Study links Doñana drought and disease to new predator interactions in Spain
Researchers studying a 10-km2 plot in Doñana National Park found that severe droughts, which cut prey availability for predators by 4-5 times, coincide with unusual interactions among top predators such as lynx and raptors. The team classified drought years as those where flooding covered less than 20% of the normal maximum extent by February-March, using satellite inundation data covering 684 km2 of marshes, ponds and lagoons.