GANGAMOVE
Moving with the flood: spatial ecology, movement strategies and connectivity of the pin-tailed sandgrouse population in Doñana National Park in relation to marshland dynamics, land use change and agriculture intensification (2021-2024)
SUMMARY
In this project we are using a unique combination of multitemporal habitat suitability models and GPS tracking data to better understand habitat requirements and shifts in movement strategies of sandgrouse with variations in seasonal flooding and primary productivity.
The main objectives are:
1) To assess spatial and temporal variations in suitable areas for sandgrouse in Doñana National Park, Spain, based on 50 years of georeferenced locations with flock size data and historical time series of flooding, primary productivity and land cover data.
2) To characterize sandgrouse movement in Doñana NP using state-of the-art GPS tracking and modelling, in order to test how movement strategies vary with habitat suitability dynamics.
3) To evaluate the degree of connectivity of the Doñana NP population with other sandgrouse populations. This information is particularly important to determine the degree of isolation of the sandgrouse population in Doñana NP, one of the last strongholds in Andalusia.
The results of this project will contribute to our understanding of animal movement under changing environmental conditions and will better inform conservation actions to halt the decline of the sandgrouse population in Doñana NP.