TY - JOUR

T1 - Importance of scrub-pastureland mosaics for wild-living cats occurrence in a Mediterranean area: Implications for the conservation of the wildcat (Felis silvestris)

AU - Lozano Mendoza, Jorge

AU - Virgós, E.

AU - Malo, A.F.

AU - Huertas, D.L.

AU - Casanovas, J.G.

N1 - Cited By :45 Export Date: 27 January 2017 CODEN: BONSE Correspondence Address: Virgós, E.; Inst. de Invest. en Recurs. 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(1992) Biological Conservation, 61, pp. 203-208; Langley, P.J.W., Yalden, D.W., The decline of the rarer carnivores in Great Britain during the nineteenth century (1977) Mammal Review, 7, pp. 95-116; Moreno, S., Villafuerte, R., Traditional management of scrubland for the conservation of rabbits and their predators in Doñana National Park, Spain (1995) Biological Conservation, 72, pp. 81-85; Nowell, K., Jackson, P., (1996) The Wild Cats: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan, , International Union for Nature Conservation/Cat Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland; Ozenda, P., (1982) Les Vegetaux Dans le Biosphère, , Doin Editeurs, Paris; Palma, L., Beja, P., Rodrigues, M., The use of sighting data to analyse Iberian lynx habitat and distribution (1999) Journal of Applied Ecology, 36, pp. 812-824; Parent, G.H., La migration récente, à caractère invasionnel, du chat sauvage, Felis silvestris silvestris Schreber, en Lorraine Belge (1975) Mammalia, 39, pp. 251-288; Ragni, B., Observations on the ecology and behaviour of the wild cat (Felis silvestris Schreber, 1777) in Italy (1978) Carnivore Genetics Newsletters, 3, pp. 270-274; Ragni, B., Gatto selvatico Felis silvestris Schreber, 1777 (1981) Distribuzione e Biología di 22 Specie di Mamíferi in Italia, Roma, pp. 105-113. , Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome; Rivas-Martínez, S., Fernández-González, F., Sánchez-Mata, D., El sistema central: De la sierra de ayllón a serra da estrela (1987) La Vegetación de España, pp. 419-451. , Peinado M. and Rivas-Martínez S. (eds). Publicaciones Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain; (1997) Atlas Provisional de los Carnívoros de la Comunidad Valenciana, , Dirección General del Medio Natural, Generalitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Sarmento, P., Feeding ecology of the European wildcat Felis silvestris in Portugal (1996) Acta Theriologica, 41, pp. 409-414; Schauenberg, P., Elements d'ecologie du chat forestier d'Europe Felis silvestris Schreber, 1777 (1981) Revue d'Écologie (Terre et Vie), 35, pp. 3-36; Scott, R., Easterbee, N., Jefferies, D., (1992) A Radio-tracking Study of Wildcats in Western Scotland. Seminar on the Biology and Conservation of the Wildcat (Felis silvestris), pp. 94-97. , Nancy, France, 23-25 September 1992. 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Société Française pour l'Etude et la Protection des Mammifères (S.F.E.P.M.), Bohallard, Puceul, France; Underwood, A.J., (1996) Experiments in Ecology, , Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK; Urra, F., Utilización del espacio por el gato montés (Felis silvestris) en Navarra (1997) III Jornadas Españolas de Conservación y Estudio de Mamíferos, Castelló d'Empúries (Girona), 5-7 Diciembre 1997, p. 86. , Sociedad Española para la Conservación y Estudio de los Mamíferos (SECEM), Malaga, Spain; Virgós, E., Casanovas, J.G., Distribution patterns of the stone marten (Martes foina) in Mediterranean mountains of central Spain (1998) Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde, 63, pp. 193-199; Wittmer, H.U., Home range size, movements, and habitat utilisation of three male European wildcats (Felis silvestris Schreber, 1777) in Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany) (2001) Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde, 66, pp. 365-370

PY - 2003/5/1

Y1 - 2003/5/1

N2 - The European wildcat (Felis silvestris) is a threatened species in Europe. Suitable management of forests has been considered crucial for its conservation in Europe. However, this recommendation may not be general due to the lack of studies that test these hypotheses in the Mediterranean area, where landscapes are very different from those of central-north Europe. In this study, wild-living cat habitat associations were analyzed by means of scat surveys in 78 areas distributed in the four main vegetation types of the Mediterranean area of central Spain, where feral cat populations are probably scarce and restricted. Results show higher occurrences of wild-living cats in landscapes covered by scrub-pastureland mosaics rather than forests. Several applied recommendations are given: (1) to include the scrub-pastureland mosaics as protected habitats for wildcats; (2) to encourage further studies about the importance of this habitat in other areas; (3) to avoid the extensive scrubland removal associated with management practices against fires or infrastructure development; and (4) to promote land management practices that enhance these mosaics, and to use shrub species in the reforestation programmes founded by the European Agricultural Policy.

AB - The European wildcat (Felis silvestris) is a threatened species in Europe. Suitable management of forests has been considered crucial for its conservation in Europe. However, this recommendation may not be general due to the lack of studies that test these hypotheses in the Mediterranean area, where landscapes are very different from those of central-north Europe. In this study, wild-living cat habitat associations were analyzed by means of scat surveys in 78 areas distributed in the four main vegetation types of the Mediterranean area of central Spain, where feral cat populations are probably scarce and restricted. Results show higher occurrences of wild-living cats in landscapes covered by scrub-pastureland mosaics rather than forests. Several applied recommendations are given: (1) to include the scrub-pastureland mosaics as protected habitats for wildcats; (2) to encourage further studies about the importance of this habitat in other areas; (3) to avoid the extensive scrubland removal associated with management practices against fires or infrastructure development; and (4) to promote land management practices that enhance these mosaics, and to use shrub species in the reforestation programmes founded by the European Agricultural Policy.

KW - Felis silvestris

KW - Forests

KW - Landscape and micro-habitat scales

KW - Mediterranean area

KW - Scrublands

KW - Wild-living cats

KW - conservation management

KW - endangered species

KW - felid

KW - habitat conservation

KW - habitat mosaic

KW - pasture

KW - scrub

KW - Spain

KW - Felidae

KW - Felis

KW - Felis catus

KW - Scatophagus argus

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037403284&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1023/A:1022821708594

DO - 10.1023/A:1022821708594

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 12

SP - 921

EP - 935

JO - Biodiversity and Conservation

JF - Biodiversity and Conservation

SN - 0960-3115

IS - 5

ER -