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

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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.
Original languageEnglish
JournalBiodiversity and Conservation
Volume12
Issue number5
Pages (from-to)921-935
Number of pages15
ISSN0960-3115
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.05.2003

Bibliographical note

Cited By :45

Export Date: 27 January 2017

CODEN: BONSE

Correspondence Address: Virgós, E.; Inst. de Invest. en Recurs. Cineget., CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, C/Libertad 7A, E-13004 Ciudad Real, Spain; email: evirgos@irec.uclm.es

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    Research areas

  • Felis silvestris, Forests, Landscape and micro-habitat scales, Mediterranean area, Scrublands, Wild-living cats, conservation management, endangered species, felid, habitat conservation, habitat mosaic, pasture, scrub, Spain, Felidae, Felis, Felis catus, Scatophagus argus

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