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Does forest structure influence the abundance of predators and habitat competitors of the endangered Pyrenean capercaillie?

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dc.contributor.authorMoreno, Adrian
dc.contributor.authorNavarro, Inmaculada
dc.contributor.authorChamizo, Rubén
dc.contributor.authorMartínez-Carrasco Pleite, Carlos
dc.contributor.authorSánchez García, Carlos
dc.contributor.departmentSanidad Animal
dc.contributor.otherFacultades de la UMU::Facultad de Veterinaria
dc.date.accessioned2025-12-29T09:53:46Z
dc.date.available2025-12-29T09:53:46Z
dc.date.copyright© 2025 by the authors
dc.date.issued2025-07-01
dc.description.abstractThe Pyrenean capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus aquitanicus) is a forest obligate grouse that has experienced a marked population decline in recent decades owing to the lack of optimal habitats. However, the effect of forest structure on potential predators and habitat competitors has not been well-studied. We conducted a camera-trapping study at three conservation areas in Huesca province (northeastern Spain), which were classified as ‘optimal’, ‘favorable’, and ‘unfavorable’ based on habitat suitability for the capercaillie. This study was conducted for 3417 days at a total of 130 camera locations in autumn–winter and spring–summer, capturing 8757 valid photos. In total, 36 different species were recorded. The most frequently detected species were Southern chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica; 32.6%), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus; 18%), wild boar (Sus scrofa; 9.6%), red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris; 6.1%), mustelids (5.6%), and red fox (Vulpes vulpes; 4.8%). Capercaillies were photographed in the optimal and favorable habitat areas. Nest predators, such as mustelids and red fox, were more frequently detected in the favorable area during autumn–winter and in the optimal area in spring–summer, while corvids were more frequently detected in the unfavorable habitat area during both periods. No clear pattern was found for wild boar (nest predator and habitat competitor) or cervids (competitors). As capercaillie coexist with a wide range of predators and competitors, and habitat structure may not always explain species relative abundance, factors such as disturbance and food resources should be also taken into account when aiming to develop targeted management for the benefit of the capercaillie.
dc.formatapplication/pdf
dc.format.extent14
dc.identifier.citationEcologies, 2025, Vol. 6, Issue 3 : 46
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies6030046
dc.identifier.eissn2673-4133
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10201/183190
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherMDPI
dc.relationThis research was funded by Fondazione la Lomellina, the Regional Government of Aragón and core funds from Fundación Artemisan
dc.relation.publisherversionhttps://www.mdpi.com/2673-4133/6/3/46
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International*
dc.rights.accessRightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/*
dc.subjectCamera trapping
dc.subjectPredation
dc.subjectTetrao urogallus aquitanicus
dc.subjectHabitat management
dc.subject.odsObjetivo 15: Bosques, desertificación y diversidad biológica
dc.titleDoes forest structure influence the abundance of predators and habitat competitors of the endangered Pyrenean capercaillie?
dc.typeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.type.versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
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relation.isAuthorOfPublication74bbaf1b-2a73-4ec8-b1c6-429311688d3b
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery74bbaf1b-2a73-4ec8-b1c6-429311688d3b
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