Movement ecology of pre-adult Cinereous Vultures Aegypius monachus: insights from a reintroduced population

Bird Conservation International, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 34

Published: Jan. 1, 2024

Summary Understanding the movement ecology of threatened species is fundamental to improving management and conservation actions for their protection, mainly during pre-adult stage particularly when a subject population reinforcement or reintroduction projects. An example case Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus on Iberian Peninsula, an endangered that has been reintroduced in different regions last two decades. Here, we explore differences between spatial Vultures, according age-class, sex, season (breeding non-breeding). We used GPS-tag data from 51 individuals into Catalonia (north-east Spain) describe use space, i.e. home-range size, core area, minimum convex polygon (MCP) patterns, cumulative distance, maximum displacement, daily dispersal, annual dispersal. Our study showed significant variation space patterns among birds influences age, season. Age was most influential factor, determining range areas patterns. Similar other vulture species, home increase with subadult vultures exhibiting larger ranges than young first year, juveniles, immature birds, but MCP measures were juveniles. Movement also influenced by juveniles making longer movements, followed immatures subadults (with similar values), shorter movements year life. Overall, males made explored smaller foraging females. Season had important effect dispersal breeding period (February–August). findings fill knowledge gap regarding behaviours information will enable improvement decisions.

Language: Английский

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Irreproducible SEBS wrinkling based on spin evaporation enabling identifiable artificial finger pad electronics

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 16(1)

Published: March 5, 2025

Irreproducible wrinkling, characterized by randomly arranged ridges or creases on material surfaces, has significant potential for application in entity identification and anti-counterfeiting. However, active research this field is hindered because the existing wrinkling methods face challenges realizing discernible patterns applications of submillimeter-scale wavelength wrinkles are yet to be identified. Herein, we propose a strategy create unique irreproducible styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) using "spin evaporation", technique that rapidly removes solvent spinning. We demonstrate realization SEBS with wavelengths hundreds micrometers high randomness, irreproducibility, resistance external stimuli. Importantly, wrinkle, suggest fabricate human-finger-like fully soft identifiable artificial finger pad electronics integrate it bimodal sensing system. The mimics human features such as identification, object recognition, effective grasping. Further integration into robots, cephalopods, prosthetic skin offers insightful proposed method various fields.

Language: Английский

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Understanding and predicting animal movements and distributions in the Anthropocene

Journal of Animal Ecology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 4, 2025

Predicting animal movements and spatial distributions is crucial for our comprehension of ecological processes provides key evidence conserving managing populations, species ecosystems. Notwithstanding considerable progress in movement ecology recent decades, developing robust predictions rapidly changing environments remains challenging. To accurately predict the effects anthropogenic change, it important to first identify defining features human-modified their consequences on drivers movement. We review discuss these within framework, describing relationships between external environment, internal state, navigation motion capacity. Developing under novel situations requires models moving beyond purely correlative approaches a dynamical systems perspective. This increased mechanistic modelling, using functional parameters derived from principles decision-making. Theory empirical observations should be better integrated by experimental approaches. Models fitted new historic data gathered across wide range contrasting environmental conditions. need therefore targeted supervised approach collection, increasing studied taxa carefully considering issues scale bias, modelling. Thus, we caution against indiscriminate non-supervised use citizen science data, AI machine learning models. highlight challenges opportunities incorporating into management actions policy. Rewilding translocation schemes offer exciting collect environments, enabling tests model varied contexts scales. Adaptive frameworks particular, based stepwise iterative process, including refinements, provide mutual benefit conservation. In conclusion, verge transforming descriptive predictive science. timely progression, given that conditions are now more urgently needed than ever evidence-based policy decisions. Our aim not describe existing as well possible, but rather understand underlying mechanisms develop with reliable ability situations.

Language: Английский

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An evaluation of global LULC maps for the estimation of habitat use of a declining migratory waterbird along its flyway

Biological Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 307, P. 111152 - 111152

Published: April 25, 2025

Language: Английский

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A call for increased integration of experimental approaches in movement ecology

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 29, 2025

ABSTRACT Rapid developments in animal‐tracking technology have enabled major advances the field of movement ecology, which seeks to understand drivers and consequences across scales, taxa, ecosystems. The has made ground‐breaking discoveries, yet majority studies ecology remain reliant on observational approaches. While important, are limited compared experimental methods that can reveal causal relationships underlying mechanisms. As such, we advocate for a renewed focus approaches animal ecology. We illustrate way forward two fundamental levels biological organisation: individuals social groups. then explore application experiments study anthropogenic influences wildlife movement, enhance our mechanistic understanding conservation interventions. In each these examples, draw upon previous research effectively employed approaches, while highlighting outstanding questions could be answered by further experimentation. conclude ways manipulations both laboratory natural settings provide promising generate understandings drivers, consequences, movement.

Language: Английский

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Tri-axial accelerometry shows differences in energy expenditure and parental effort throughout the breeding season in long-lived raptors

Current Zoology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 68(1), P. 57 - 67

Published: Jan. 30, 2021

Cutting-edge technologies are extremely useful to develop new workflows in studying ecological data, particularly understand animal behavior and movement trajectories at the individual level. Although parental care is a well-studied phenomenon, most studies have been focused on direct observational or video recording as well experimental manipulation. Therefore, what happens out of our sight still remains unknown. Using high-frequency GPS/GSM dataloggers tri-axial accelerometers we monitored 25 Bonelli's eagles Aquila fasciata during breeding season activities from broader perspective. We used recursive measured number visits residence time, reveal nest attendance patterns biparental with role specialization between sexes. Accelerometry data interpreted overall dynamic body acceleration, proxy energy expenditure, showed strong differences effort throughout Thereby, males increased substantially their energetic requirements, due workload, while females spent time nest. Furthermore, critical phases season, low percentage suitable hunting spots eagles' territories led them increase ranging order find food, important consequences consumption mortality risk. Our results highlight crucial raptor species exhibiting care. Finally, exemplify how biologging an adequate objective method study raptors get deeper insight into ecology birds general.

Language: Английский

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Host, Microbiome, and Complex Space: Applying Population and Landscape Genetic Approaches to Gut Microbiome Research in Wild Populations

Journal of Heredity, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 113(3), P. 221 - 234

Published: Jan. 4, 2022

Abstract In recent years, emerging sequencing technologies and computational tools have driven a tidal wave of research on host-associated microbiomes, particularly the gut microbiome. These studies demonstrate numerous connections between microbiome vital host functions, primarily in humans, model organisms, domestic animals. As adaptive importance becomes clearer, interest studying microbiomes wild populations has increased, part due to potential for discovering conservation applications. The study wildlife holds many new challenges opportunities complex genetic, spatial, environmental structure populations, these factors interact with picture coevolution host–microbiome relationships highlights understanding variation context population genetics landscape heterogeneity across wide range populations. We propose conceptual framework relation variables genetics, including approaches derived from genetics. use this review current research, synthesize important trends, highlight implications conservation, recommend future directions research. Specifically, we focus how spatial natural what can learn patterns covariation differ depending ecological evolutionary traits.

Language: Английский

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Shortfalls in tracking data available to inform North American migratory bird conservation

Biological Conservation, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 286, P. 110224 - 110224

Published: Sept. 4, 2023

Animal tracking has become an effective way to identify where and when migratory species encounter threats throughout their annual cycle. Yet, untracked or poorly tracked undiscoverable inaccessible data for the that have been mean gaps in knowledge of occur are still issue conservation. These movements termed "movement shortfall". Here, we quantify movement shortfall North American birds by comprehensively reviewing full cycle identifying biases how, where, what with electronic devices. We found 30 which is not feasible given body size constraints, no 291 trackable species, restricted reduced accessibility additional 59 species. Thus, despite ability track most remains a constraint informing conservation strategies 56 % bird The number increases 65 considering accessibility, further limiting access this information. Moreover, 23 stems from low precision technologies reducing implementation effectiveness actions. A lack population hinders management decisions, ultimately making inefficient use resources. encourage researchers consider these decisions about future efforts, management, archiving practices.

Language: Английский

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Conservation beyond boundaries: using animal movement networks in protected area assessment

Animal Conservation, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 26(6), P. 753 - 765

Published: April 7, 2023

Abstract Protected areas (PAs) are a core component of conservation policy and practice. However, many species for which they designated highly mobile, may move among sites within beyond PA boundaries. Environmental impacts on those boundaries could thus impact the PA's protected populations, with risk adversely affecting its objectives. Conservationists therefore urgently need tools to assess PAs their populations developments We present framework using network analysis observations marked individuals protection footprint in wider landscape or neighboring PAs. illustrate use this by assessing current airport development proposal partially wetland, Tagus estuary Portugal, specifically evaluating extent noise disturbance population Black‐tailed Godwits, migratory wader species. By analyzing individual movements between across seasons, we find up 68.3% Godwits overall, greatly exceeding estimates 0.46–5.5% airport's Impact Assessments derived from count data. then compared pre‐development simulated networks that represented two levels site avoidance removing predicted receive excess thresholds, 55 65 dB(A). Avoidance potentially‐impacted is have larger effect structure than same number at random, suggesting an proposed location would operate as barrier connectivity wetland. also highlight role analyses locations can play environmental populations.

Language: Английский

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Timely poacher detection and localization using sentinel animal movement

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 11(1)

Published: Feb. 25, 2021

Wildlife crime is one of the most profitable illegal industries worldwide. Current actions to reduce it are far from effective and fail prevent population declines many endangered species, pressing need for innovative anti-poaching solutions. Here, we propose test a poacher early warning system that based on movement responses non-targeted sentinel animals, which naturally respond threats by fleeing changing herd topology. We analyzed human-evasive patterns 135 mammalian savanna herbivores four different using an internet-of-things architecture with wearable sensors, wireless data transmission machine learning algorithms. show presence human intruders can be accurately detected (86.1% accuracy) localized (less than 500 m error in 54.2% experimentally staged intrusions) algorithmically identifying characteristic changes movement. These behavioral signatures include, among others, increase speed, energy expenditure, body acceleration, directional persistence coherence, decrease suitability selected habitat. The key successful identification these lies systematic deviations normal behavior under similar conditions, such as season, time day also indirect costs predation not limited vigilance, but include (1) long, high-speed flights; (2) energetically costly flight paths; (3) suboptimal habitat selection during flights. combination biologging, predictive analytics animal benefit wildlife conservation via detection, solve challenges related surveillance, safety health.

Language: Английский

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