Agriculture intensity and landscape configuration influence the spatial use of wildcats across Europe

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Héctor Ruiz-Villar - , University of Oviedo (Author)
  • Matteo Luca Bastianelli - , University of Freiburg, Bavarian Forest National Park (Author)
  • Marco Heurich - , University of Freiburg, Bavarian Forest National Park, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (Author)
  • Stefano Anile - , Southern Illinois University (Author)
  • Francisco Díaz-Ruiz - , University of Málaga (Author)
  • Pablo Ferreras - , Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) (Author)
  • Malte Götz - , German Wildlife Foundation (Author)
  • Mathias Herrmann - , OEKO-LOG.COM Field Research (Author)
  • Saskia Jerosch - , Chair of Forest Zoology (Author)
  • Fernando Jubete - , Asociación de Naturalistas Palentinos (Author)
  • José María López-Martín - , Generalitat de Catalunya, Autonomous University of Barcelona (Author)
  • Pedro Monterroso - , University of Porto (Author)
  • Olaf Simon - , Institute of Animal Ecology and Nature Education (Author)
  • Sabrina Streif - , Forest Research Institute of Baden-Wuerttemberg (Author)
  • Manfred Trinzen - (Author)
  • Fermín Urra - , Navarra Environmental Management (GAN-NIK) (Author)
  • José Vicente López-Bao - , University of Oviedo (Author)
  • Francisco Palomares - , Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC) (Author)

Abstract

Land use intensification is increasing worldwide and affects wildlife movements, particularly of specialist carnivores. Resource availability and anthropogenic activities drive the extent and shape of home range size. Wildlife may respond to decreased resource availability under intensification scenarios by increasing their home ranges; however they may be less affected when inhabiting sustainable agricultural landscapes. We investigate whether agricultural practices and landscape configuration influence the spatial behaviour of wildcats, a medium-sized specialist carnivore inhabiting landscapes with different degrees of agricultural presence across Europe. We focus on the effect of the proportions of high impact and low impact agriculture, forest integrity and forest edge density on wildcat home range size. We found that wildcat home range increased along with the proportion of high impact agriculture and the forest integrity, whereas it decreased when forest edge density increased. Forest edge density buffered the detrimental effects caused by high impact agriculture. To enhance the long term conservation of wildcats in Europe it is crucial to protect the sustainable mosaic-structured landscapes and prevent its conversion to homogenous intensified agricultural landscapes.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number109854
JournalBiological conservation
Volume277
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2023
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • Extensive agriculture, Felis silvestris, Home range, Land use intensification, Landscape heterogeneity, Spatial ecology