europe: the presumed killing of livestock by griffon vultures Gyps fulvus. Lack of scientific data and magnification of the problem by the media are increasing alarm amongst the public, and political pressures to implement management decisions have not been based on scientific evidence. We compiled information on 1,793 complaints about attacks by griffon vultures on livestock, lodged with Spanish authorities from 1996 to 2010. Spain is home to the majority (95%) of griffon vultures and other scavengers in the European Union. Most of the cases occurred in areas of high livestock density, affected principally sheep (49%) and cows (31%), and were associated with spring birthing times (April-June). On average 69% of the complaints made annually were rejected because of a lack of evidence about whether the animal was alive before being eaten. The total economic cost of compensation was EUR 278,590 from 2004 to 2010. We discuss possible ways to mitigate this emerging human-wildlife conflict. These need to include the participation of livestock farmers, authorities, scientists and conservation group

New combinations of ‘flipped classroom with just in time teaching’ and learning analytics of student responses

Este artículo revisa los procedimientos y resultados obtenidos con el método de aula inversa con just in time teaching (JiTT) que sirve para conocer qué es lo que los alumnos no logran comprender en los materiales instructivos facilitados. Se han utilizado métodos de marketing y gamificación para lograr que los alumnos realicen el estudio previo y se han desarrollado métodos de análisis de las respuestas de los alumnos que permiten al profesor conocer los aspectos que les resultan más interesantes y difíciles de comprender, así como sus dudas más urgentes. Se han desarrollado métodos para usar las dudas de los alumnos para generar retroinformación formativa y actividades para realizar en clase. En el método denominado “Aprendizaje inverso fuerte” el profesor contesta proporcionando respuestas a las dudas urgentes de todos sus alumnos por correo electrónico. En el método denominado “Da la vuelta en colores” se clasifican las dudas de los alumnos en función de su posible utilidad en clase utilizando un código de colores. La aplicación combinada de estos métodos ha logrado reducir la tasa de fracaso de los estudiantes, aumentar su calificación media en las pruebas de evaluación del aprendizaje en más de una desviación estándar y la tasa de alumnos que superan el nivel de maestría ha aumentado. También han mejorado las valoraciones de los alumnos sobre la docencia de estas asignaturas. Finalmente, se discuten las razones por las que esta combinación de métodos es tan eficaz.The results obtained thanks to the flipped classroom with ‘just I¡in time’ teaching method are reviewed. This method allowed to know what the students did not understand after trying to study the instructive materials assigned to them. To achieve that the students work before class methods of marketing and gamification were developed. Methods for the analysis of student responses were also developed. The JiTT method allowes the teacher know in advance those aspects that are most interesting or most dificult to understand for the students as well as their most urgent doubts. Finally, we have developed methods to use the urgent doubts of the students to generate formative feedback and activities to do in the classroom. In the method named “flipped learning forte” the teacher answer the urgent doubts of his students. In the method named ‘flip in colours’ the teacher classify the doubts by their posible utility in the classroom using a color code. With the combined application of these methods in university courses the failure rate of the students has decreased and the mean grade in the exams for the assessment of learning has increased in more than one standard deviation. The rate of students that attain the level of mastery has increased, as well as the student evaluations about the teachers of these courses. Finally, the reasons underlying the efficacy of the proposed flipped method are discussed

Respuesta de las aves de presa frente a las transformaciones de ambientes agroforestales mediterráneos: hábitats de nidificación y campeo

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Respuesta de las aves de presa frente a las transformaciones de ambientes agroforestales mediterráneos|bhábitats de nidificación y campeo

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Facultad de Ciencias. Departamento de Ecología. Fecha de lectura:17-09-200

Aggressive interactions between the Eurasian griffon vultures Gyps fulvus and livestock: ecological and economic aspects of an emerging conflict

[ES]: En España, durante los últimos 30 años el crecimiento de la población de buitre leonado Gyps fulvus se ha producido casi de forma exponencial. Sin embargo, durante los últimos años, el cambio en la gestión y manejo del ganado doméstico y la aplicación de una normativa sanitaria muy estricta a raíz de la aparición de la Encefalopatía Espongiforme Bovina (EEB) a finales de los años 90, ha reducido drásticamente la disponibilidad de recursos tróficos en el campo, motivando un conflicto de dimensiones poco conocidas: la atribución de ataques de buitres leonados al ganado. En el presente capítulo se evalúa de forma preliminar dicho fenómeno en dos escenarios diferentes del norte de España (Navarra y Cataluña) en relación a la densidad poblacional de buitre leonado y gestión del ganado doméstico. Los resultados preliminares sugieren que el mayor número de interacciones tiene lugar durante la primavera (abril-junio), en explotaciones en régimen extensivo en los que la vigilancia del ganado es muy baja o nula y asociados al momento del parto, afectando generalmente a crías y madres simultáneamente (vacuno y equino en el caso de Cataluña y ovino en Navarra). El patrón temporal difiere entre ambas zonas. Mientras en Cataluña (y en otras zonas como Aragón, País Vasco o Pirineo francés) se han incrementado de forma significativa los casos de denuncias durante el 2007, en Navarra este patrón ha mostrado una tendencia irregular desde 1996. Los resultados sugieren que el conflicto parece tener una base más mediática y social que biológica. En el futuro sería necesario abordar esta problemática desde una perspectiva espacial más amplia para evaluar con mayor objetividad la problemática y dimensiones reales de este fenómeno emergente. La propuesta de soluciones debería ser consensuada entre los agentes implicados y tras la obtención de información robusta que permita aproximaciones técnico-científicas al problema. En este sentido, ganaderos, administraciones, científicos y conservacionistas deberían participar para abordar y diseñar la estrategia futura de manejo de las carroñas y la conservación de los buitres.[EN]: In Spain, over the last 30 years, the Eurasian griffon vulture Gyps fulvus population has grown exponentially. However, over the last few years, the change in the management and handling of domestic livestock and the application of a very strict public health regulation following the appearance of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) at the end of the 1990s, have drastically reduced the availability of trophic resources in the field. This has led to a conflict of unknown dimensions: the attribution of attacks on domestic livestock to griffon vultures. This chapter provides a preliminary assessment of this phenomenon in two different scenarios in northern Spain (Navarra and Catalonia), with regards the population density of the griffon vultures and the management of domestic livestock. Preliminary results suggest that most of these interactions take place during the spring (April-June), in exploitations of extensively-reared livestock where surveillance of the livestock is minimal or non-existent, and that they are associated with birthing times, generally affecting young animals and mothers simultaneously (cows and horses in the case of Catalonia and sheep in Navarra). The temporal pattern in these zones is not the same. Whilst in Catalonia (and in other areas such as Aragón, the Basque Country and the French Pyrenees), the number of complaints lodged increased significantly in 2007, in Navarra this pattern has presented an irregular trend since 1996. The results suggest that the conflict seems to have a social and media basis rather than a biological one. In the future, it will be necessary to tackle this problem from a broader spatial perspective in order to evaluate the problems and the real dimensions of this emerging phenomenon more objectively. Possible solutions should be agreed on by all stakeholders involved after sound information, allowing technical and scientific approaches to be adopted to solve the problem, has been obtained. In this regard, livestock farmers, authorities, scientists and conservation groups should all participate in order to design and implement the future strategy for managing carcasses and conserving vultures.[EU]: Espainian, azken 30 urteetan, esponentziala izan da sai arrearen Gyps fulvus populazioaren hazkundea. Hala eta guztiz ere, azken urteetan etxeabereak gobernatzeko eta kudeatzeko garaian izandako aldaketak eta 90ko hamarkadaren amaieran azaldutako Behi entzefalopatia espongiformearen ondorioz ezarririko osasun araudi zorrotzaren aplikazioak guztiz murriztu du landa eremuko elikagaien baliabideen eskuragarritasuna, eta ezagutzen ez genituen moduko arazoak sorrarazi: sai arreek etxe-abereak eraso dituzte. Kapitulu honetan fenomeno honen aurreko lehen ebaluazio bat egiten dugu Espainiaren iparraldeko lurralde bitan (Nafarroan eta Katalunian), sai arrearen populazioaren dentsitateari eta etxe-abereen kudeaketari dagokienez. Lehen emaitzek iradokitzen dute elkarrekintza kopururik handiena udaberrian (apirila-ekaina) izaten dela, eredu estentsiboko ustiategietan, non abelgorriak ez diren gertutik apenas zaintzen, eskuarki umeak egiteko garaian, eta gehienetan umeei eta amei eragiten zaizkiela kalteak (behiak eta zaldiak Katalunian eta ardiaren familiakoak Nafarroan). Denboraren ereduak ez du berdin jokatzen alde bietan. 2007. urtean Katalunian (eta Aragoi, Euskadi eta Frantzia aldeko Pirinioak bezalako lekuetan) salaketen kopuruak nabarmenki gora egin duten artean, Nafarroan irregularra da joera 1996. urteaz geroztik. Emaitzek iradokitzen dutenez, arazoak biologikoa baino oinarri mediatikoagoa eta sozialagoa duela ematen du. Etorkizunean ikuspegi espazial zabalago batetik ekin beharko zaio arazoari, gero eta indar handiagoa duen fenomeno honen arazoa eta bere benetako munta objetibotasun handiago batez ebaluatuko bada. Soluzioen proposamena inplikatutako agenteen artean adostu beharko litzateke, arazoari ikuspuntu tekniko-zientifiko batetik heltzeko modua eskain dezakeen informazio ziurra lortu eta gero. Ildo honetatik, abeltzainek, administrazioek, zientzialariek eta kontserbazio zaleek parte hartu beharko lukete sarraskiak gobernatzeko eta saiak kontserbatzeko etorkizuneko estrategia aztertzeko eta diseinatzeko xedean.Peer reviewe

Vultures, feedings stations and sanitary legislation: a conflict and its consequences from the perspective of conservation biology

This work is divided into three parts: a first block consists of a revision and updating of the status, tendencies and problems of avian scavengers (griffon, Egyptian and bearded vultures) in the mountains of the northern Iberian Peninsula, from the Basque Country to Catalonia. Subsequently, there is a diagnostic of the situation of the countries in the Mediterranean Basin in Europe that still have populations of these avian scavengers. The aim of these chapters is to bring existing knowledge of the population dynamics of these birds and their associated conservation problems up-to-date, above all in light of the crisis of food availability caused by the regulations and restrictions placed by the European Union on the management of these birds’ trophic resources. In the second part aspects relating to the ecology and management of feeding stations are tackled from a perspective of conservation biology. The ecological impact on soils and higher trophic levels of the sudden appearance of large carcasses in the wild are examined, along with the effects resulting from the distribution, abundance and variability in space and time of these trophic resources. New management strategies involving the concentration of recourses in just a few feeding stations are closely examined and the pros and cons of such strategies for birds, as well as for the structure and functioning of avian scavenger guilds and other vertebrate communities are also discussed. The third and final part of this monograph investigates the clash between griffon vultures and farmers, and aims to provide a diagnosis of the seriousness of the biological and ecological problem that this conflict represents. The aim here is to clarify the situation by separating the wheat from the chaff in order to facilitate decision-making untainted by any visceral beliefs or opinions.Peer reviewe

Vultures vs livestock: conservation relationships in an emerging conflict between humans and wildlife

Human–wildlife conflict is emerging as an important topic in conservation. Carnivores and birds of prey are responsible for most conflicts with livestock and game but since the mid 1990s a new conflict is emerging in south-west Europe: the presumed killing of livestock by griffon vultures Gyps fulvus. Lack of scientific data and magnification of the problem by the media are increasing alarm amongst the public, and political pressures to implement management decisions have not been based on scientific evidence. We compiled information on 1,793 complaints about attacks by griffon vultures on livestock, lodged with Spanish authorities from 1996 to 2010. Spain is home to the majority (95%) of griffon vultures and other scavengers in the European Union. Most of the cases occurred in areas of high livestock density, affected principally sheep (49%) and cows (31%), and were associated with spring birthing times (April–June). On average 69% of the complaints made annually were rejected because of a lack of evidence about whether the animal was alive before being eaten. The total economic cost of compensation was EUR 278,590 from 2004 to 2010. We discuss possible ways to mitigate this emerging human–wildlife conflict. These need to include the participation of livestock farmers, authorities, scientists and conservation groups

A method for capturing and GPS tracking breeding White-backed Woodpeckers Dendrocopos leucotos

[Capsule]: The use of mist nets placed at more than 9 m high and small GPS tags fitted with a pelvic harness, and equipped to download remotely, allows the capture and tracking of breeding White-backed Woodpeckers Dendrocopos leucotos.[Aims]: To describe and test a method for capturing, ringing and GPS-marking medium-sized woodpeckers.[Methods]: Birds were captured using an overlapping mist net system located between two poles with a minimum height of 9.25 m and a maximum of 12.95 m, previously designed for catching bats. Once captured, the birds were ringed and fitted them with a remote download GPS tag, weighing 3.4 g.[Results]: Twenty individuals (17 adults and 3 juveniles) from 14 territories were captured during the 28 sampling days. All marked breeders continued with chick provisioning and in 12 of the territories were successful in fledging young. We found no significant difference in the number of fledglings between nests where the breeders were captured and tagged with devices (1.71 ± 0.19 se) and nests where the breeders were not captured (1.71 ± 0.29 se). The GPS tags allowed us to obtain a mean of 102.6 (±15.91 se) locations for each bird during a tracking period averaging 57.8 (±10.4 se) days. Despite the steep slope and the high forest canopy in the hábitat, 77.09% of GPS locations were accurate to within 20 m.[Conclusion]: Our results showed that this method allows us to obtain important information about the habitat use of this species during the breeding period without any apparent effect on reproductive success.This study contributes to the project POCTEFA HABIOS (EFA 079/15) funded by the ‘Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional' (Feder). https://www.habios.eu/el-proyecto/Peer reviewe