Food habits of wolves and selection of wild ungulates in a prey-rich Mediterranean coastal area

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Ferretti, Francesco
Data de Publicação: 2019
Outros Autores: Lovari, Sandro, Mancino, Valentina, Burrini, Lucia, Rossa, Mariana
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10773/37213
Resumo: Large carnivores are increasing throughout the western Holarctic, re-colonising large parts of their former ranges. Ecological (e.g., predator-prey relationships) and socio-economic (e.g., livestock depredation) consequences of this process need to be monitored to identify suitable management/conservation actions. We studied food habits and selection of main prey by wolves in a Mediterranean protected coastal area (Uccellina Hills in the Maremma Regional Park, c. 70 km2, central Italy, May 2016- April 2018), including sclerophyllic scrubwood, pinewood, wetlands and mixed rural-wood habitats. Potential prey include wild boar, fallow deer and roe deer (c. 25–30 individuals/100 ha, in summer, all species together), livestock (mainly cattle and sheep, c. 20 heads/100 ha, overall) and several species of meso-mammals. Overall, wild ungulates dominated the diet (c. 90% of absolute occurrence, relative occurrence or volume), with the fallow deer being the main prey (absolute occurrence, AO: 55%; relative occurrence, RO: 42%; estimated volume, V: 44%) followed by the wild boar (AO: 48%; RO: 36% V: 33%). Livestock was rarely used (2%, both AO and V); the coypu (AO: 8%; RO: 6%; V: 6%) was another important food item. Fallow deer and wild boar dominated summer diet, whereas the use of alternative prey increased in winter. Fallow deer were selected, wild boar were used according to their availability, whereas roe deer were used less than availability. Prey selection was probably driven by the greater accessibility and detectability of fallow deer, which are gregarious and attended mainly open habitats on lower ground, in respect to wild boar/roe deer. Most likely, availability of a diverse spectrum of meso-large prey and a comparatively lower accessibility of livestock were key-factors to limit livestock consumption.
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spelling Food habits of wolves and selection of wild ungulates in a prey-rich Mediterranean coastal areaCarnivoresDietInterspecific interactionsPredator-prey relationshipsLarge carnivores are increasing throughout the western Holarctic, re-colonising large parts of their former ranges. Ecological (e.g., predator-prey relationships) and socio-economic (e.g., livestock depredation) consequences of this process need to be monitored to identify suitable management/conservation actions. We studied food habits and selection of main prey by wolves in a Mediterranean protected coastal area (Uccellina Hills in the Maremma Regional Park, c. 70 km2, central Italy, May 2016- April 2018), including sclerophyllic scrubwood, pinewood, wetlands and mixed rural-wood habitats. Potential prey include wild boar, fallow deer and roe deer (c. 25–30 individuals/100 ha, in summer, all species together), livestock (mainly cattle and sheep, c. 20 heads/100 ha, overall) and several species of meso-mammals. Overall, wild ungulates dominated the diet (c. 90% of absolute occurrence, relative occurrence or volume), with the fallow deer being the main prey (absolute occurrence, AO: 55%; relative occurrence, RO: 42%; estimated volume, V: 44%) followed by the wild boar (AO: 48%; RO: 36% V: 33%). Livestock was rarely used (2%, both AO and V); the coypu (AO: 8%; RO: 6%; V: 6%) was another important food item. Fallow deer and wild boar dominated summer diet, whereas the use of alternative prey increased in winter. Fallow deer were selected, wild boar were used according to their availability, whereas roe deer were used less than availability. Prey selection was probably driven by the greater accessibility and detectability of fallow deer, which are gregarious and attended mainly open habitats on lower ground, in respect to wild boar/roe deer. Most likely, availability of a diverse spectrum of meso-large prey and a comparatively lower accessibility of livestock were key-factors to limit livestock consumption.Elsevier2023-04-20T10:07:51Z2019-11-01T00:00:00Z2019-11info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10773/37213eng1616-504710.1016/j.mambio.2019.10.008Ferretti, FrancescoLovari, SandroMancino, ValentinaBurrini, LuciaRossa, Marianainfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2024-02-22T12:11:47Zoai:ria.ua.pt:10773/37213Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-20T03:07:50.412985Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Food habits of wolves and selection of wild ungulates in a prey-rich Mediterranean coastal area
title Food habits of wolves and selection of wild ungulates in a prey-rich Mediterranean coastal area
spellingShingle Food habits of wolves and selection of wild ungulates in a prey-rich Mediterranean coastal area
Ferretti, Francesco
Carnivores
Diet
Interspecific interactions
Predator-prey relationships
title_short Food habits of wolves and selection of wild ungulates in a prey-rich Mediterranean coastal area
title_full Food habits of wolves and selection of wild ungulates in a prey-rich Mediterranean coastal area
title_fullStr Food habits of wolves and selection of wild ungulates in a prey-rich Mediterranean coastal area
title_full_unstemmed Food habits of wolves and selection of wild ungulates in a prey-rich Mediterranean coastal area
title_sort Food habits of wolves and selection of wild ungulates in a prey-rich Mediterranean coastal area
author Ferretti, Francesco
author_facet Ferretti, Francesco
Lovari, Sandro
Mancino, Valentina
Burrini, Lucia
Rossa, Mariana
author_role author
author2 Lovari, Sandro
Mancino, Valentina
Burrini, Lucia
Rossa, Mariana
author2_role author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Ferretti, Francesco
Lovari, Sandro
Mancino, Valentina
Burrini, Lucia
Rossa, Mariana
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Carnivores
Diet
Interspecific interactions
Predator-prey relationships
topic Carnivores
Diet
Interspecific interactions
Predator-prey relationships
description Large carnivores are increasing throughout the western Holarctic, re-colonising large parts of their former ranges. Ecological (e.g., predator-prey relationships) and socio-economic (e.g., livestock depredation) consequences of this process need to be monitored to identify suitable management/conservation actions. We studied food habits and selection of main prey by wolves in a Mediterranean protected coastal area (Uccellina Hills in the Maremma Regional Park, c. 70 km2, central Italy, May 2016- April 2018), including sclerophyllic scrubwood, pinewood, wetlands and mixed rural-wood habitats. Potential prey include wild boar, fallow deer and roe deer (c. 25–30 individuals/100 ha, in summer, all species together), livestock (mainly cattle and sheep, c. 20 heads/100 ha, overall) and several species of meso-mammals. Overall, wild ungulates dominated the diet (c. 90% of absolute occurrence, relative occurrence or volume), with the fallow deer being the main prey (absolute occurrence, AO: 55%; relative occurrence, RO: 42%; estimated volume, V: 44%) followed by the wild boar (AO: 48%; RO: 36% V: 33%). Livestock was rarely used (2%, both AO and V); the coypu (AO: 8%; RO: 6%; V: 6%) was another important food item. Fallow deer and wild boar dominated summer diet, whereas the use of alternative prey increased in winter. Fallow deer were selected, wild boar were used according to their availability, whereas roe deer were used less than availability. Prey selection was probably driven by the greater accessibility and detectability of fallow deer, which are gregarious and attended mainly open habitats on lower ground, in respect to wild boar/roe deer. Most likely, availability of a diverse spectrum of meso-large prey and a comparatively lower accessibility of livestock were key-factors to limit livestock consumption.
publishDate 2019
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2019-11-01T00:00:00Z
2019-11
2023-04-20T10:07:51Z
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10773/37213
url http://hdl.handle.net/10773/37213
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv 1616-5047
10.1016/j.mambio.2019.10.008
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
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dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
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reponame_str Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
collection Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
repository.name.fl_str_mv Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
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