Ecological consequences of human depopulation of rural areas on wildlife: A unifying perspective

Martínez‐Abraín, Alejandro; Jiménez, Juan Francisco; Jiménez, Ignacio; Ferrer, Xavier; Llaneza, Luís; Ferrer, Miguel; Palomero, Guillermo; Ballesteros, Fernando; Galán, Pedro; Oró, Daniel

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108860

Cited by 29 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…1s in supplementary material). Nowadays, 40 % of the world population of Audouin's gull breeds in ports and harbours, whilst populations of Audouin's gulls from small Mediterranean islets have declined rapidly (Martínez-Abraín and Jiménez, 2016;Oro, 2020). These open anthropic habitats may functionally resemble newly formed land-bridge islands.…”

Section: Urban Areas Under Constructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In summary, we suggest that colonization of urban environments can be seen as a sequential two-step process. The first step occurs outside the urban environment and is triggered as an ecological consequence of the human depopulation of rural areas (Martínez-Abraín et al, 2020). The second step takes place inside urban landscapes as the result of a balance of costs and benefits of urban life Díaz, 2018a, 2018b).…”

Section: Aegypius Neophronmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the components of global change is the increasing urbanization of the landscape (Gil and Brumm, 2014;Murgui and Hedblom, 2017), with likely negative consequences for many animal species. Surprisingly, wildlife is selecting anthropogenic habitats made with no wildlife conservation purposes, even where natural or seminatural habitats of apparent high-quality are available (Martínez-Abraín et al 2020). An indirect proxy of this trend is the increasing number of papers devoted to the study of the use of anthropogenic habitats or human landscapes by wildlife during the last decade, compared to the general growth of the study of wildlife ecology (fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The selection of anthropogenic habitat by wildlife as an ecological consequence of rural exodus: empirical examples from Spain

Martínez‐Abraín

Ferrer

Jiménez

et al. 2021

Anim. Biodiv. Conserv.

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The increasing urbanization of the landscape is a major component of global change worldwide. However, it is puzzling that wildlife is selecting anthropogenic habitats despite the availability of apparently high–quality semi–natural (i.e. less intensively modified) habitats. Definitive explanations for this process are still lacking. We have previously suggested that colonization of the urban habitat is initially triggered by ecological processes that take place outside urban areas as a consequence of past rural exodus. Here we present a diverse array of examples of selection of several types of anthropogenic habitat by wildlife in Spain (including transportation infrastructure, human–exclusion areas, urban areas under construction, cities, reservoirs, quarries and landfills) in support of this idea. Wildlife is moving out of its historical ecological refuges and losing fear of harmless urban humans. Mesopredators are rebounding by mesopredator release, due to ceased human persecution, and shrubs and trees are claiming former agricultural habitats. Together, these factors force many species to move to urbanized areas where they find open habitats, food associated with these habitats, and protection against predation. Hence, the classical balance of costs and benefits that takes place once inside urban areas, would actually be a second step of the process of colonization of urban areas. A better understanding of the initial triggers of urban colonization could help us increase the biological value of human–made habitats for wildlife in the future.

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Section: Urban Areas Under Constructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Aegypius Neophronmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The selection of anthropogenic habitat by wildlife as an ecological consequence of rural exodus: empirical examples from Spain

Martínez‐Abraín

Ferrer

Jiménez

et al. 2021

Anim. Biodiv. Conserv.

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“…The consequences of such change may bring about wide and unexpected consequences at the regional level (Martínez-Abraín et al, 2020). Disentangling the relevance of local versus regional/global processes on the long-term persistence of vertebrate populations is currently a major challenge for applied ecology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, a broader analysis of the question led us to consider that not only local but also regional factors could be involved. Ecological consequences of the human depopulation of rural areas are now emerging and are behind many population changes that have no clear proximate explanations (Martínez-Abraín et al, 2019, 2020. One major consequence of rural exodus is shrub and tree encroachment on former agricultural land, with the consequent expansion of wildlife associated to shrublands and forests and decline in species from open landscapes (Inger et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing wild boar density explains the decline of a Montagu’s harrier population on a protected coastal wetland

Crespo¹,

Jiménez²,

Martínez‐Abraín

2021

Anim. Biodiv. Conserv.

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We studied the rapid decline in the number of breeding pairs (geometric growth rate λ = 0.86; 14 % annual decrease) of a semi–colonial ground–nesting bird of prey, the Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus), after twelve years of rapid population growth (λ = 1.15; 15 % rate of annual increase) in a protected coastal wetland in Eastern Spain. The study was conducted from 1992–2017, and the range of values in population size was: 2–37 breeding pairs. We contrasted 20 biologically–sound hypotheses (including local and regional factors) to explain the trend over time in the annual number of pairs. The most parsimonious model included a surrogate of wild boar (Sus scrofa) density in the region during the previous year and the annual number of Montagu’s harrier pairs breeding inland in the study province during the focal year. Syntopic western marsh harriers (C. aeruginosus) were not found to have any effect on the numbers of Montagu’s harriers either in our modelling or when we performed a quantitative and qualitative study both for years t and t–1. Our final ‘best’ models did not include spring rainfall, regional forest fires or local land use changes. The impact of wild boars on breeding success, together with conspecific attraction, could have resulted in the dispersal of coastal wetland birds to larger populations in dense inland shrub lands where levels of wild boar nest predation were more likely lower

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Stakeholder perspectives on the prospect of lynx Lynx lynx reintroduction in Scotland

et al. 2023

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Conservation translocations are complex and challenging, but are frequently employed to tackle biodiversity decline. Large predator translocations can be particularly emotive and contentious, in part because they present actual or perceived risks to the safety and livelihoods of people. Understanding the social feasibility of conservation translocations is imperative, and provides opportunities to identify and address these risks. In Britain, the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx is the most frequently raised prospect for large carnivore reintroduction. We used Q‐Methodology to explore stakeholder perspectives on the prospect of lynx reintroduction to Scotland. We identified five perspectives: Lynx for Change was supportive of lynx reintroduction, feeling that lynx could facilitate ecosystem restoration. Lynx for Economy was also supportive, anticipating economic benefits to local communities. No to Lynx was strongly opposed, perceiving that humans were fulfilling the roles of absent large carnivores. Scotland is not Ready supported the conversation but perceived prohibitive socio‐ecological barriers. We are not Convinced was not satisfied that an adequate case for biodiversity gain had been made, but was open to further exploration of the potential. There were important areas of divergence among the perspectives over the potential impacts on sheep farming and the degree to which environments should be managed by people or encouraged to self‐regulate. There was a consensus on a lack of trust between stakeholder groups, which was primarily rooted in participants' experiences of previous wildlife reintroductions and the contemporary management of recovering predators. However, there was also consensus that, should lynx reintroduction continue to be explored, a participatory, cross‐sectoral approach could address these trust issues, help manage existing and emergent conflicts, and build knowledge collaboratively. We provide a foundation for future dialogue between stakeholders over the prospective reintroduction of the lynx to Scotland and recommend a stakeholder‐focused participatory process as the next step. Our findings have wider relevance for wildlife reintroductions, species recovery and conservation conflicts elsewhere. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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Ecological consequences of human depopulation of rural areas on wildlife: A unifying perspective

Cited by 29 publications

References 70 publications

The selection of anthropogenic habitat by wildlife as an ecological consequence of rural exodus: empirical examples from Spain

The selection of anthropogenic habitat by wildlife as an ecological consequence of rural exodus: empirical examples from Spain

Increasing wild boar density explains the decline of a Montagu’s harrier population on a protected coastal wetland

Stakeholder perspectives on the prospect of lynx Lynx lynx reintroduction in Scotland

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