In many Mediterranean ecosystems, animal tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis, an ecovar of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), is maintained by multi-host communities. It is hypothesised that interspecies transmission is mainly indirect via shared contaminated environments. Therefore, identifying spatial areas where MTBC bacteria occur and quantifying space use by susceptible hosts might hel...
Animal tuberculosis (TB) persists in multi-host communities Transmission occurs via shared contaminated environments; Integration of host ecology and environmental data is crucial. Indirect interactions more frequent → wet season • Natural resource availability increased wildlife-cattle interactions. • 49% environmental samples positive for MTBC DNA. Main contamination predictor: terrain slope 26.5% area = high...
Zoonoses are a global concern, with bovine tuberculosis (TB) posing major economic and social challenges in Europe. Tuberculosis transmission is facilitated by the shared use of space and contaminated resources among hosts. The study was conducted on 5 adjoining farms in Barrancos, Portugal, near the Spanish border… Barrancos is identified as one of the main risk areas for bovine tuberculosis in Portugal. In ad...
The Iberian Peninsula is witnessing ever-faster environmental changes, and new challenges for wild ungulates are continuously emerging as they become more abundant and widespread. We conducted a systematic review to analyse the knowledge on wild ungulates inhabiting the Iberian Peninsula. We used Web of Science and Scopus search engines, complemented by searches in nonindexed journals, to examine peer-reviewed ...
Ecological interactions involving wildlife (wild mammals) and cattle Bos taurus are considered fundamental drivers of animal tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium bovis at the wildlife–livestock interface. Despite recent insights about the role of direct and indirect interactions on TB dynamics, a mechanistic evaluation of studies addressing patterns of wildlife–cattle interaction at the global level is lac...
Ecological interactions involving wildlife (wild mammals) and cattle Bos taurus are considered fundamental drivers of animal tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium bovis at the wildlife–livestock interface. Despite recent insights about the role of direct and indirect interactions on TB dynamics, a mechanistic evaluation of studies addressing patterns of wildlife–cattle interaction at the global level is lac...
Context Large carnivores have faced severe extinction pressures throughout Europe during the last centuries, where human-induced disturbances reached unprecedented levels. In the late twentieth century, the Cantabrian brown bear population was on the verge of extinction, due to poaching. Yet, the end of the last century was a turning point for this population. Presence data on the western Cantabrian subpopulati...
Context Road impacts on biodiversity are increasing worldwide. Few attempts have been made to integrate multiple taxonomic groups into roadkill mitigation plans, while using remotely sensed habitat suitability and functional connectivity. Objectives We pinpoint high-risk road locations (road planning units) for 19 woodland species from different taxonomic groups (non-flying mammals, birds, and bats) to enhance ...
Anthropogenic infrastructures and land-use changes are major threats to animal movements across heterogeneous landscapes. Yet, the behavioural consequences of such constraints remain poorly understood. We investigated the relationship between the behaviour of the Common genet (Genetta genetta) and road proximity, within a dominant mixed forest-agricultural landscape in southern Portugal, fragmented by roads. Sp...
Roads are among the most widespread signs of man’s presence around the globe. From simple low traffic trails to wide and highly used highways, roads have a wide array of effects on wildlife. In the present study, we tested how habitat reduction by roads may affect the space use and movement patterns of the Cabrera vole (Microtus cabrerae), a near-threatened Iberian endemism, often living on road verges. A total...