Wild ponies in mountain heathlands landscapesin the Xistral Mountains, NW Spain

Fagúndez J, Lagos L, Muñoz-Barcia C, Blanco-Arias C, Díaz-Varela R

Wild ponies are part of the Galician mountains landscape

The traditional management is declining for different

reasons

Wild ponies live in extensive mountain rangeland areas

throughout the region

Wild ponies have a prominent role in the maintenance of

semi-natural habitats like dry and wet heaths

Higher levels of plant species richness and diversity in

areas with wild ponies in wet heaths

Wet heathlands are among the most threatened habitats

in the region

LIFE IN COMMON LAND is a LIFE+ Project aimed to

preserve wet heaths, blanket and raised bogs in the

“Serra do Xistral” Natura 2000 site of special interest

We are investigating the spatial ecology, diet and human

use of wild ponies as basic information for promoting a

sustainable management for conservation

• GPS collars

• Field monitoring of bands with collared mares

• Interviews about pony management

• Diet evaluation by observations

• Stable isotopes of plants and ponies

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6F

7

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6C

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7

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6C

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6C 00

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5CG

7

5A-G

4B+CG

5B+C

6A-5CG

5B+C

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0

1.000 500 0 1.000 m

¯

Galicia

Study area (Montouto)

Serra do Xistral

Score

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GPS collars to understand the social behaviour of the

bands

Calculating the home

range

GPS location data

HOME RANGE Minnimum Convex

Polygon 95%

HOME RANGE

Kernel Density

Estimation (95%

light blue, 50%

dark blue)

We calculate the home range from the density of points

Home

range

Core area

Two mares may belong to the same band

Two mares may belong to the same band

Home range overlapping

Home range overlappingHome ranges

AC182 AC209 AC213AC21

4AC225

AC182 1,00 0,53 0,39 0,10 0,31

AC209 0,60 1,00 0,43 0,09 0,34

AC213 0,44 0,42 1,00 0,57 0,00

AC214 0,13 0,10 0,65 1,00 0,00

AC225 0,32 0,31 0,00 0,00 1,00

Miñotos: traditional

management, heathlands and

bogs, Galician ponies (collars in

the same bands deleted)

Core areas

Home range overlapping

AC182 AC209 AC213AC21

4AC225

AC182 1,00 0,53 0,39 0,10 0,31

AC209 0,60 1,00 0,43 0,09 0,34

AC213 0,44 0,42 1,00 0,57 0,00

AC214 0,13 0,10 0,65 1,00 0,00

AC225 0,32 0,31 0,00 0,00 1,00

Miñotos: traditional

management, heathlands and

bogs, Galician ponies (collars in

the same bands deleted)

Home range overlappingHome ranges

AC053 AC189 AC191 AC200AC053 1,00 0,72 0,87 0,81

AC189 0,96 1,00 0,92 0,86AC191 0,89 0,71 1,00 0,89AC200 0,90 0,72 0,97 1,00

Frexulfe: managed to maintain

improved pastures, Galician

ponies - Hispano-Breton horses

mixtures.

Core areas

Home range overlapping

AC053 AC189 AC191 AC200AC053 1,00 0,72 0,87 0,81

AC189 0,96 1,00 0,92 0,86AC191 0,89 0,71 1,00 0,89AC200 0,90 0,72 0,97 1,00

Frexulfe: managed to maintain

improved pastures, Galician

ponies - Hispano-Breton horses

mixtures.

Seasonality

June July August September October November December

Dashed line =

managed bands

(artificially moved

between pastures)

Seasonality. Do ponies use blanket bogs?

Do ponies use blanket bogs?

N=17

Yes

100%

Year round

13.3%

Summer

86.7%

Coolerenvironment

60%

To feed onnew Molinia

26.7%

No

0%

Diet. Field observations

n = 28 collared mares, 581 min 14 sec of focal observations (august 2018-june 2019)

Diet

Diet

Diet

Diet. Answers by owners

n = 16 interviews

Diet. Field observations

n = 28 collared mares, 581 min 14 sec of focal observations (august 2018-june 2019)

Diet. Results from stable Isotopes

Diet. Results from stable Isotopes

Diet. Results from stable Isotopes

Diet. Results from stable Isotopes

Diet. Results from stable Isotopes

Diet. Results from stable Isotopes

Diet. Results from stable Isotopes

Diet. Results from stable Isotopes

Conclusions

• 1500 – 2000 ponies in the Xistral mountains (studyarea)

• c. 150 owners, mainly commoners of 11 commons• Decline of c.50% of the ponies population in about 50

years• The traditional management (free roaming, large

areas) has partly changed when transformation to improved pastures in the 90s

Conclusions

• Ponies form bands with one stalion and several mares and foals (7-32 individuals)

• Home range of 107-317 ha• Density of 17-20 ponies per 100 ha.• Overlapping low. 13-30% in traditional management• About 60% of the foals killed by wolves

Conclusions

• Ponies feed on different species but mainly grasses and gorse

• Gorse represents about 20% of the diet• Other elements in the diet include heathers, bracken,

holly, bramble…• Diet changes through the year, gorse is mainly

consumed in winter

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