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Vanishing wildlife in populated areas: the demise of the Andalusian Buttonquail

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Abstract

Extinction risk is often associated with intrinsic species traits such as larger size, higher trophic level, narrower habitat niche or smaller distribution area. Despite this, fast extinctions can also occur in species that apparently do not exhibit any of these traits. The Andalusian Buttonquail (Turnix sylvaticus sylvaticus) is a critically endangered taxon, which barely survives in a single population in western Morocco. Here, we describe how this taxon with a formerly wide distribution range, high reproductive rates, low trophic level in the food chain, small size and apparently coarse habitat requirements, is heading towards extinction. By means of environmental niche modelling, we outline its historical distribution and then at a regional scale (Andalucía) we explore the role of historical land use changes and human population trends in the rapid decline of the species. PCA of environmental variables showed that its distribution was mainly determined by low continentality and aridity. Since the nineteenth century, the decline in the extent of occurrence has been above 99.99%. PCA of land use changes showed that areas with a higher probability of historical presence have suffered more intense agricultural intensification and afforestation processes. These areas have also been those which have suffered higher human population pressure and development. Any conservation efforts should focus on maintaining coexistence of the species with humans.

Zusammenfassung

Das Verschwinden der Tierwelt in besiedelten Gebieten: Der Untergang des Laufhühnchens

Das Aussterberisiko hängt oft mit intrinsischen Artmerkmalen, wie beispielsweise einer größeren Körpergröße, einer höheren Trophieebene, einer engeren Habitatnische oder einem kleineren Verbreitungsgebiet, zusammen. Ungeachtet dessen können jedoch auch Arten, die augenscheinlich keines dieser Merkmale aufweisen, rasch aussterben. Das Laufhühnchen (Turnix sylvaticus sylvaticus) ist ein vom Aussterben bedrohtes Taxon, von dem es nur noch eine einzige Population im Westen Marokkos gibt. Hier beschreiben wir, wie dieses einst weit verbreitete Taxon, das hohe Fortpflanzungsraten, eine niedrige Trophieebene in der Nahrungskette, eine geringe Körpergröße und offenbar geringe Habitatansprüche aufweist, der Ausrottung entgegensteuert. Mittels Umweltnischenmodellierung umreißen wir die historische Verbreitung und untersuchen auf regionaler Ebene (in Andalusien) die Rolle, die historische Landnutzungsänderungen sowie die menschliche Bevölkerungsentwicklung beim rapiden Bestandsrückgang dieser Art gespielt haben. Eine Hauptkomponentenanalyse der Umweltvariablen zeigte, dass die Verbreitung der Art hauptsächlich durch ein gering ausgeprägtes kontinentales Klima und Trockenheit bestimmt wurde. Seit dem 19. Jahrhundert ist die Art um mehr als 99.99% zurückgegangen. Eine Hauptkomponentenanalyse der Landnutzungsänderungen zeigte, dass Gebiete, in denen das Laufhühnchen-sylvatica einst mit höherer Wahrscheinlichkeit vorkam, eine stärkere Intensivierung der Landwirtschaft und stärkeren Schutzwaldanbau erfahren haben. In diesen Gebieten ist die menschliche Bevölkerung zudem besonders stark gewachsen. Jegliche Schutzmaßnahmen sollten sich darauf konzentrieren, die Koexistenz der Art mit Menschen zu erhalten.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank to all consulted museum and collections staff at Haus der Natur, Museum für Natur und Technik (Salzburg), Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (Vienna), Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Brussels), Luomus Luonnontieteellinen Keskusmuseo (Helsinki), Museé Zoologique de Strasbourg (Strasbourg), Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Paris), Forschunginstitut und Naturmuseum Senckenberg (Frankfurt), Museum für Naturkunde (Berlin), Forschungs Museum Koenig (Bonn), Museum Heineanum Halberstadt (Halberstadt), Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde (Dresden), National Museum of Ireland (Dublin), Museo Civico Craveri (Bra), Museo Civico de Storia Naturale di Verona (Verona), Museo Civico de Zoologia di Roma (Rome), Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Milan), Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genoa), Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università di Firenze (Florence), Museo ed Instituto di Zoologia Sistematica dell'Universitá di Torino (Turin), Museo Regionale di Storia Naturale e Mostra Permanente del Carretto (Terrassini), Université Mohammed V—Institut Scientifique (Rabat), Naturhistorik Museum (Oslo), Museu da Ciência, Universidade de Coimbra (Coimbra), Зooлoгичecкий мyзeй Mocкoвcкoгo yнивepcитeтa (Moskow), Colegio San Juan Bosco Campano (Chiclana de la Frontera), Estación Biológica de Doñana (Seville), Museo Instituto Padre Suárez (Granada), Museo de Ciencias Naturales IES Nuestra Señora de la Victoria (Malaga), Museo Mariano de la Paz (Linares), Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid), Museu de Ciènces Naturals (Barcelona), Museum d’Hisotire Naturelle de Genève (Geneva), Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Leiden), National Museums North Ireland (Belfast), Museum of Zoology of the University of Cambridge (Cambridge), National Museum Liverpool (Liverpool), The Manchester Museum (Manchester), Great North Museum Hancock (New Castle upon Tyne), British Museum of Natural History (Tring), Leeds Museum Discovery Centre (Leeds), Norfolk Museums (Norwich), National Museums of Scotland (Edinburgh), American Museum of Natural History (New York, NY), Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (Washington D.C.), Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago, IL), Museum of Comparative Zoology, University of Harvard (Cambridge, MA), Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates (Ithaca, NY), The Academy of Natural Sciences, Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA) and the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology (Camarillo, CA). CGE was funded by a grant (BES-2015-074938) of the Severo Ochoa program to Centres of Excellence in R + D + I (SEV-2012-0262-01) of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. James Macaluso and one anonymous reviewer revised and edited the manuscript.

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  1. Conservation Biology Department, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Avenida Americo Vespucio 26, 41092, Isla de la Cartuja, Sevilla, Spain

    Carlos Gutiérrez-Expósito, Eloy Revilla & Miguel Clavero

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  1. Carlos Gutiérrez-Expósito
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  2. Eloy Revilla
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  3. Miguel Clavero
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Correspondence to Carlos Gutiérrez-Expósito.

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Gutiérrez-Expósito, C., Revilla, E. & Clavero, M. Vanishing wildlife in populated areas: the demise of the Andalusian Buttonquail. J Ornithol 161, 759–768 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-020-01771-y

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