Wild Ungulates Constitute the Basis of the Diet of the Iberian Wolf in a Recently Recolonized Area: Wild Boar and Roe Deer as Key Species for Its Conservation
The Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) is recolonizing historical distribution areas after decades of absence. As in other human-dominated landscapes, finding a balance to protect this species by favoring recolonization and mitigating human–wildlife conflicts is a challenge. Since wolves are often...
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
2024
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10486/714161 https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13213364 |
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ftuamadrid:oai:repositorio.uam.es:10486/714161 2024-09-15T18:01:11+00:00 Wild Ungulates Constitute the Basis of the Diet of the Iberian Wolf in a Recently Recolonized Area: Wild Boar and Roe Deer as Key Species for Its Conservation Barja Núñez, Isabel Navarro-Castilla, Álvaro Ortiz Jiménez, Lorena España, Ángel Hinojosa, Roberto Sánchez-Sotomayor, David Iglesias, Ángel España, José Rubio-Sánchez, Sergio Martín-Romero, Santiago Vielva, Juan Horcajada Sánchez, Fernando UAM. Departamento de Biología 2024-07-24T10:28:30Z application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/10486/714161 https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13213364 eng eng Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) Animals https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13213364 Comunidad de Madrid. 10/122964.9/19 Comunidad de Madrid. 10/180884.9/19 Comunidad de Madrid. 10/329633.9/18 Animals 13.21 (2023): 3364 2076-2615 http://hdl.handle.net/10486/714161 doi:10.3390/ani13213364 3364-1 21 3364-23 13 © 2023 by the authors http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Reconocimiento openAccess Canis lupus signatus domestic ungulates Iberian wolf recolonization wild ungulates Biología y Biomedicina / Biología article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2024 ftuamadrid https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13213364 2024-07-30T23:42:19Z The Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) is recolonizing historical distribution areas after decades of absence. As in other human-dominated landscapes, finding a balance to protect this species by favoring recolonization and mitigating human–wildlife conflicts is a challenge. Since wolves are often generalist opportunistic predators, we studied their diet composition in central Spain to evaluate the consumption of domestic ungulates and provide reliable data that could help local authorities to deal with the current wolf–cattle ranchers conflict and coexistence. Diet composition (% prey occurrence, % prey ingested biomass) was analyzed through the identification of prey hairs present in 671 scats collected between 2017 and 2021. The wolves fed more on wild ungulates (82% occurrence) than domestic ones (18%). Wild boar (Sus scrofa, 44% occurrence) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus, 35%) were the most consumed prey. The wolves positively selected these two species. The wolves’ diets varied between seasons, years, and forest regions, but a diet based on wild ungulates predominated over domestic ones. Food niche breadth showed variations depending on seasons and years. Preserving the availability and diversity of wild ungulates may favor reducing livestock attacks and would be an achievable goal that would help to conserve this species and reduce conservation conflicts Financial support was provided by Consejería de Medio Ambiente, Administración Local y Ordenación del Territorio de la Comunidad de Madrid and Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (projects: 10/329633.9/18, 10/122964.9/19, 10/180884.9/19; contracts: 2020/0112, 2020/0169, 2020/0379, 2020/0528, 2021/0138) Article in Journal/Newspaper Canis lupus Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM): Biblos-e Archivo Animals 13 21 3364 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM): Biblos-e Archivo |
op_collection_id |
ftuamadrid |
language |
English |
topic |
Canis lupus signatus domestic ungulates Iberian wolf recolonization wild ungulates Biología y Biomedicina / Biología |
spellingShingle |
Canis lupus signatus domestic ungulates Iberian wolf recolonization wild ungulates Biología y Biomedicina / Biología Barja Núñez, Isabel Navarro-Castilla, Álvaro Ortiz Jiménez, Lorena España, Ángel Hinojosa, Roberto Sánchez-Sotomayor, David Iglesias, Ángel España, José Rubio-Sánchez, Sergio Martín-Romero, Santiago Vielva, Juan Horcajada Sánchez, Fernando Wild Ungulates Constitute the Basis of the Diet of the Iberian Wolf in a Recently Recolonized Area: Wild Boar and Roe Deer as Key Species for Its Conservation |
topic_facet |
Canis lupus signatus domestic ungulates Iberian wolf recolonization wild ungulates Biología y Biomedicina / Biología |
description |
The Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) is recolonizing historical distribution areas after decades of absence. As in other human-dominated landscapes, finding a balance to protect this species by favoring recolonization and mitigating human–wildlife conflicts is a challenge. Since wolves are often generalist opportunistic predators, we studied their diet composition in central Spain to evaluate the consumption of domestic ungulates and provide reliable data that could help local authorities to deal with the current wolf–cattle ranchers conflict and coexistence. Diet composition (% prey occurrence, % prey ingested biomass) was analyzed through the identification of prey hairs present in 671 scats collected between 2017 and 2021. The wolves fed more on wild ungulates (82% occurrence) than domestic ones (18%). Wild boar (Sus scrofa, 44% occurrence) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus, 35%) were the most consumed prey. The wolves positively selected these two species. The wolves’ diets varied between seasons, years, and forest regions, but a diet based on wild ungulates predominated over domestic ones. Food niche breadth showed variations depending on seasons and years. Preserving the availability and diversity of wild ungulates may favor reducing livestock attacks and would be an achievable goal that would help to conserve this species and reduce conservation conflicts Financial support was provided by Consejería de Medio Ambiente, Administración Local y Ordenación del Territorio de la Comunidad de Madrid and Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (projects: 10/329633.9/18, 10/122964.9/19, 10/180884.9/19; contracts: 2020/0112, 2020/0169, 2020/0379, 2020/0528, 2021/0138) |
author2 |
UAM. Departamento de Biología |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Barja Núñez, Isabel Navarro-Castilla, Álvaro Ortiz Jiménez, Lorena España, Ángel Hinojosa, Roberto Sánchez-Sotomayor, David Iglesias, Ángel España, José Rubio-Sánchez, Sergio Martín-Romero, Santiago Vielva, Juan Horcajada Sánchez, Fernando |
author_facet |
Barja Núñez, Isabel Navarro-Castilla, Álvaro Ortiz Jiménez, Lorena España, Ángel Hinojosa, Roberto Sánchez-Sotomayor, David Iglesias, Ángel España, José Rubio-Sánchez, Sergio Martín-Romero, Santiago Vielva, Juan Horcajada Sánchez, Fernando |
author_sort |
Barja Núñez, Isabel |
title |
Wild Ungulates Constitute the Basis of the Diet of the Iberian Wolf in a Recently Recolonized Area: Wild Boar and Roe Deer as Key Species for Its Conservation |
title_short |
Wild Ungulates Constitute the Basis of the Diet of the Iberian Wolf in a Recently Recolonized Area: Wild Boar and Roe Deer as Key Species for Its Conservation |
title_full |
Wild Ungulates Constitute the Basis of the Diet of the Iberian Wolf in a Recently Recolonized Area: Wild Boar and Roe Deer as Key Species for Its Conservation |
title_fullStr |
Wild Ungulates Constitute the Basis of the Diet of the Iberian Wolf in a Recently Recolonized Area: Wild Boar and Roe Deer as Key Species for Its Conservation |
title_full_unstemmed |
Wild Ungulates Constitute the Basis of the Diet of the Iberian Wolf in a Recently Recolonized Area: Wild Boar and Roe Deer as Key Species for Its Conservation |
title_sort |
wild ungulates constitute the basis of the diet of the iberian wolf in a recently recolonized area: wild boar and roe deer as key species for its conservation |
publisher |
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10486/714161 https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13213364 |
genre |
Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus |
op_relation |
Animals https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13213364 Comunidad de Madrid. 10/122964.9/19 Comunidad de Madrid. 10/180884.9/19 Comunidad de Madrid. 10/329633.9/18 Animals 13.21 (2023): 3364 2076-2615 http://hdl.handle.net/10486/714161 doi:10.3390/ani13213364 3364-1 21 3364-23 13 |
op_rights |
© 2023 by the authors http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Reconocimiento openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13213364 |
container_title |
Animals |
container_volume |
13 |
container_issue |
21 |
container_start_page |
3364 |
_version_ |
1810438359628120064 |