The impact of several environmental factors on density of woodcocks (Scolopax rusticola) wintering in a southern European region / 
Arizaga A., Crespo-Diaz A., Ansorregi F., Galdós A., Urruzola A., Iriarte E. 
 -- [S.l.]:   Springer Verlag,   5/2015. 
<br/><br/> http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10344-015-0908-6 
<br/><br/> Restringido 
<br/><br/> Abstract Knowledge of spatio-temporal animal distribution<br/>patterns is one of the main chapters of wildlife research, not<br/>only due to its biological and ecological importance but also<br/>its usefulness in the conservation and management of animal<br/>populations. Iberia is a target wintering region for the Eurasian<br/>woodcock (Scolopax rusticola). The aim of the present work<br/>is to determine which factors shape woodcock distribution<br/>patterns during the winter period. To ascertain this, we used<br/>data collected over three consecutive years (winter of 2010/2011–2012/2013) in a region from northern Iberia<br/>(Gipuzkoa). Woodcock numbers (W) were modeled using<br/>generalized linear mixed models. The models that best fitted<br/>our data included a significant effect of latitude, land uses,<br/>sampling year, and type of meadow on W (once weighted<br/>for the number of visits and the area of each meadow).<br/>Overall, W tended to be lower in sites from southern Gipuzkoa, in those areas where there was a higher proportion of tree plantations, in grazed mountain pastures, and during the winters of 2011 and 2012 in relation to 2010 (mean±SD values in 2010, 0.4±0.5 woodcocks/ha; 2011, 0.2±0.3 woodcocks/ha; 2012, 0.2±0.4 woodcocks/ha). Part of the observed variance was due to the Byear^ effect, which could include several potential explanatory variables. Future research should try to add variables such as year-associated meteorological conditions, at both breeding and non-breeding quarters. Locally, a mosaic of some forest/woodland with abundant meadows would allow numbers of woodcocks to reach an optimum within the region. Moreover, the species was more abundant in the north; hence, the zones close to the coast had more importance from a conservation standpoint. 
<br/><br/>Arizaga A., Crespo-Diaz A., Ansorregi F., Galdós A., Urruzola A., Iriarte E. 2015. The impact of several environmental factors on density of woodcocks (Scolopax rusticola) wintering in a southern European region. Eur. J. Wildl. Res.61(3): 407-413 DOI 10.1007/s10344-015-0908-6 
<br/><br/><label>Subjects--Topical Terms: </label><br/>Coastal regions<br/>Game bird<br/>Gipuzkoa<br/>Hunting<br/>Land uses<br/>Population size
<br/><br/><label>Index Terms--Genre/Form: </label><br/>Artículo científico