title: Assessing the impact of removal scenarios on population viability of a threatened, long-lived avian scavenger.
abstract: The removal of eggs or chicks from wild populations to create captive populations, reinforce free-ranging populations or reintroduce species into the wild is a restoration tool that requires an assessment of potential detrimental effects upon the donor population. This is an absolute prerequisite when wild donor populations are scarce and small. Here, we forecast the population trend of the largest European population of the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) over the next 30 years under different demographic and management scenarios (removal of eggs, chicks or fledglings). Projections derived from the combination of a PDP model (Population Dynamic P-system) and a Box-Behnken design would lead to a decline in 77% of all 57 scenarios analysed. Among the 13 scenarios predicting a population increase, only 4 seem realistic in terms of growth rate (0.04%-1.01%), at least if current age at first breeding and productivity would remain constant over time. Our simulations thus suggest that most extraction scenarios would have detrimental effects on the demography of the donor population. Release of captive-born young or removal of only the second hatched chick for subsequent captive rearing and translocation into the wild appear to represent much better supplementation and reintroduction options in this threatened species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Production (Division of Wildlife), Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain.|Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse, 6 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Margalida
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain.
authors.forename: Ma Àngels
authors.initials: MÀ
authors.lastname: Colomer
authors.affiliation: Population Ecology Group, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marques 21, E-07190 Esporles, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oro
authors.affiliation: Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse, 6 3012 Bern, Switzerland.|Swiss Ornithological Institute, Valais Field Station, Rue du Rhône 11, 1950 Sion, Switzerland.|Grupo de Investigaciones de la Biodiversidad, IADIZA, CONICET-CCT, Av. Ruiz Leal, Parque General San Martín, Mendoza, Argentina.
authors.forename: Raphaël
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arlettaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC. Avda de Américo Vespucio s/n, Isla de la Cartuja, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Donázar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D056727:Endangered Species; D046093:Falconiformes / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013030:Spain