Rewilding through inappropriate species introduction: The case of European bison in Spain

Abstract Most European rewilding initiatives are based on the recovery of large herbivores, particularly European bison Bison bonasus, aiming at restoring ecosystem processes and increase trophic complexity. The growing support for the release of bison as a wild species, and change its legal status,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Carlos Nores, Diego Álvarez‐Laó, Alberto Navarro, Francisco Javier Pérez‐Barbería, Pedro María Castaños, Jone Castaños de la Fuente, Arturo Morales Muñiz, Concepción Azorit, Joaquín Muñoz‐Cobo, Carlos Fernández Delgado, Carlos Granado Lorencio, Paul Palmqvist, Ramón Soriguer, Miguel Delibes, Montserrat Vilà, Miguel Simón, Baltasar Cabezudo, Carmen Galán, Emili García‐Berthou, Ana Almodóvar, Benigno Elvira, Pedro Brufao Curiel, Adriá Casinos, Juan Herrero, Juan Carlos Blanco, Ricardo García‐González, David Nogués‐Bravo, Antoni Margalida, Brendan Fisher, Raphaël Arlettaz, Iain J. Gordon, Arne Ludwig, Sandro Lovari, Brian D. Cook, Juan Carranza, Sándor Csányi, Marco Apollonio, Rafał Kowalczyk, Steve Demarais, José Vicente López‐Bao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-12-01
Series:Conservation Science and Practice
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13221
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850246719624708096
author Carlos Nores
Diego Álvarez‐Laó
Alberto Navarro
Francisco Javier Pérez‐Barbería
Pedro María Castaños
Jone Castaños de la Fuente
Arturo Morales Muñiz
Concepción Azorit
Joaquín Muñoz‐Cobo
Carlos Fernández Delgado
Carlos Granado Lorencio
Paul Palmqvist
Ramón Soriguer
Miguel Delibes
Montserrat Vilà
Miguel Simón
Baltasar Cabezudo
Carmen Galán
Emili García‐Berthou
Ana Almodóvar
Benigno Elvira
Pedro Brufao Curiel
Adriá Casinos
Juan Herrero
Juan Carlos Blanco
Ricardo García‐González
David Nogués‐Bravo
Antoni Margalida
Brendan Fisher
Raphaël Arlettaz
Iain J. Gordon
Arne Ludwig
Sandro Lovari
Brian D. Cook
Juan Carranza
Sándor Csányi
Marco Apollonio
Rafał Kowalczyk
Steve Demarais
José Vicente López‐Bao
author_facet Carlos Nores
Diego Álvarez‐Laó
Alberto Navarro
Francisco Javier Pérez‐Barbería
Pedro María Castaños
Jone Castaños de la Fuente
Arturo Morales Muñiz
Concepción Azorit
Joaquín Muñoz‐Cobo
Carlos Fernández Delgado
Carlos Granado Lorencio
Paul Palmqvist
Ramón Soriguer
Miguel Delibes
Montserrat Vilà
Miguel Simón
Baltasar Cabezudo
Carmen Galán
Emili García‐Berthou
Ana Almodóvar
Benigno Elvira
Pedro Brufao Curiel
Adriá Casinos
Juan Herrero
Juan Carlos Blanco
Ricardo García‐González
David Nogués‐Bravo
Antoni Margalida
Brendan Fisher
Raphaël Arlettaz
Iain J. Gordon
Arne Ludwig
Sandro Lovari
Brian D. Cook
Juan Carranza
Sándor Csányi
Marco Apollonio
Rafał Kowalczyk
Steve Demarais
José Vicente López‐Bao
author_sort Carlos Nores
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Most European rewilding initiatives are based on the recovery of large herbivores, particularly European bison Bison bonasus, aiming at restoring ecosystem processes and increase trophic complexity. The growing support for the release of bison as a wild species, and change its legal status, in Spain, as an ecological analogue of the extinct steppe bison Bison priscus, makes it an excellent example to reflect the limits of a rewilding biogeographically advisable. We discuss if this initiative could be justified from ecological, biogeographical, ethical, and legal reasons. Besides remarkable taxonomic and functional differences between both bison species, the Mediterranean environment, under the present and future climatic scenarios, does not suit the European bison. Furthermore, there is no evidence to support the presumption that the European bison was ever present in the Iberian Peninsula, with legal implications. We expect that our approach will be inspirational for similar assessments on rewilding initiatives globally.
format Article
id doaj-art-93a2bf7ee6d24f99b8f551bdbab80071
institution OA Journals
issn 2578-4854
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Conservation Science and Practice
spelling doaj-art-93a2bf7ee6d24f99b8f551bdbab800712025-08-20T01:59:08ZengWileyConservation Science and Practice2578-48542024-12-01612n/an/a10.1111/csp2.13221Rewilding through inappropriate species introduction: The case of European bison in SpainCarlos Nores0Diego Álvarez‐Laó1Alberto Navarro2Francisco Javier Pérez‐Barbería3Pedro María Castaños4Jone Castaños de la Fuente5Arturo Morales Muñiz6Concepción Azorit7Joaquín Muñoz‐Cobo8Carlos Fernández Delgado9Carlos Granado Lorencio10Paul Palmqvist11Ramón Soriguer12Miguel Delibes13Montserrat Vilà14Miguel Simón15Baltasar Cabezudo16Carmen Galán17Emili García‐Berthou18Ana Almodóvar19Benigno Elvira20Pedro Brufao Curiel21Adriá Casinos22Juan Herrero23Juan Carlos Blanco24Ricardo García‐González25David Nogués‐Bravo26Antoni Margalida27Brendan Fisher28Raphaël Arlettaz29Iain J. Gordon30Arne Ludwig31Sandro Lovari32Brian D. Cook33Juan Carranza34Sándor Csányi35Marco Apollonio36Rafał Kowalczyk37Steve Demarais38José Vicente López‐Bao39INDUROT Universidad de Oviedo, Campus de Mieres Mieres SpainDepartamento de Geología, Área de Paleontología Universidad de Oviedo Oviedo SpainBiodiversity Research Institute (CSIC – Oviedo University – Principality of Asturias) Oviedo University Mieres SpainBiodiversity Research Institute (CSIC – Oviedo University – Principality of Asturias) Oviedo University Mieres SpainGEO‐Q Sociedad de Ciencia Aranzadi Leioa Vizcaya SpainGEO‐Q Sociedad de Ciencia Aranzadi Leioa Vizcaya SpainLaboratorio de Arqueozoología Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid SpainDepartamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología Universidad de Jaén Jaén SpainDepartamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología Universidad de Jaén Jaén SpainDepartamento de Zoología Campus Universitario de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba Córdoba SpainDartamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología Universidad de Sevilla Sevilla SpainDepartamento de Ecología & Geología, Facultad de Ciencias Universidad de Málaga, Campus Universitario de Teatinos Málaga SpainDepartamento de Biología de la Conservación y Cambio Global Estación Biológica de Doñana‐CSIC Sevilla SpainDepartamento de Biología de la Conservación y Cambio Global Estación Biológica de Doñana‐CSIC Sevilla SpainDepartamento de Biología de la Conservación y Cambio Global Estación Biológica de Doñana‐CSIC Sevilla SpainAvda N323, Urbanización La Huerta19 Jaén SpainDepartamento de Botánica y Fisiología Vegetal, Facultad de Ciencias Universidad de Málaga, Campus Universitario de Teatinos Málaga SpainDepartamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal, Campus de Rabanales Universidad de Córdoba Córdoba SpainGRECO, Instituto de Ecología Acuática Universitat de Girona Girona SpainDepartamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad Complutense de Madrid Madrid SpainDepartamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad Complutense de Madrid Madrid SpainDepartamento de Derecho Público, Derecho Administrativo, Facultad de Derecho Universidad de Extremadura Cáceres SpainDepartament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona SpainÁrea de Ecología, Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias y del Medio Natural, Escuela Politécnica Superior Universidad de Zaragoza Huesca SpainCBC, Consultores en Biología de la Conservación SL Madrid SpainDepartamento de Biodiversidad y Restauración Ambiental Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE‐CSIC) Jaca SpainCenter for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Copenhagen Copenhagen DenmarkGrupo de Innvestigación en Ecología y Gestión de la Fauna Silvestre IREC (CSIC‐UCLM‐JCCM) Ciudad Real SpainRubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Vermont Burlington Vermont USAInstitute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern SwitzerlandANU, Fenner School of Environme & Society Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory AustraliaDepartment of Evolutionary Genetics Leibniz‐Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin GermanyResearch Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences University of Siena Siena ItalyInstitute for Applied Ecology University of Canberra Canberra Australian Capital Territory AustraliaWildlife Research Unit (UIRCP) University of Cordoba Cordoba SpainDepartment of Wildlife Biology and Management Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences Gödöllő HungaryDepartment of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari ItalyDepartment of Population Ecology, Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences Białowieża PolandTaylor Chair in Applied Big Game Research and Instruction, Forest and Wildlife Research Center Mississippi State University Mississippi State Mississippi USABiodiversity Research Institute (CSIC – Oviedo University – Principality of Asturias) Oviedo University Mieres SpainAbstract Most European rewilding initiatives are based on the recovery of large herbivores, particularly European bison Bison bonasus, aiming at restoring ecosystem processes and increase trophic complexity. The growing support for the release of bison as a wild species, and change its legal status, in Spain, as an ecological analogue of the extinct steppe bison Bison priscus, makes it an excellent example to reflect the limits of a rewilding biogeographically advisable. We discuss if this initiative could be justified from ecological, biogeographical, ethical, and legal reasons. Besides remarkable taxonomic and functional differences between both bison species, the Mediterranean environment, under the present and future climatic scenarios, does not suit the European bison. Furthermore, there is no evidence to support the presumption that the European bison was ever present in the Iberian Peninsula, with legal implications. We expect that our approach will be inspirational for similar assessments on rewilding initiatives globally.https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13221Bisonecological restorationMediterraneanRewildingspecies introduction
spellingShingle Carlos Nores
Diego Álvarez‐Laó
Alberto Navarro
Francisco Javier Pérez‐Barbería
Pedro María Castaños
Jone Castaños de la Fuente
Arturo Morales Muñiz
Concepción Azorit
Joaquín Muñoz‐Cobo
Carlos Fernández Delgado
Carlos Granado Lorencio
Paul Palmqvist
Ramón Soriguer
Miguel Delibes
Montserrat Vilà
Miguel Simón
Baltasar Cabezudo
Carmen Galán
Emili García‐Berthou
Ana Almodóvar
Benigno Elvira
Pedro Brufao Curiel
Adriá Casinos
Juan Herrero
Juan Carlos Blanco
Ricardo García‐González
David Nogués‐Bravo
Antoni Margalida
Brendan Fisher
Raphaël Arlettaz
Iain J. Gordon
Arne Ludwig
Sandro Lovari
Brian D. Cook
Juan Carranza
Sándor Csányi
Marco Apollonio
Rafał Kowalczyk
Steve Demarais
José Vicente López‐Bao
Rewilding through inappropriate species introduction: The case of European bison in Spain
Conservation Science and Practice
Bison
ecological restoration
Mediterranean
Rewilding
species introduction
title Rewilding through inappropriate species introduction: The case of European bison in Spain
title_full Rewilding through inappropriate species introduction: The case of European bison in Spain
title_fullStr Rewilding through inappropriate species introduction: The case of European bison in Spain
title_full_unstemmed Rewilding through inappropriate species introduction: The case of European bison in Spain
title_short Rewilding through inappropriate species introduction: The case of European bison in Spain
title_sort rewilding through inappropriate species introduction the case of european bison in spain
topic Bison
ecological restoration
Mediterranean
Rewilding
species introduction
url https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13221
work_keys_str_mv AT carlosnores rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT diegoalvarezlao rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT albertonavarro rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT franciscojavierperezbarberia rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT pedromariacastanos rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT jonecastanosdelafuente rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT arturomoralesmuniz rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT concepcionazorit rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT joaquinmunozcobo rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT carlosfernandezdelgado rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT carlosgranadolorencio rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT paulpalmqvist rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT ramonsoriguer rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT migueldelibes rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT montserratvila rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT miguelsimon rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT baltasarcabezudo rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT carmengalan rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT emiligarciaberthou rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT anaalmodovar rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT benignoelvira rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT pedrobrufaocuriel rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT adriacasinos rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT juanherrero rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT juancarlosblanco rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT ricardogarciagonzalez rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT davidnoguesbravo rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT antonimargalida rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT brendanfisher rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT raphaelarlettaz rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT iainjgordon rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT arneludwig rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT sandrolovari rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT briandcook rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT juancarranza rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT sandorcsanyi rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT marcoapollonio rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT rafałkowalczyk rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT stevedemarais rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain
AT josevicentelopezbao rewildingthroughinappropriatespeciesintroductionthecaseofeuropeanbisoninspain