Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Range expansion of an exotic ungulate (Ammotragus lervia) in southern Spain: ecological and conservation concerns

  • Published:
Biodiversity & Conservation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Evidence of aoudad Ammotragus lervia expansion in the southeastern quarter of the Iberian Peninsula is provided based on recent field surveys. Aoudad has become common in a limited region of the southeast of Spain since its introduction as a game species in Sierra Espuña Natural Park in 1970. Its adaptability enabled it to colonise nearby areas in a short period. Apart from this source of expansion, the increasing number of aoudads in Spanish private game reserves provided other centres of dispersion. In addition, aoudads were introduced on La Palma Island (Canary Islands), becoming a serious threat to endemic flora. Of great conservation concern is the species' potential as a competitor against native ungulates inhabiting the peninsula. Surveys conducted in southern Spain documented rapid colonization of new areas and established viable populations, consisting of adult males and females and the unequivocal presence of nursery groups, in the provinces of Alicante, Almería, Granada and Murcia. Also, aoudads have spread throughout the north and centre of La Palma. There are two main conservational concerns: the necessity of conducting detailed and reliable surveys in all potential regions where the species might expand, and the urgent need of changing current game policies in order to establish reliable controls on big game reserves to prevent animals from escaping.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alados C. and Shackleton D.M. 1997. Regional Summary-Chapter 4.13. In: Shackleton D.M. (ed.), Wild Sheep and Goats and Their Relatives: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan for Caprinae. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, pp. 47–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • ARMAN-Murcia 1991. Informe sobre el Parque Natural de la Sierra de Espuña. Agencia Regional del Medio Ambiente y la Naturaleza (ARMAN), Murcia, Spain, unpublished Report.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barrett R.H. 1980. History of the Hearst Ranch Barbary sheep herd. In: Simpson C.D. (ed.), Symposium on Ecology and Management of Barbary Sheep. Texas Technical University Press, Lubbock, Texas, pp. 46–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barrett R.H. and Beasom S.L. 1980. Research needs for management of Barbary sheep in the future. In: Simpson C.D. (ed.), Symposium on Ecology and Management of Barbary Sheep. Texas Technical University Press, Lubbock, Texas, pp. 106–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bigalke R.C. 1986. A pilot study of an introduced aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) population in the Sierra Espuña National Hunting Reserve; Murcia province, Spain. Estación Experimental de Zonas Aridas, CSIC, Almería, Spain, unpublished Report.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bird W. and Upham L. 1980. Barbary sheep and mule deer food habits of Large Canyon, New Mexico. In: Simpson C.D. (ed.), Symposium on Ecology and Management of Barbary Sheep. Texas Technical University Press, Lubbock, Texas, pp. 92–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cabrera-Rodríguez F. 2000. Segunda Memoria del Plan de Caza. Cabildo Insular de San Miguel de La Palma, Islas Canarias, Spain, unpublished Report.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cassinello J. 1997. Sex and age classes in Spanish populations of arrui (Ammotragus lervia). Relationship with the management of free-ranging populations. Boletín del Instituto de Estudios Almerienses, Ciencias 14 (in Spanish with English summary): 171–178.

  • Cassinello J. 1998. Ammotragus lervia: a review on systematics, biology, ecology and distribution. Annales Zoologici Fennici 35: 149–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cassinello J. 2000. Ammotragus free-ranging population in the southeast of Spain: a necessary first account. Biodiversity and Conservation 9: 887–900.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cassinello J. and Alados C.L. 1996. Female reproductive success in captive Ammotragus lervia (Bovidae, Artiodactyla). Study of its components and effects of hierarchy and inbreeding. Journal of Zoology, London 239: 141–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christian T.T. 1980. Development and economic role of Aoudad hunting in a cattle ranching operation. In: Simpson C.D. (ed.), Symposium on Ecology and Management of Barbary Sheep. Texas Technical University Press, Lubbock, Texas, pp. 104–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diamond J.M. 1989. Overview of recent extinctions. In: Western D. and Pearl M.C. (eds), Conservation for the Twenty-first Century. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, pp. 37–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickinson T.G. and Simpson C.D. 1980. Home range, movements, and topographic selection of Barbary sheep in the Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico. In: Simpson C.D. (ed.), Symposium on Ecology and Management of Barbary Sheep. Texas Technical University Press, Lubbock, Texas, pp. 78–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fandos P. and Reig S. 1992. Problems associated with mouflon and Barbary sheep introductions in Spain. In: Bobek B, Perzanowski K. and Regelin W. (eds), Global Trends in Wildlife Management. Transactions of the 18th IUGB Congress, Krakow 1987. Swiat Press, Krakow-Warszawa, Poland, pp. 139–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • González-Candela M. and León-Vizcaíno L. 1999. Sarcoptic mange in Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) population of Sierra Espuña Regional Park (Murcia). Galemys 11 (in Spanish with English summary): 43–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • González-Candela M., León-Vizcaíno L., Cubero M.J. and Martín-Atance P. 2001. Sarcoptic mange (Sarcoptes scabiei) health control in the Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) population of the Sierra Espuña Regional Park (Murcia, Spain). Galemys 13 (in Spanish with English summary): 59–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gray G.G. 1985. Status and distribution of Ammotragus lervia: a worldwide review. In: Hoefs M. (ed.), Wild Sheep. Distribution, Abundance, Management and Conservation of the Sheep of theWorld and Closely Related Mountain Ungulates. Northern Wild Sheep and Goat Council, Whitehouse, Yukon, Canada, pp. 95–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hilton-Taylor C. (ed.) 2000. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krysl L.J., Simpson C.D. and Gray GG. 1980. Dietary overlap of sympatric Barbary sheep and mule deer in Palo Duro Canyon, Texas. In: Simpson C.D. (ed.), Symposium on Ecology and Management of Barbary Sheep. Texas Technical University Press, Lubbock, Texas, pp. 97–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laguna E., Crespo M.B., Mateo G., Lopez S., Fabregat C., Serra L.L. et al. 1998. Flora Endémica, Rara o Amenazada De La Comunidad Valenciana. Conselleria de Medio Ambiente, Generalitat Valenciana, Valencia, Spain.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lodge D.M. 1993. Biological invasions: lessons for ecology. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 8: 133–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montoya-Oliver J.M. 1989. La Caza y el Examen del Cazador. Ediciones Mundi-Prensa, Madrid, Spain.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogren H. 1965. Barbary Sheep. Bulletin 13. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ornistudio S.L. 1992. Seguimiento del Arrui en el Parque Nacional de la Caldera de Taburiente (La Palma, Islas Canarias). Parque Nacional de La Caldera de Taburiente, La Palma, Islas Canarias, Spain, unpublished Report.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ortuño F. and De la Peña J. 1979. Reservas y Cotos Nacionales de Caza. 4: Región Mediterránea. Ed. Incafo. Colección Naturaleza Española 5, Madrid, Spain.

  • Ramanzin M., Contiero B., Nicoloso S., Fuser S. and Canetti N. 2002. Spatial Segregation and Resource Use by Alpine Chamois Rupicapra rupicapra and Mouflon Ovis Orientalis musimon in an alpine area. Abstracts from Caprinae Specialist Group of IUCN. IIIrd World Conference on Mountain Ungulates. Saragossa (Aragon, Spain), June 10-15, 2002.

  • Rivas-Martínez S. 1987. Introducción. Nociones sobre Fitosociología, Biogeografía y Bioclimatología. In: Peinado M. and Rivas-Martínez S. (eds), La Vegetación de España. Colección Aula Abierta. University Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain, pp. 19–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodríguez-Piñero J.C. and Rodríguez-Luengo J.L. 1992. Autumn food-habits of the Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia Pallas 1777) on La Palma Island (Canary Islands). Mammalia 56: 385–392.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruesink J.L., Parker I.M., Groom M.J. and Kareiva P.M. 1995. Reducing the risks of nonindigenous species introductions. Bioscience 45: 465–477.

    Google Scholar 

  • Serrano E., Calabuig G., Cassinello J., Granados J.E. and Pérez J.M. 2002a. Corología del arrui (Ammotragus lervia Pallas 1777) en el sudeste peninsular. Galemys 14: 17–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Serrano E., Calabuig G., Pérez J.M. and Cassinello J. 2002b. Current Status of Barbary Sheep Ammotragus lervia in Spain Abstracts from Caprinae Specialist Group of IUCN. IIIrd World Conference on Mountain Ungulates. Saragossa (Aragon, Spain), June 10-15, 2002.

  • Simpson C.D., Krysl L.J., Hampy D.B. and Gray G.G. 1978. The Barbary sheep: a threat to desert bighorn survival. Transactions of the Desert Bighorn Council 22: 26–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stockwell C.A., Hendry A.P. and Kinnison M.T. 2003. Contemporary evolution meets conservation biology. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 18: 94–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilcove D.S., Rothstein D. and Dubow J. 1998. Quantifying threats to imperiled species in the United States. Bioscience 48: 607–615.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zar J.H. 1984. Biostatistical Analysis. 2nd edn. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, E-28006, Spain

    Jorge Cassinello

  2. Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, E-23071, Spain

    Emmanuel Serrano & Jesús M. Pérez

  3. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, E-13005, Spain

    Gustau Calabuig

Authors
  1. Jorge Cassinello
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Emmanuel Serrano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gustau Calabuig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jesús M. Pérez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jorge Cassinello.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cassinello, J., Serrano, E., Calabuig, G. et al. Range expansion of an exotic ungulate (Ammotragus lervia) in southern Spain: ecological and conservation concerns. Biodiversity and Conservation 13, 851–866 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:BIOC.0000014461.69034.78

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:BIOC.0000014461.69034.78

Search

Navigation