Ecological adaptations of the badger to Southwestern European agro-pastoral systems

Transcription

1 Ecological adaptations of the badger to Southwestern European agro-pastoral systems Luís M. Rosalino 1, Diogo Cabecinha 2, Maria João Santos 3 & Margarida Santos-Reis

2 Mediterranean agro-pastoral systems The onset of agro-pastoral economies is linked to the arrival of small groups of settlers that interacted with local hunters (Zilhao, J The spread of agro-pastoral economies across Mediterranean Europe: a view from the far west. Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology, 6(1), 5-63) Portuguese montado (dehesa in Spain) - an agro-silvopastoral system covering most of the Southern region of Portugal, Alentejo. It is savanna like land cover of cork and holm oaks, characterised by its multiple and complementary productions, high levels of biodiversity and the support of a diversity of ecosystems services (Pinto-Correia, T., Ribeiro, N., & Sá-Sousa, P Introducing the montado, the cork and holm oak agroforestry system of Southern Portugal. Agroforestry Systems, 82(2), )

3 Ecological adaptations of the badger to Montado lands a system of systems Tree species and density Grazing species and pressure Understorey structure

4 Biodiversity in Montado lands widely recognized as hotspots of farmland biodiversity natural value and environmental qualities closely related to the high variability of the system components, but also to the pressure of different farming practices Iberian silvo-pastoral systems broadly classified as High Nature Value (HNV) systems (European Environment Agency) Azul, A. M., Mendes, S. M., Sousa, J. P., & Freitas, H. (2011). Fungal fruitbodies and soil macrofauna as indicators of land use practices on soil biodiversity in Montado. Agroforestry Systems, 82(2), Da Silva, P. M., Aguiar, C. A., Niemelä, J., Sousa, J. P., & Serrano, A. R. (2009). Cork-oak woodlands as key-habitats for biodiversity conservation in Mediterranean landscapes: a case study using rove and ground beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Carabidae). Biodiversity and Conservation, 18(3), Godinho, S., Santos, A. P., & Sá-Sousa, P. (2011). Montado management effects on the abundance and conservation of reptiles in Alentejo, Southern Portugal. Agroforestry Systems, 82(2), Leal, A. I., Correia, R. A., Granadeiro, J. P., & Palmeirim, J. M. (2011). Impact of cork extraction on birds: relevance for conservation of Mediterranean biodiversity. Biological conservation, 144(5), Gonçalves, P., Alcobia, S., Simões, L., & Santos-Reis, M. (2012). Effects of management options on mammal richness in a Mediterranean agro-silvo-pastoral system. Agroforestry systems, 85(3),

5 Model Species European badgers (Meles meles) Pan European range and wide historical and current distribution in Portugal Proulx G., Abramov A.V., Adams I., Jennings A.P., Khorozyan I., Rosalino L.M., Santos-Reis M., Veron G. & Do Linh San E. (2016). Chapter 2. World distribution and status of badgers a review. Pp in Badgers: systematics, biology, conservation and research techniques (G. Proulx and E. Do Linh San, editors). Alpha Wildlife Publications, Alberta, Canada. Rosalino L.M., Verdade L.M. & Santos-Reis M. (2016). Chapter 4. Historical distribution of European badgers in Portugal based on toponomy. Pp in Badgers: systematics, biology, conservation and research techniques (G. Proulx and E. Do Linh San, editors). Alpha Wildlife Publications, Alberta, Canada.

6 Model Species European badgers (Meles meles) Occupies a high variety of habitats Has a wide food spectrum Escavates underground tunnel systems (sets) to rest and reproduce Is a social species: groups up to 35 animals (in UK) Key service provider (e.g., seed disperser, pest control) Conflicting species with man livelihoods (e.g., vector to relevant pathogens TB)

7 Aim: investigate if and how badgers respond to anthropic activities in agro-pastoral systems considering the core niche dimensions Trophic (food resources) Spatial (habitat) Temporal (diel activity)

8 Study areas Ecological adaptations of the badger to HRA Grândola managed for naturalness Companhia das Lezírias managed for cork and cattle

9 Adaptation to anthropic food resources Local food specialisms (e.g. Olives; HRA) Rosalino, L. M., Loureiro, F. I. L. I. P. A., Macdonald, D. W., & Santon- Reis, M. (2005). Dietary shifts of the badger (Meles meles) in Mediterranean woodlands: an opportunistic forager with seasonal specialisms. Mammalian Biology-Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde, 70(1),

10 Adaptation to anthropic food resources Local food specialisms (e.g. use of wheat used in game species supplementary feeding; CL) Hipólito D., Santos-Reis M., Rosalino L.M. (2016). Effects of agro-forestry activities, cattle-raising practices and food-related factors in badger sett location and use in Portugal. Mammalian Biology- Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 81(2):

11 Spatial adaptation to agro-pastoral landscape structure Sett location Located in areas further away from water sources (flooding risk), but close to game species feeding structures (food) Sett use Loureiro, F., Rosalino, L. M., Macdonald, D. W., & Santos-Reis, M. (2007). Use of multiple den sites by Eurasian badgers, Meles meles, in a Mediterranean habitat. Zoological science, 24(10), Hipólito D., Santos-Reis M., Rosalino L.M. (2016). Effects of agro-forestry activities, cattleraising practices and food-related factors in badger sett location and use in Portugal. Mammalian Biology-Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 81(2): Sett use was promoted by low disturbance: setts with lower cattle presence and without understory removal activities were more often in use

12 Spatial adaptation to agro-pastoral landscapes structure Density: badgers/km 2 (one of the lowest population densities recorded in Western Europe) Home ranges averaged 4.46 km 2 Home-range size was positively correlated with food-patch dispersion, especially those associated with humans: olive yards and orchards Social groups with 3 4 adults plus 3 4 cubs of the year (small when compared to UK up to 35 individuals per social group) Preferred habitat: cork oak woodland with understory and riparian vegetation Rosalino, L. M., Macdonald, D. W., & Santos-Reis, M. (2004). Spatial structure and land-cover use in a low-density Mediterranean population of Eurasian badgers. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 82(9), Rosalino, L. M., Macdonald, D. W., & Santos Reis, M. (2005). Resource dispersion and badger population density in Mediterranean woodlands: is food, water or geology the limiting factor?. Oikos, 110(3),

13 Movement patterns and anthropic disturbance Path tortuosity, and therefore movement patterns, in agropastoral systems depend of the locations of dens and latrines, and not food patches (food, namely of anthropic origin, is widely available) Fencing (especially wire fencing with a small mesh) can constrain movements Loureiro, F., Rosalino, L. M., Macdonald, D. W., & Santos-Reis, M. (2007). Path tortuosity of Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) in a heterogeneous Mediterranean landscape. Ecological Research, 22(5),

14 Activity patterns and anthropic disturbance Nocturnal (avoids periods of human activity) Photo-trapping data (unpbl. data) Radio-tracking data Companhia das Lezírias (managed for production) Grândola (managed for naturaless) Rosalino, L. M., Macdonald, D. W., & Santos-Reis, M. (2005). Activity rhythms, movements and patterns of sett use by badgers, Meles meles, in a Mediterranean woodland. Mammalia, 69(3-4),

15 Badgers and zoonotic diseases in agro-pastoral systems Often mentioned as reservoir of bovine TB target of culling campaigns in the UK Portugal: limited data, main wildlife reservoir (wild boar and deer) Authority, E. F. S. (2014). The European Union summary report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and foodborne outbreaks in EFSa Journal, 12(2).

16 To conclude Badgers are well adapted to the montado silvo-pastoral system Responses are variable ande dependent of management practices More research needed to investigate trade-offs (management intensity vs population persistence) and social acceptance of the species

17 Thank you for your attention