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Vertebrate damage to Azorean vineyards: the role of the endemic Azores Woodpigeon Columba palumbus azorica

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Abstract

In the Azores, complaints about grape loss to birds have become recurrent. Although winegrowers frequently blame the endemic Azores Woodpigeon Columba palumbus azorica, data about the magnitude of grape damage and the species responsible for them are lacking. This study provides detailed information about grape damage caused by vertebrates on Pico Island, home to the main wine-growing area of the region. Vineyards were monitored during the ripening period in 2017 and 2018. Damage was assessed by determining the number of plucked, pecked and bitten grapes for a total of 850 bunches. Camera traps were placed in 113 enclosures providing detection and consumption rates of vertebrate species. GLM analysis was performed to test the effect of grape variety, distance to the woods, year and time before harvest on grape damage and consumption events. Damage was estimated at 10.3% (± 0.9) in 2017 and 8.7% (± 0.9) in 2018 and mostly consisted of plucked grapes. Ten vertebrate species were detected consuming grapes. Overall, 524 consumption events were registered. The Madeira lizard Teira dugesii, the Azores Blackbird Turdus merula azorensis and rodents (rats Rattus sp. and the house mouse Mus musculus) were responsible for most of those events. The Azores Woodpigeon accounted for three consumption events. GLM analysis showed that damage was greater in vines adjacent to woods and lower in traditional white varieties. This study constitutes an important baseline for the implementation of efficient measures to mitigate grape predation and sheds light on the minor role of the Azores Woodpigeon in grape damage.

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Data availability

The datasets generated and analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the winegrowers for allowing us access to their vineyards to carry out the study and the Direção Regional do Ambiente for the financial support. We also thank three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on a previous version of the manuscript.

Funding

This work was conducted within the framework of the project “Estudo aprofundado da biologia reprodutiva do pombo torcaz dos Açores e avaliação do seu impacto em terras de vinha” (contract number 30/DRA/2016, between Direção Regional do Ambiente and ICETA/CIBIO-UP), supported by “PO Açores 2020” (http://poacores2020.azores.gov.pt/programa-acores-2020/), a programme co-financed by EU structural funds – European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Rémi Fontaine & David Gonçalves

  2. CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal

    Rémi Fontaine & David Gonçalves

  3. BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal

    Rémi Fontaine & David Gonçalves

  4. CIBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO Associate Laboratory, BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning - UNESCO Chair-Land Within Sea: Biodiversity & Sustainability in Atlantic Islands, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal

    Rémi Fontaine

  5. Rua dos Arcos, São Roque do Pico, Portugal

    Diana Zimbron Silva

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R.F., D.Z.S. and D.G. conceived and designed the research. R.F. and D.Z.S. performed data collection. R.F. analysed data and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript. D.G. supervised the study.

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Correspondence to Rémi Fontaine.

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Fontaine, R., Zimbron Silva, D. & Gonçalves, D. Vertebrate damage to Azorean vineyards: the role of the endemic Azores Woodpigeon Columba palumbus azorica. Environ Monit Assess 196, 258 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-024-12390-y

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