Individual farm feeding stations in Grands Causses Sassari 30 th of - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Individual farm feeding stations in Grands Causses Sassari – 30 th of June 2016 Raphaël Néouze – LPO Grands Causses

Acknowledgements • Several tables from Olivier DURIEZ are used in this talk. • Most photos from Bruno BERTHEMY • Several partners are involved in this common work Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Intention of this presentation • Give a few highlights about what was experimented in Grands Causses • Raise awareness among vulture conservationists and their partners • Present the current research programs in relation to that subject Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

P RESENTATIONS

The vulture programs in France Southern Alps Diois 1999 Grands Causses Jonte - 1981-1986 Baronnies 1991 - 1996 Verdon 1999 - 2004 Navacelle Western Pyrenees 1993-1998 (native population) Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Situation of Grands Causses Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Grands Causses = Many cheep Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Grands Causses = Many birds Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Description of the Grands Causses • Wide and high “plateau” that are divided by deep canyons Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

History of the Grands Causses conservation programs • 1968 à 1981 : Reintroduction of the Griffon vulture • 1982 : Spontaneous come back of the Egyptian vulture • 1992 à 2004 : Reintroduction of the Black vulture • 2012… Reintroduction of the bearded vulture Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Partnership with scientists • Historical partnership since the 80’s with : – Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN) – Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) • For statistics, monitoring analysis, central data base, GPS project, dynamics of populations.... 1.0 200 Model constant Model nb fledglings Model nb fledglings / feeding sites 0.9 nb feeding sites Survival rate +/- 95% CI 150 Number of feeding sites 0.8 0.7 100 0.6 0.5 50 Griffon Vulture 0.4 Sardinia 0.3 0 30 th June 2016 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Reproduction of Griffon Vultures in Grands Causses • A very regular trend... 600 1 0,9 500 0,8 0,7 400 0,6 300 0,5 0,4 200 0,3 0,2 100 0,1 0 0 Griffon Vulture Pontes Jeunes produits Succès reproducteur Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Evolutions… Nb de couples 2 1 Temps Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

At the beginning : Heavy feeding stations 1981 – 2001: 4 official « heavy » feeding sites ( very close to colonies) carrions collected at 62 local farms  Food highly predictable in time and space  Intense intra specific competition Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

T HE BEGINNING OF FARM FEEDING STATIONS

In the 90’s farmers are demanding for individual feeding stations • Inter-ministerial Order 7/08/1998 : Acknowledgement of the vulture’s role as natural collaborators in the management of carcasses • Since then : legal possibility for farmers to use Vultures has carrion’s disposal system to get rid of farm carrions • First farm feeding station settled in Grand Causses in 2001 • In France we call them “Placette” Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Decreases sanitary threats Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Improve food availability First, you type « Grands Causses », then « satellite overview », then choose « sheep » and at last, you click on « latest deceased » Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Technical description • A space of minimum 1000 m 2 (30 m x 30 m) • Dominant and open position (2 sides) • Good aerology • A fence (grid of 90 cm high mini…) that give a physical existence to the device • A mean to attach carrions • The farmer build the station Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Draft of a farm feeding station Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Reduce threats close to the farm feeding stations Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

An exemple of a farm feeding station Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Another exemple with concrete plate and chain Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Some other examples Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Another exemple… Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Another exemple… Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

A working Farm feeding station or « placette » Griffon Vulture Sardinia Photo : Olivier Duriez 30 th June 2016

Another exemple… seen from the farm Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Farmer building the fence Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

How do farm feeding stations work ? – Farmer has an official authorization – Farmer manages the disposal his own way – No more than 300 kg at the same time – Taxes reduction of 60 % – Farmer record on a file, sent every year to administration – Farmer clean the “placette” by burning bones and remaining – Reduce sanitary risks – Reduce CO 2 emissions and transport costs Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Record of carcass deposits Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Situation of the farm feeding stations in Grands Causses Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Situation of the farm feeding stations and GV home range Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Situation of food supply for griffon vultures in Grands Causses • The farms feeding stations – 152 placettes in Grands Causses • The heavy feeding stations – 2 HFP, 21 farmers collected – ~ 20 tons collected of carrions – Allows us to capture, read ring codes, communicate and monitor… • Natural disposal service by vultures, represents less tha1% of the total tonnage of quartering service in France Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

How a farmer can apply for a farm feeding station ? – The farmer makes a demand as volunteer – LPO GC works with the farmer on a technical level to prepare the application file – The vet administration check the application details – The Vulture & Livestock comity validate the beginning of construction – The farmer build the station himself – The administration and LPO visit the station and validate or ask for more work – Local “Préfet” sign the “décret” of authorisation for the use of the station – The farmer sign a management convention Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Feeding stations in France Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016

C REATION OF A REGIONAL COMITY FOR V ULTURES AND L IVESTOCK

Creation of a regional comity for Vultures & Livestock • Initiated by LPO and breeders in 2010 • Gather together : – Farmers’ organisations and unions – Organisations that run vultures conservation programs – State administrations and parks (national and regional) – Scientists – Environmental police and forestry administration – Hunters organisations – Veterinarian’s organisations – Tourism public services • 6 “départements” concerned • Meet twice a year and work together on an action Griffon Vulture plan supervised by a “Préfet” Sardinia 30 th June 2016

Action plan of the regional comity for Vultures & Livestock • 4 themes of work : 1. Stating and improving common and global procedures on Vultures & Livestock interactions 2. Monitoring and management of food availability for vultures 3. Communication 4. Survey and scientific programs : • Monitoring of vulture’s populations • Evaluation of livestock health and evolution Griffon Vulture • New research programs… Sardinia 30 th June 2016

E XAMPLES OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROGRAMS BASED ON F ARM FEEDING STATIONS

Competition for food: dominance Videos of focal 0,035 individual 0,03 mean +/- standard deviation 0,025 n=28 n=23 n=20 n=27 interaction rate 0,02 agressiveness dominance 0,015 Adults dominant over younger birds 0,01 No difference between 0,005 Heavy FS / Farm FS Griffon Vulture 0 Sardinia old adults young adults immature juveniles (Bosè & Sarrazin 2007 Ibis) 30 th June 2016

Competition for food: Age-ratio at feeding events % young increases with time and is higher in Farm feeding stations 100 Summer Heavy feeding station Light feeding station 80 % young birds 60 40 20 Adults predominant when meat, Meat Skeletton immatures when skeletton 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Time since beginning (min) Griffon Vulture Sardinia  young birds prospect more at light FS? 30 th June 2016 (Duriez, unpublished)

Competition for food: prospection behaviours GPS tracking of individual griffon vultures Pilot study in 2009 Griffon Vulture Sardinia 30 th June 2016 TechnoSmart

Competition for food: prospection behaviours Vultures ’ foraging behaviour - Obligate scavengers -Central place foragers (colonies) - Forage and feed in group With predictable ressources With unpredictable ressources  Traplining strategy?  Random strategy? Feeding stations

Results : Repetitivity of prospection routes Key Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Feedi ng stations Nest