Article
Ecology
Erin Simons-Legaard, Daniel Harrison, Jeffrey Hepinstall-Cymerman, David Payer
Summary: Maintaining sufficient habitat, especially for adult females, is crucial for the conservation of American martens in commercial forestlands.
Article
Ecology
Bram van Moorter, Navinder J. Singh, Christer M. Rolandsen, Erling J. Solberg, Holger Dettki, Jyrki Pusenius, Johan Mansson, Hakan Sand, Jos M. Milner, Ole Roer, Aimee Tallian, Wiebke Neumann, Goran Ericsson, Atle Mysterud
Summary: Partial migration is common in the animal kingdom, with the competitive release hypothesis predicting that the proportion of migrants increases with the relative quality and size of seasonal ranges but decreases with migration cost and population density. A study using GPS-marked moose demonstrated that habitat availability in seasonal ranges influences the proportion of migrants, providing insight into the underlying mechanisms of migration at the population level.
Article
Forestry
Tomasz Stanski, Marzena Stanska, Artur Golawski, Dorota Czeszczewik
Summary: The Middle Spotted Woodpecker prefers pedunculate oak as the primary foraging site, with a preference for European hornbeam in the breeding season and Norway spruce in the non-breeding season. They favor dead and large trees and predominantly use prey gleaning as their foraging technique.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xixian Ma, Wenjun Yang, Yang Gao, Yuwen Pan, Yan Lu, Hao Chen, Dongsheng Lu, Shuhua Xu
Summary: The Hui people, a unique ethnic minority in China who speak Mandarin and practice Islam, showed genetic similarity to East Asian populations and significant functional genetic variations in skin pigmentation, facial morphology, and lipid metabolism. Their history includes two episodes of admixture, reflecting interactions between western and eastern Eurasians during different periods. Strong sex-biased admixture was also observed, with an excess of western males and eastern females contributing to the genetic pool of the Hui people.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fabio Weiss, Frank Uwe Michler, Benjamin Gillich, Joerg Tillmann, Simone Ciuti, Marco Heurich, Siegfried Rieger
Summary: This study investigates the influence of herded sheep and goats on red deer spatial behavior. The findings show that red deer use grazed areas less during conservation grazing, and this effect persists up to 21 days after conservation grazing ends. Habitat selection of red deer is also affected up to 3000 meters away from the conservation grazing sites, with no signs of habituation or adaption.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
E. M. Pero, E. C. Palm, M. C. Chitwood, A. M. Hildreth, B. J. Keller, J. A. Sumners, L. P. Hansen, J. L. Isabelle, J. J. Millspaugh
Summary: Wildlife translocations are important but challenging for animals. Understanding how animals acclimate to their release landscapes can improve monitoring and management of translocated populations.
ANIMAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Maria Esther Nieto-Blazquez, Dennis Schreiber, Sarah A. Mueller, Katrin Koch, Carsten Nowak, Markus Pfenninger
Summary: This study investigates the genetic structure, demographic history, population differentiation, and domestic introgression of the endangered European wildcat in Germany. The results show evidence of recent anthropogenic impact on the genetic structure, including population divergence due to persecution and potential adaptation to human-dominated environments. However, the species also shows resistance to major anthropogenic impacts such as domestic introgression and inbreeding.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
James M. Pay, Toby A. Patterson, Kirstin M. Proft, Elissa Z. Cameron, Clare E. Hawkins, Amelia J. Koch, Jason M. Wiersma, Todd E. Katzner
Summary: Effective planning for species conservation often requires understanding habitat use. This study developed behavior-specific spatial habitat-use models using GPS telemetry data, providing valuable information for the management of threatened species. The study found that recently fledged Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles selected different areas for perching, short-distance flight, and long-distance flight, with preferences for forest edges, steep topography, and areas further from forest edges, respectively.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Thomas J. Hitchcock, Andy Gardner
Summary: Recent research has focused on the role of kin selection in sexual conflict, investigating how demography influences the evolution of male harming genes in different parts of the genome. Different demographic parameters can drive conflicts between autosomes, sex chromosomes, and cytoplasmic genes, ultimately shaping patterns of sexual conflict.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Brianne E. Brussee, Peter S. Coates, Shawn T. O'Neil, Michael L. Casazza, Shawn P. Espinosa, John D. Boone, Elisabeth M. Ammon, Scott C. Gardner, David J. Delehanty
Summary: Numerous wildlife species in semi-arid shrubland ecosystems in western North America are suffering from habitat loss and fragmentation. Greater sage-grouse, considered an indicator of ecosystem health, have experienced population decline due to habitat degradation.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Despina Migli, Christos Astaras, George Boutsis, Anastasia Diakou, Nikolaos-Evangelos Karantanis, Dionisios Youlatos
Summary: The European wildcat is a conservation concern across Europe, with the Balkan population being less studied. This study in Greece provides the first insights into the spatial ecology and activity patterns of wildcats in the region. Investigating five wildcats, the study found that their movements were within a mix of agricultural fields and natural habitats, and their home ranges were similar to those in other populations. Male wildcats were primarily nocturnal, while some females showed variations in their activity, especially during late spring when caring for offspring. Human modified landscapes might play a significant role in the conservation of the species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hongchang Gu, Liang Wang, Xueze Lv, Weifang Yang, Li Zhang, Zebin Zhang, Tao Zhu, Yaxiong Jia, Yu Chen, Lujiang Qu
Summary: By comparing wild and domestic ducks, this study found a clear link between domestication and sex-biased evolutionary rate. Domestication can affect sexual selection and lead to genomic divergence. The extent of sex-biased expression is positively correlated with the level of mutation rate and nucleotide diversity, which may be due to relaxed genetic constraints. Decreased polymorphism and evolutionary rate in domesticated populations match known life-history phenotypes experiencing artificial selection. Overall, this research highlights the importance of domestication in shaping sex-biased evolution, genomic diversity, and evolutionary rate.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yue Sun, Zongzhi Li, Junda Chen, Romaan Hayat Khattak, Zhensheng Liu, Liwei Teng
Summary: This study conducted a habitat selection analysis of water deer using the data of 11 habitat factors in Baishan Musk Deer National Nature Reserve from 2018 to 2019. The results revealed that water deer preferred grasslands with sufficient sunlight and at middle slopes, dominated by Artemisia carvifolia and A. argyi in the autumn and winter, respectively. The resource selection function model showed that the height of dominant herbage, hiding cover, distance from water, and distance to human settlements significantly influenced the habitat selection of water deer in the cold season. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for the conservation and restoration of water deer and for implementing sustainable development strategies in northeast China.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Eduardo Laguna, Jose A. Barasona, Joaquin Vicente, Oliver Keuling, Pelayo Acevedo
Summary: The study highlights the impact of sex and land use on the spatial ecology and habitat selection of adult wild boar in the Mediterranean region. Male wild boar exhibited higher activity levels and larger daily range in mixed farms compared to fenced hunting estates, with lower values observed in protected areas.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Martin Mayer, Christina Fischer, Niels Blaum, Peter Sunde, Wiebke Ullmann
Summary: This study investigates how roads and seasonal changes in habitat structure affect the space use and habitat selection of European hares. The findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between road types and suggest that animals in more heterogeneous landscapes are better able to avoid main roads. The study also emphasizes that homogeneous landscapes increase the probability of road crossings, which can have an impact on population dynamics.
Article
Ecology
Teresa Oliveira, David Carricondo-Sanchez, Jenny Mattisson, Kristina Vogt, Andrea Corradini, John D. C. Linnell, John Odden, Marco Heurich, Mariano Rodriguez-Recio, Miha Krofel
Summary: An accurate estimation of kill rates is crucial but may be affected by errors in identifying kill sites. In this study, a large GPS dataset of lynx was used to address these issues and provide recommendations for future studies.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Antonio J. Carpio, Joao Queiros, Eduardo Laguna, Saul Jimenez-Ruiz, Joaquin Vicente, Paulo C. Alves, Pelayo Acevedo
Summary: European wild rabbit and red-legged partridge are important small game species in Mediterranean ecosystems. The diet of wild boar is influenced by the availability of different food resources, and their consumption of rabbits and partridges varies with seasons and hunting estates.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Dinora Peralta, Teresa Vaz-Freire, Clara Ferreira, Tiago Mendes, Antonio Mira, Sara Santos, Paulo C. Alves, Xavier Lambin, Pedro Beja, Joana Pauperio, Ricardo Pita
Summary: Monitoring wildlife populations is important, but it can be challenging for rare and elusive species. Field identification of signs can be a cost-effective alternative, but caution is needed when inferring population size. Our study suggests that sign surveys can reliably estimate the occupancy of Cabrera voles, but high sampling intensity is needed to accurately determine population size.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jose Maria Gil-Sanchez, F. Javier Herrera-Sanchez, Javier Rodriguez-Siles, Miguel Angel Diaz-Portero, Angel Arredondo, Juan Manuel Saez, Begona Alvarez, Inmaculada Cancio, Jesus de Lucas, Emil McCain, Joaquin Perez, Gerardo Valenzuela, Jaime Martinez Valderrama, Mariola Sanchez-Cerda, Thomas Lahlafi, Jose Manuel Martin, Tamara Burgos, Jose Jimenez, Abdeljebbar Qninba, Emilio Virgos
Summary: Surveys based on indirect signs and camera trapping are useful for monitoring elusive mammals, but walking surveys for molecular data collection and footprint identification faced significant challenges in studying sand cats in the Sahara Desert.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Francisco Diaz-Ruiz, Patricia H. Vaquerizas, Ana Luz Marquez, Miguel Delibes-Mateos, Vicente Piorno, Francisca Castro, Esther Ramirez, Miguel Angel Farfan, JesOs Oliver, Raimundo Real, Rafael Villafuerte
Summary: This study uses a biogeographical spatial modelling approach based on the favourability function and fuzzy logic framework to unravel the historical biogeography of two European wild rabbit subspecies in the Iberian Peninsula. The research identifies the expansion cores of the rabbit subspecies after isolation during the last glaciations and reveals the possible existence of a competitive exclusion zone between them.
Letter
Ecology
Marcos Moleon, Jose A. Sanchez-Zapata
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Elena Bertos, Mariola Sanchez-Cerda, Emilio Virgos, Jose M. Gil-Sanchez, Marcos Moleon
Summary: Global warming and human activities have led to changes in parasite transmission and host-parasite interactions. This study found that a zoonotic parasite from Asia has rapidly spread to Europe and infected wild mammals, dogs, cats and humans. The European wildcat is considered a potential victim, and monitoring has revealed infection cases. The findings suggest that this pathogen may pose a new threat to the locally endangered wildcat, and highlight the need for further eco-epidemiological monitoring and sanitary control of domestic cats.
VETERINARY RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Esther Descalzo, Francisco Diaz-Ruiz, Miguel Delibes-Mateos, Jose Jimenez, Pablo Ferreras
Summary: The Egyptian mongoose is a generalist and opportunistic predator, mainly distributed in the Iberian Peninsula. This study aimed to investigate the feeding habits of the Egyptian mongoose in central Spain, its northeastern range edge. Through the analysis of scats and stomach contents, it was found that European rabbits were the primary prey, followed by reptiles and small mammals. The availability of prey species in different habitats influenced the diet composition of the mongoose.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mafalda S. Ferreira, Timothy J. Thurman, Matthew R. Jones, Liliana Farelo, Alexander Kumar, Sebastian M. E. Mortimer, John R. Demboski, L. Scott Mills, Paulo C. Alves, Jose Melo-Ferreira, Jeffrey M. Good
Summary: The genetic variation at genes EDNRB, CORIN, and ASIP determines the light and dark seasonal pelage in white-tailed jackrabbits, which corresponds to snow cover. Reductions in snow cover are predicted to cause widespread camouflage mismatch, but populations with darker winter pelage are expected to rapidly adapt, indicating a trait-based genetic framework for evolutionary rescue. These findings demonstrate the significance of the genetic basis of climate change adaptation in informing conservation.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Saul Jimenez-Ruiz, Marta Rafael, Joana Coelho, Henrique Pacheco, Manuel Fernandes, Paulo Celio Alves, Nuno Santos
Summary: An outbreak of RHDV GI.2 in wild Iberian rabbits resulted in a mortality rate of 81.0% during January-February 2022. The virus spread within the population, with infected carcasses found in burrows. Vaccination provided some protection against mortality for uninfected rabbits.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Virology
Ana M. Lopes, Tereza Almeida, Silvia Diz, Joao V. Corte-Real, Hugo C. Osorio, David W. Ramilo, Maria Teresa Rebelo, Isabel Pereira da Fonseca, Pedro J. Esteves, Paulo C. Alves, Nuno Santos, Joana Abrantes
Summary: A study conducted in southern Portugal found that wild European rabbits may be mechanically transmitted the GI.2 virus through flies. The abundance of fly species, particularly from the families Calliphoridae and Muscidae, peaked during certain months. The presence of GI.2 was detected in flies collected during an outbreak, suggesting that flies may act as mechanical vectors in the native range of the European rabbit in the southwestern Iberian Peninsula.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
F. Javier Herrera-Sanchez, Omar Lopez, Javier Rodriguez-Siles, Miguel Angel Diaz-Portero, Angel Arredondo, Juan Manuel Saez, Begona alvarez, Inmaculada Cancio, Jesus de Lucas, Joaquin Perez, Gerardo Valenzuela, Jaime Martinez-Valderrama, Mariola Sanchez-Cerda, Abdeljebbar Qninba, Emilio Virgos, Juan Antonio Calleja, Jordi Bartolome, Elena Albanell, Emmanuel Serrano, Teresa Abaigar, Jose Maria Gil-Sanchez
Summary: This study analysed the feeding ecology and diet of the endangered Cuvier's gazelle in the Sahara desert. The results showed that the gazelles exhibit a browsing behavior, with acacias as the key species for their survival. The increasing grazing pressure on acacias calls for conservation measures to mitigate the impact of climate change and protect the gazelle's survival in desert environments.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Rajesh Man Rajbhandari, Rajindra Napit, Prajwol Manandhar, Roji Raut, Anupama Gurung, Ajit Poudel, Nisha Shrestha, Amir Sadaula, Dibesh Karmacharya, Christian Gortazar, Paulo Celio Alves, Jose de la Fuente, Joao Queiros
Summary: In this study, whole genome sequencing was conducted on Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from Asian elephants and a human in Chitwan, Nepal. The results showed that the strains belonged to different lineages and were not drug-resistant. This study provides evidence for bidirectional transmission between humans and elephants, highlighting the importance of a One Health approach to tuberculosis prevention and control at the human-animal interface.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Jose Costa, Joao Queiros, Fernando Ballesteros, Nadia Mucci, Joao Souto, Eugenio Silva, Jose Melo-Ferreira, Paulo Celio Alves
Summary: The genetic diversity and population structure of the threatened broom hare (Lepus castroviejoi) were assessed using genetic non-invasive sampling. The results showed low genetic diversity and the presence of ancient introgression events, highlighting the need for conservation measures of this species.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Beatrice Nussberger, Soraia Barbosa, Mark Beaumont, Mathias Currat, Sebastien Devillard, Marco Heurich, Jo Howard-McCombe, Federica Mattucci, Carsten Nowak, Claudio Sebastian Quilodran, Helen Senn, Paulo Celio Alves
Summary: Preserving natural genetic diversity and ecological function of wild species is a major goal in conservation biology. Anthropogenic hybridization poses a threat to wild populations by changing their genetic makeup and potentially causing extinction. The impacts of gene flow from domestic cats on European wildcats are largely unknown, but it has been shown to overwhelm wild genomes in small and isolated populations. Understanding hybridization dynamics is crucial for managing and preserving the genetic diversity and integrity of the European wildcat. This paper aims to provide an overview of anthropogenic hybridization in European wildcats, clarify evaluation methods, and propose management and research guidelines.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)