RT Journal Article
T1 Three decades of research on Iberian wild Carnivora: trends, highlights, and future directions
A1 Rosalino, Luís
A1 Matias, Gonçalo
A1 Carvalho, João
A1 Álvares, Francisco
A1 Azevedo, Alexandre
A1 Bandeira, Victor
A1 Fernandes, Carlos
A1 Ferreras, Pablo
A1 Gortázar, Christian
A1 Lozano Mendoza, Jorge
A1 Monterroso, Pedro
A1 Palomares, Francisco
A1 Santos, Nuno
A1 Serra, Rodrigo
A1 Silva, André Pinto da
A1 Virgós, Emílio
A1 Santos‐Reis, Margarida
AB Mammalian carnivores (Carnivora) are crucial components of landscapes, because of both their top-down effects on lower trophic level species and their sensitivity to bottom-up processes, such as limited food resources (e.g. due to climate instability). To understand their functional role in Iberian ecosystems more clearly, and to define effective plans for their management and conservation, it is crucial to sum up the available regional knowledge that can inform decision-making processes.We review bio-ecological research on wild Iberian carnivores over 30 years (1990–2020) and identify key knowledge gaps and priority avenues for future research. Based on a systematic review of the scientific literature, we aimed to: 1) summarise current knowledge; 2) assess species and ecoregion representativeness; 3) identify key research topics addressed and those lacking investment and 4) suggest key future research priorities.We examined 920 peer-reviewed articles involving wild Iberian mammalian carnivores, focusing on different bio-ecological issues. We found considerable heterogeneity in the topics and species investigated, as well as in the study areas (ecoregions) explored, with a mismatch between the research priorities identified by researchers and the knowledge gaps.We suggest that future research should prioritise: 1) rear-edge populations that are at the southwestern limits of the species' Eurasian range, thus being particularly sensitive to the increasing fragmentation and aridity of Iberian ecosystems, and that were less studied (e.g. brown bear Ursus arctos, stoat Mustela erminea, European mink Mustela lutreola and pine marten Martes martes); 2) less-studied topics, such as morphometry and body condition, ecophysiology, and reproductive biology, all of which provide essential information for species' management and conservation and 3) specific ecoregions for which studies on species' adaptations to environmental and anthropic contexts are lacking (e.g. northern ecoregions of Iberia, Iberian conifer forests and Northwest Iberian montane forests). Our review provides the necessary background to support future research on carnivore populations in Iberia.
PB Wiley
SN 0305-1838
YR 2023
FD 2023
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/101775
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/101775
LA eng
NO Rosalino, Luís M., et al. «Three Decades of Research on Iberian Wild Carnivora: Trends, Highlights, and Future Directions». Mammal Review, vol. 53, n.o 4, octubre de 2023, pp. 254-70. https://doi.org/10.1111/mam.12322.
NO João Carvalho was supported by a research contract (CEECIND/01428/2018) from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT). Nuno Santos was also supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (SFRH/BPD/116596/2016). Carlos Fernandes appreciates the support of cE3c through an Assistant Researcher contract (FCiência.ID contract #366) and FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) for Portuguese National Funds attributed to cE3c within the strategic project UID/BIA/00329/2020. Carlos Fernandes also thanks FPUL for a contract of Invited Assistant Professor. Pedro Monterroso was supported by UID/BIA/50027/2021 with funding from FCT/MCTES through national funds. Thanks are due to FCT/MCTES for the financial support to cE3c (UIDB/00329/2020), CHANGE (LA/P/0121/2020) and CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020 + UIDB/50017/2020+ LA/P/0094/2020), through national funds, and FEDER co-funding within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and Compete 2020. This work was also financially supported by: i) project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028204 (WildForests) funded by FEDER, through COMPETE2020—Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI), and by national funds (OE) through FCT/MCTES; Project ref. 2022.03253.PTDC (ForCe), funded by national funds (OE) through FCT; iii) project NORTE-01-0246-FEDER-000063, supported by the Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE2020) under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement and through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
NO Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology
NO European Commission
NO Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme
DS Docta Complutense
RD 31 dic 2025