Population viability analysis and dispersal characteristics of the eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) in the Carpathian Basin

Abstract

The recovery of the Pannonian (Carpathian Basin) eastern imperial eagle population following a bottleneck in the 20th century has been well documented since 1980 in terms of the number of nesting pairs and productivity. However, knowledge on survival rates and dispersal characteristics, including natal dispersal distances and migration rates, was limited. This dissertation focuses on estimating these missing demographic parameters, and gives predictions for future population growth in the context of a population viability analysis or PVA. Throughout the dissertation, I will use ‘we’ and ‘our’ when referring to the conducted work and results: although I carried out the vast majority of the laboratory and statistical analyses and also participated in sample collection, this study is the result of the combined efforts of several experts.