Age-Specific Demographic Response of a Long-Lived Scavenger Species to Reduction of Organic Matter in a Landfill
Food availability shapes demographic parameters and population dynamics. Certain species have adapted to predictable anthropogenic food resources like landfills. However, abrupt shifts in food availability can negatively impact such populations. While changes in survival are expected, the age-relate...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/22/3529 |
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| author | Diego J. Arévalo-Ayala Joan Real Santi Mañosa Joan Aymerich Carles Durà Antonio Hernández-Matías |
| author_facet | Diego J. Arévalo-Ayala Joan Real Santi Mañosa Joan Aymerich Carles Durà Antonio Hernández-Matías |
| author_sort | Diego J. Arévalo-Ayala |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Food availability shapes demographic parameters and population dynamics. Certain species have adapted to predictable anthropogenic food resources like landfills. However, abrupt shifts in food availability can negatively impact such populations. While changes in survival are expected, the age-related effects remain poorly understood, particularly in long-lived scavenger species. We investigated the age-specific demographic response of a Griffon vulture (<i>Gyps fulvus</i>) population to a reduction in organic matter in a landfill and analyzed apparent survival and the probability of transience after initial capture using a Bayesian Cormack-Jolly-Seber model on data from 2012–2022. The proportion of transients among newly captured immatures and adults increased after the reduction in food. Juvenile apparent survival declined, increased in immature residents, and decreased in adult residents. These results suggest that there was a greater likelihood of permanent emigration due to intensified intraspecific competition following the reduction in food. Interestingly, resident immatures showed the opposite trend, suggesting the persistence of high-quality individuals despite the food scarcity. Although the reasons behind the reduced apparent survival of resident adults in the final four years of the study remain unclear, non-natural mortality potentially plays a part. In Europe landfill closure regulations are being implemented and pose a threat to avian scavenger populations, which underlines the need for research on food scarcity scenarios and proper conservation measures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:05:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6ef492e9a38543f5b950591916d7132f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:05:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-6ef492e9a38543f5b950591916d7132f2023-11-24T14:24:52ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152023-11-011322352910.3390/ani13223529Age-Specific Demographic Response of a Long-Lived Scavenger Species to Reduction of Organic Matter in a LandfillDiego J. Arévalo-Ayala0Joan Real1Santi Mañosa2Joan Aymerich3Carles Durà4Antonio Hernández-Matías5Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, SpainEquip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, SpainEquip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, SpainGrup d’Anellament de Calldetenes-Osona (GACO), 08506 Calldetenes, SpainGrup d’Anellament de Calldetenes-Osona (GACO), 08506 Calldetenes, SpainEquip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, SpainFood availability shapes demographic parameters and population dynamics. Certain species have adapted to predictable anthropogenic food resources like landfills. However, abrupt shifts in food availability can negatively impact such populations. While changes in survival are expected, the age-related effects remain poorly understood, particularly in long-lived scavenger species. We investigated the age-specific demographic response of a Griffon vulture (<i>Gyps fulvus</i>) population to a reduction in organic matter in a landfill and analyzed apparent survival and the probability of transience after initial capture using a Bayesian Cormack-Jolly-Seber model on data from 2012–2022. The proportion of transients among newly captured immatures and adults increased after the reduction in food. Juvenile apparent survival declined, increased in immature residents, and decreased in adult residents. These results suggest that there was a greater likelihood of permanent emigration due to intensified intraspecific competition following the reduction in food. Interestingly, resident immatures showed the opposite trend, suggesting the persistence of high-quality individuals despite the food scarcity. Although the reasons behind the reduced apparent survival of resident adults in the final four years of the study remain unclear, non-natural mortality potentially plays a part. In Europe landfill closure regulations are being implemented and pose a threat to avian scavenger populations, which underlines the need for research on food scarcity scenarios and proper conservation measures.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/22/3529Cormack-Jolly-Seber modelBayesian mark-recapture survival analysisBayesian hierarchical modelpredictable anthropogenic food subsidiesindividual random effect<i>Gyps fulvus</i> |
| spellingShingle | Diego J. Arévalo-Ayala Joan Real Santi Mañosa Joan Aymerich Carles Durà Antonio Hernández-Matías Age-Specific Demographic Response of a Long-Lived Scavenger Species to Reduction of Organic Matter in a Landfill Animals Cormack-Jolly-Seber model Bayesian mark-recapture survival analysis Bayesian hierarchical model predictable anthropogenic food subsidies individual random effect <i>Gyps fulvus</i> |
| title | Age-Specific Demographic Response of a Long-Lived Scavenger Species to Reduction of Organic Matter in a Landfill |
| title_full | Age-Specific Demographic Response of a Long-Lived Scavenger Species to Reduction of Organic Matter in a Landfill |
| title_fullStr | Age-Specific Demographic Response of a Long-Lived Scavenger Species to Reduction of Organic Matter in a Landfill |
| title_full_unstemmed | Age-Specific Demographic Response of a Long-Lived Scavenger Species to Reduction of Organic Matter in a Landfill |
| title_short | Age-Specific Demographic Response of a Long-Lived Scavenger Species to Reduction of Organic Matter in a Landfill |
| title_sort | age specific demographic response of a long lived scavenger species to reduction of organic matter in a landfill |
| topic | Cormack-Jolly-Seber model Bayesian mark-recapture survival analysis Bayesian hierarchical model predictable anthropogenic food subsidies individual random effect <i>Gyps fulvus</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/22/3529 |
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