A nine-year study of successful breeding in a Bonelli’s eagle population in southeast Spain: a basis for conservation

Gil‐Sánchez, José María; Moleón, Marcos; Otero, Manuel A.; Bautista, Jesús

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2003.10.017

Cited by 72 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…For example, improving conditions in the nesting sites might increase breeding success, but also enlarge the pool of dispersers, and hence the chance of some surviving to colonization. However, there is also a need to take into account that a possible by-product of measures to enhance breeding conditions for Bonelli's eagles (such as supplying additional food or modifying the vegetation structure), might be an enhancement of breeding conditions for golden eagles (Gil-Sánchez et al 2004), which might increase the probability of golden eagle colonizing vacant territories. On the other hand, improving power line design will decrease both juvenile and adult mortality.…”

Section: Application Of Markov Chains To Conservation Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Real and Mañosa 1997;Carrete et al 2002a;WhitWeld et al 2004), generating intense debates among managers, ecologists and researchers about their interspeciWc relationships (Carrete et al 2002b;Gil-Sánchez et al 2004;Ontiveros et al 2004). Both species are large-sized, predominantly cliV-nesting raptors, with overlapping trophic niches (Del Hoyo et al 1994;Gil-Sánchez et al 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both species are large-sized, predominantly cliV-nesting raptors, with overlapping trophic niches (Del Hoyo et al 1994;Gil-Sánchez et al 1994). It has often been assumed, mainly due to their larger body mass (around 4 kg vs. around 2.5 kg for Bonelli's) (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001), that golden eagles have superior competitive ability, reducing Bonelli's eagles' reproductive performance in areas of high densities of both species (Carrete et al 2006), or precluding Bonelli's eagles access to otherwise vacant territories (Gil-Sánchez et al 2004;Ontiveros et al 2004). Although competition for both food and territory have been put forward (Fernández and Insausti 1990), in most cases food availability seems unlikely to be limiting, and competition is mostly expected with regards to nesting sites (Gil-Sánchez et al 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Direct usurpation and occupation of territories previously occupied by Bonelli's eagle (impeding recolonization) have been proposed as the main competition mechanisms (Cheylan 1981;Jordano 1981;Fernández and Insausti 1990;Gil-Sánchez et al 1994;Parellada et al 1996;Carrete et al 2002b;Gil-Sánchez et al 2004). In Spain, several conservation measures have been proposed to avoid Bonelli's eagles decline.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These include decreasing perturbations (e.g. direct persecution) in the areas that are abandoned or remain vacant (Carrete et al 2002a(Carrete et al , b, 2005(Carrete et al , 2006, controlling golden eagles populations (Carrete et al 2002a, b), enhancing nesting site suitability for breeding, including increasing food supply (Carrete et al 2002a, b;Gil-Sánchez et al 2004;Ontiveros et al 2004Ontiveros et al , 2005, reducing adult mortality (Carrete et al 2002a, b;Gil-Sánchez et al 2004), and decreasing the mortality of dispersing individuals (Ontiveros and Pleguezuelos 2000;Carrete et al 2002aCarrete et al , 2005Soutullo et al 2008). These measures can be grouped into two main management strategies: (a) those aimed at decreasing juvenile mortality, and thus encouraging Bonelli's eagle colonization of new territories, and (b) those aimed at decreasing adult mortality and the abandonment of occupied territories.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Markov models of territory occupancy: implications for the management and conservation of competing species

et al. 2008

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Markov chains have been frequently used in community ecology to model successional changes, but little attention has been paid to its application in population ecology as a tool to explore the outcomes of species interactions. Markov models can be regarded as "null models" that provide predicted values under a no-change scenario against which the consequences of changes in variables of interest can be assessed. Here we explore Markov chains' potential to project population trends of competing species and derive sensible management strategies. To do that we use six years of Weld data on territory occupancy and turn-over of two competing top predators in a Mediterranean landscape: the golden and Bonelli's eagles. The results suggest that long-term coexistence of both species in the study area is likely, with the main limitation for their coexistence being the diYculties Bonelli's eagles have in colonising new territories that become available. To avoid future declines in the population of Bonelli's eagle, it is important to take into account that the positive eVects of conservation strategies focused on encouraging colonization (e.g. decreasing disperser mortality) are likely to be larger than those focused on avoiding territory abandonment (e.g. decreasing adult mortality). Markov chains are likely to be useful to evaluate the relative

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Section: Application Of Markov Chains To Conservation Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Markov models of territory occupancy: implications for the management and conservation of competing species

et al. 2008

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An approach to consider behavioral plasticity as a source of uncertainty when forecasting species' response to climate change

Muñoz

Márquez

Real

2015

Ecology and Evolution

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The rapid ecological shifts that are occurring due to climate change present major challenges for managers and policymakers and, therefore, are one of the main concerns for environmental modelers and evolutionary biologists. Species distribution models (SDM) are appropriate tools for assessing the relationship between species distribution and environmental conditions, so being customarily used to forecast the biogeographical response of species to climate change. A serious limitation of species distribution models when forecasting the effects of climate change is that they normally assume that species behavior and climatic tolerances will remain constant through time. In this study, we propose a new methodology, based on fuzzy logic, useful for incorporating the potential capacity of species to adapt to new conditions into species distribution models. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to include different behavioral responses of species when predicting the effects of climate change on species distribution. Favorability models offered in this study show two extremes: one considering that the species will not modify its present behavior, and another assuming that the species will take full advantage of the possibilities offered by an increase in environmental favorability. This methodology may mean a more realistic approach to the assessment of the consequences of global change on species' distribution and conservation. Overlooking the potential of species' phenotypical plasticity may under- or overestimate the predicted response of species to changes in environmental drivers and its effects on species distribution. Using this approach, we could reinforce the science behind conservation planning in the current situation of rapid climate change.

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Both movements and breeding performance are affected by individual experience in the Bonelli's eagle Aquila fasciata

Viollat,

Millon,

Ponchon

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Movement is a key behaviour to better understand how individuals respond to their environment. Movement behaviours are affected by both extrinsic factors that individuals face, such as weather conditions, and intrinsic factors, such as sex and experience. Because of the energy costs it entails, movement behaviours can have direct consequences on an individual's demographic parameters—and ultimately on population dynamics. However, the relationship between extrinsic factors, intrinsic factors, daily movement behaviour and demographic parameters such as breeding performance is poorly known, in particular for central place forager territorial species. We investigated here the link between movement behaviours and breeding performance of the French population of Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata), a territorial and sedentary long‐lived raptor, and how this link may depend on extrinsic and intrinsic factors. By using data from annual monitoring of breeding performance for the population and GPS tracking of 48 individuals (26 males and 22 females), we found that the breeding performance of this population was mainly driven by whether a new individual was recruited into the territory, and only slightly by weather conditions. Movement behaviours (proportion of time in flight, range of movement and straightness of trajectories) showed large between‐individual variation. Those behaviours were related with weather conditions (wind and rainfall) at a daily scale, as well as with individual's experience. We found only one significant correlation between movements and breeding performance: male Bonelli's eagles spending more time flying during chick‐rearing phase had lower productivity. Movement behaviours and breeding performance were also indirectly linked through individual's experience, with more experienced birds having better breeding success and a shorter range of movement and spent less time in flight. This suggests that experienced individuals progressively acquire knowledge of their breeding territory, are more efficient in finding prey, and adapt their foraging strategies to weather conditions to minimise energy costs, allowing them higher breeding performance.

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A nine-year study of successful breeding in a Bonelli’s eagle population in southeast Spain: a basis for conservation

Cited by 72 publications

References 15 publications

Markov models of territory occupancy: implications for the management and conservation of competing species

Markov models of territory occupancy: implications for the management and conservation of competing species

An approach to consider behavioral plasticity as a source of uncertainty when forecasting species' response to climate change

Both movements and breeding performance are affected by individual experience in the Bonelli's eagle Aquila fasciata

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