Sett Use, Density and Breeding Phenology of Badgers in Mediterranean Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral Systems
Carnivores social organization varies widely, from strongly social to solitary predators. European badgers are facultative social carnivores that also shows a geographical variation in social structure. These patterns derive mainly from central/west European regions, with an under-representation of...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2663 |
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| author | Marcelo Silva Luís Miguel Rosalino Sandra Alcobia Margarida Santos-Reis |
| author_facet | Marcelo Silva Luís Miguel Rosalino Sandra Alcobia Margarida Santos-Reis |
| author_sort | Marcelo Silva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Carnivores social organization varies widely, from strongly social to solitary predators. European badgers are facultative social carnivores that also shows a geographical variation in social structure. These patterns derive mainly from central/west European regions, with an under-representation of Mediterranean populations that face different conservation challenges, especially regarding group composition, sett use patterns and breeding phenology. We addressed these traits topics for a population inhabiting a Portuguese agro-silvo-pastoral system. Based on monthly monitoring of 34 setts and continuous camera-trapping surveys of 12, we showed that setts surrounded by diversified vegetation and located in sandy sites are more used, a pattern probably linked to food availability and ease of sett excavation and maintenance, respectively. Badgers followed a general pattern regarding group size (2–4 adults), but showed an intermediate population density (0.49–0.73 badgers/km<sup>2</sup>), with values higher than those estimated for other Mediterranean environments, but lower than for central-western populations. This, together with the breeding (November/January) and cub emergence (1.8 cubs/sett; March/April) periods, indicates an ecological adaptation to the landscape context, where human-related resources and mild environmental conditions allow badger to reach higher densities than in many southern populations, and to reproduce earlier than their northern counterparts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:57:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4293b120ae6e4ec899e073377b645ddf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:57:55Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-4293b120ae6e4ec899e073377b645ddf2023-11-22T11:43:36ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152021-09-01119266310.3390/ani11092663Sett Use, Density and Breeding Phenology of Badgers in Mediterranean Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral SystemsMarcelo Silva0Luís Miguel Rosalino1Sandra Alcobia2Margarida Santos-Reis3cE3c—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, PortugalcE3c—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, PortugalcE3c—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, PortugalcE3c—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, PortugalCarnivores social organization varies widely, from strongly social to solitary predators. European badgers are facultative social carnivores that also shows a geographical variation in social structure. These patterns derive mainly from central/west European regions, with an under-representation of Mediterranean populations that face different conservation challenges, especially regarding group composition, sett use patterns and breeding phenology. We addressed these traits topics for a population inhabiting a Portuguese agro-silvo-pastoral system. Based on monthly monitoring of 34 setts and continuous camera-trapping surveys of 12, we showed that setts surrounded by diversified vegetation and located in sandy sites are more used, a pattern probably linked to food availability and ease of sett excavation and maintenance, respectively. Badgers followed a general pattern regarding group size (2–4 adults), but showed an intermediate population density (0.49–0.73 badgers/km<sup>2</sup>), with values higher than those estimated for other Mediterranean environments, but lower than for central-western populations. This, together with the breeding (November/January) and cub emergence (1.8 cubs/sett; March/April) periods, indicates an ecological adaptation to the landscape context, where human-related resources and mild environmental conditions allow badger to reach higher densities than in many southern populations, and to reproduce earlier than their northern counterparts.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2663camera-trapping<i>Meles meles</i>densitysocial organizationreproduction |
| spellingShingle | Marcelo Silva Luís Miguel Rosalino Sandra Alcobia Margarida Santos-Reis Sett Use, Density and Breeding Phenology of Badgers in Mediterranean Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral Systems Animals camera-trapping <i>Meles meles</i> density social organization reproduction |
| title | Sett Use, Density and Breeding Phenology of Badgers in Mediterranean Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral Systems |
| title_full | Sett Use, Density and Breeding Phenology of Badgers in Mediterranean Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral Systems |
| title_fullStr | Sett Use, Density and Breeding Phenology of Badgers in Mediterranean Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral Systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sett Use, Density and Breeding Phenology of Badgers in Mediterranean Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral Systems |
| title_short | Sett Use, Density and Breeding Phenology of Badgers in Mediterranean Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral Systems |
| title_sort | sett use density and breeding phenology of badgers in mediterranean agro sylvo pastoral systems |
| topic | camera-trapping <i>Meles meles</i> density social organization reproduction |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2663 |
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