Reduced trophic niche breadth is associated with higher productivity in a recovering apex predator population

Abstract

Understanding the trophic and demographic dynamics of apex predators is of paramount importance for ecosystem conservation. Apex predators are usually free from predation, and thus, the main driver of population dynamics is the availability of trophic resources, which affects breeding performance. Albeit food habits have been described in many apex species, the effects of changes in the trophic niche on long-term demographic dynamics are poorly known. We describe the long-term (N = 25 years) changes in trophic niche breadth of a recovering golden eagle population in a Mediterranean landscape (northern Spain) and search for potential correlates with their productivity (i.e., number of fledged eaglets per controlled pair) as a proxy for their breeding performance (N = 290 pair-years). We identified a total of 3475 prey items from 77 species; rabbits, hares, and red-legged partridges were the most frequent prey consumed (overall 51%), followed by roe deer (10%), red-billed chough, red foxes, and woodpigeons, all of them with >5%. Prey diversity in eagles' diet decreased during the study period. Consumption of rabbits and roe deer increased, while that of hares and partridges decreased; no significant trends were observed in the consumption of foxes, choughs, and woodpigeons. Prey diversity and red-legged partridge consumption were negatively correlated with productivity at the territory level, while rabbits, corvids, and pigeons showed a strong positive relationship with productivity. The size of the territory showed the strongest positive relationship with productivity, while roughness was negatively correlated. Rabbits and ungulates showed negative and positive correlations with roughness, respectively, while predator consumption exhibited a negative relationship with the size of the territory. Our findings give insights into the potential trophic mechanisms driving the dynamics of recovering apex predator populations; a reduction in the trophic niche breadth toward specific groups of prey, which could be due to a higher availability and individual specificity toward these prey species, might enhance productivity at the territory level and, ultimately, influence population dynamics facilitating the recovery process. The remarkable increase in the consumption of wild ungulates, predators, and other apex consumers suggests that the current population recovery and reduced trophic niche breadth may facilitate this eagle population to exhibit its apex role and contribute to ecosystem functionality.