Dataset Information

Urban waste disposal explains the distribution of Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) in an Amazonian metropolis: management implications for birdstrikes and urban planning.

ABSTRACT: Collision rates between aircraft and birds have been rising worldwide. The increases in both air traffic and population sizes of large-bodied birds in cities lacking urban planning result in human-wildlife conflicts, economic loss and even lethal casualties. Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) represent the most hazardous bird to Brazilian civil and military aviation on the basis of their flight behavior, body mass and consequently physical damage to aircraft following collisions. This study investigated how storage apparatus and type of organic residue discarded in public street markets modulate the spatial distribution and abundance of urban Black Vultures in the largest city in the Amazon (Manaus, Brazil). We estimated Black Vulture abundance in relation to the type of solid human waste (animal or plant), the type of waste storage containers and market sizes in terms of the number of vendor stalls at 20 public markets. We also visually quantified the abundance of Black Vultures in urban markets in relation to air traffic. Our results suggest that urban solid waste storage procedures currently used (or the lack thereof) are related to the occurrence and abundance of Black Vultures. Moreover, storage type and the proportion of animal protein (red meat and fish) within rubbish bins directly affects foraging aggregations in vultures. We recommend that policymakers should invest more efforts in building larger and more resistant closable waste containers to avoid organic solid waste exposure. We also identified five outdoor markets as urgent priorities to improve waste disposal. Finally, our waste management guidelines would not only reduce aviation collision risks but also benefit human health and well-being in most cities.

SUBMITTER: de Araujo GM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6140672 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Urban waste disposal explains the distribution of Black Vultures (<i>Coragyps atratus</i>) in an Amazonian metropolis: management implications for birdstrikes and urban planning.

de Araujo Giase M GM Peres Carlos A CA Baccaro Fabricio B FB Guerta Rafael S RS

PeerJ 20180914

Collision rates between aircraft and birds have been rising worldwide. The increases in both air traffic and population sizes of large-bodied birds in cities lacking urban planning result in human-wildlife conflicts, economic loss and even lethal casualties. Black Vultures (<i>Coragyps atratus</i>) represent the most hazardous bird to Brazilian civil and military aviation on the basis of their flight behavior, body mass and consequently physical damage to aircraft following collisions. This stud ...[more]

PMID: 30233993

Similar Datasets

Project description:Knowledge of black vulture (Coragyps atratus) and turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) spatial ecology is surprisingly limited despite their vital ecological roles. Fine-scale assessments of space use patterns and resource selection are particularly lacking, although development of tracking technologies has allowed data collection at finer temporal and spatial resolution. Objectives of this study were to conduct the first assessment of monthly home range and core area sizes of resident black and turkey vultures with consideration to sex, as well as elucidate differences in monthly, seasonal, and annual activity patterns based on fine-scale movement data analyses. We collected 2.8-million locations for 9 black and 9 turkey vultures from June 2013 -August 2015 using solar-powered GSM/GPS transmitters. We quantified home ranges and core areas using the dynamic Brownian bridge movement model and evaluated differences as a function of species, sex, and month. Mean monthly home ranges for turkey vultures were ~50% larger than those of black vultures, although mean core area sizes did not differ between species. Turkey vulture home ranges varied little across months, with exception to a notable reduction in space-use in May, which corresponds with timing of chick-rearing activities. Black vulture home ranges and core areas as well as turkey vulture core areas were larger in breeding season months (January-April). Comparison of space use between male and female vultures was only possible for black vultures, and space use was only slightly larger for females during breeding months (February-May). Analysis of activity patterns revealed turkey vultures spend more time in flight and switch motion states (between flight and stationary) more frequently than black vultures across temporal scales. This study reveals substantive variability in space use and activity rates between sympatric black and turkey vultures, providing insights into potential behavioral mechanisms contributing to niche differentiation between these species.

Dataset Information

Urban waste disposal explains the distribution of Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) in an Amazonian metropolis: management implications for birdstrikes and urban planning.

Publications

Urban waste disposal explains the distribution of Black Vultures (<i>Coragyps atratus</i>) in an Amazonian metropolis: management implications for birdstrikes and urban planning.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets