scholarly journals Young citizen sensors for managing large carnivores: Lessons from 40 years of monitoring a brown bear population

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroto Takinami ◽  
Nobuo Ishiyama ◽  
Takafumi Hino ◽  
Takahiro Kubo ◽  
Kanji Tomita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brown Bear ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Young Citizen

scholarly journals Occurrence of large carnivores – Lynx lynx, Canis lupus, and Ursus arctos – and of Felis silvestris in the Czech Republic and western Slovakia in 2012–2016 (Carnivora)

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miroslav Kutal ◽  
Elisa Belotti ◽  
Josefa Volfová ◽  
Tereza Mináriková ◽  
Luděk Bufka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Lynx Lynx ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Grey Wolf ◽  
Felis Silvestris ◽  
Eurasian Lynx ◽  
The Czech Republic

Abstract In the last decades, large carnivores – the grey wolf (Canis lupus), Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) and brown bear (Ursus arctos), and to a certain extent also the wildcat (Felis silvestris) – have increased their distribution ranges throughout Europe. Monitoring of their current distribution and population trends in the Czech Republic is crucial for the effective conservation and elimination of possible conflicts with humans in the future. In the last years, many projects focused on small-scale monitoring of large carnivores were implemented in the Czech Republic and the neighbouring mountain ranges of Slovakia. Using their results, we compiled the dataset from different regions and analysed the recent distribution of large carnivores and the wildcat. The distribution maps are based on verified data on the presence and reproduction in 2012–2016. This is consistent with the standardized methodology used across Europe. The Eurasian lynx was the most widespread of all large carnivore species in the Czech Republic, with the two trans-boundary populations (Carpathian and Bohemian-Bavarian-Austrian) occupying 94 out of 868 squares (10.8%) of the mapping grid of the Czech Republic. Reproduction was confirmed in 46.8% of the occupied squares. The grey wolf occupied 6.8% of the squares in the Czech Republic and its reproduction was confirmed in 10.2% of the occupied squares. Three reproducing packs belonging to the Central European lowland population were confirmed and the area occupied by the species increased three times within the study period. The brown bear occupied 2.8% of the squares of the Czech Republic – the area is restricted to the Carpathians – with no signs of reproduction; its distribution fluctuated heavily during the study period. The wildcat occupied the smallest range of the Czech Republic among the studied species (1.4% of the squares) but its reproduction was confirmed in a trans-boundary area (White Carpathians) at the Slovakian side of the border. The wildcat also significantly increased its range from one to six squares during the study period.

scholarly journals Challenges for recovery of large carnivores in humanized countries: attitudes and knowledge of sheep farmers towards brown bear in Western Pyrenees, Spain

2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Herrero ◽  
Alicia García-Serrano ◽  
Ramón Reiné ◽  
Vicente Ferrer ◽  
Ricardo Azón ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brown Bear ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Farming Practices ◽  
Compensation Systems ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes ◽  
Attitudes And Knowledge ◽  
Livestock Raising ◽  
Western Pyrenees ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

AbstractDuring 2017, we studied knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes towards brown bears by extensive mountain sheep farmers in the Western Pyrenees, using a structured questionnaire, specifically, whether the scarce bear presence, or the administrative region, was influential. Livestock raising practices are mainly family properties and have suffered a strong decline in the last decades. Despite its low abundance (only 2 bear individuals during the study period in the area), there was a generalized negative attitude towards the presence of bears. Farmers considered bear presence as incompatible with sheep mountain herding. One third of them have experienced bear damages, although this was not the main difficulty for the viability of farming practices. They were able to change husbandry practices after wildlife and dog’s damages, increasing vigilance, hiring shepherds, and using livestock guarding dogs, whose work is perceived as satisfactory. Farmers considered that information available about bear and compensation systems for damages was insufficient, and should be improved.

scholarly journals Nomen omen. Toponyms predict recolonization and extinction patterns for large carnivores

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 139-154
Author(s):  
Clara Tattoni
Keyword(s):  
Brown Bear ◽  
Kernel Density ◽  
Kappa Statistics ◽  
Density Level ◽  
Historical Maps ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
The Past ◽  
Density Maps ◽  
Contraction And Expansion ◽  
Over Time

The names given to places are a legacy of the past distribution of animal and plant species. The hypothesis tested in this work is that the density of toponyms can be used to predict the range of two large and charismatic species over time: the wolf and the brown bear in Italy. Kernel density maps of the toponyms were created and different thresholds of density were overlapped with the present and the historical ranges for both species. The density level maps were tested with the Kappa statistics against available historical ranges for both species. The pattern of the density in toponyms overlapped with the pattern of contraction and expansion reported in literature for both species over time. The minimum historical distributions of wolves and brown bears occurred at the highest densities of toponyms (95% isopleth value) and, overall, the various kernels thresholds showed an excellent agreement with the historical maps with an average Kappa of 0.84 ± 0.5.

scholarly journals Coexistence with Bears in Romania: A Local Community Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 7167
Author(s):  
Petru Tudor Stăncioiu ◽  
Ioan Dutcă ◽  
Marian Cristian Bălăcescu ◽  
Ștefan Vasile Ungurean
Keyword(s):  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Cognitive Evaluation ◽  
Important Challenge ◽  
General Preference ◽  
Modern Context ◽  
Competition For Resources

In the modern context of the strict protection of large carnivores, the competition for resources between local community dwellers and these animals has become an important challenge for ensuring coexistence—the key for conservation success. To assess the perceptions of this intricate relationship, six local communities from Central Romania, located in areas with high-density brown bear (Ursus arctos L.) population and frequent conflicts, were investigated. A large proportion of the respondents (69%) showed various forms of intolerance (e.g., relocation, punishment, or killing) towards aggressive bears. However, the cognitive evaluation score derived from the level of interaction with bears showed a non-significant (p = 0.470) segregation by tolerance levels, suggesting that not only the tangible costs (direct damage) but rather the psychological costs of fear, danger, or risk are more important drivers of negative attitudes towards bears. Furthermore, the prevalent experienced emotions towards an inoffensive bear (fear, terror, and hate, which represent 73%) underline the general preference for living in “separate worlds”. This requires that bears should avoid humans and their settlements, a goal unlikely to be achieved under the current strict protection regime. Therefore, an alternative strategy that ensures mutual avoidance of the two players may be more appropriate for successful human–bear coexistence.

scholarly journals Determinants and patterns of habitat use by the brown bear Ursus arctos in the French Pyrenees revealed by occupancy modelling

Oryx ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 334-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blaise Piédallu ◽  
Pierre-Yves Quenette ◽  
Nicolas Bombillon ◽  
Adrienne Gastineau ◽  
Christian Miquel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Occupancy Models ◽  
Occupancy Modelling ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Core Areas ◽  
Endangered Status ◽  
Human Density

AbstractThe Pyrenean brown bear Ursus arctos population in the mountains between France and Spain is one of the smallest and most threatened populations of large carnivores in Europe. We assessed trends in brown bear habitat use in the Pyrenees and investigated the underlying environmental and anthropogenic drivers. Using detection/non-detection data collected during 2008–2014 through non-invasive methods, we developed dynamic occupancy models, accounting for local colonization and extinction processes. We found two non-connected core areas of occupancy, one in the west and the other in the centre of the Pyrenees, with a significant decrease in habitat use overall during 2008–2014. We also found a negative correlation between human density and bear occupancy, in agreement with previous studies on brown bear habitat suitability. Our results confirm the Critically Endangered status of the Pyrenean population of brown bears.

scholarly journals Does genetic variation on the shy–bold continuum influence carnivore attacks on people? Evidence from the brown bear

Oryx ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Juan C. Blanco ◽  
Guillermo Palomero ◽  
José V. López-Bao ◽  
Fernando Ballesteros
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Cantabrian Mountains ◽  
Attack Pattern ◽  
Habitat Differences

Abstract Little is known about the heritable behavioural traits of attacks by large carnivores on people. During the last 30 years attacks by brown bears Ursus arctos on people in the Cantabrian Mountains of Spain have been disproportionately concentrated in the eastern subpopulation. Excluding factors such as the existence of a single unusually bold bear, a higher human population density, particular human activities promoting encounters, or clear habitat differences in the area of this subpopulation, we propose that a plausible explanation for the unbalanced geographical attack pattern is that this subpopulation, separated a century earlier from the western subpopulation, may harbour a higher proportion of bolder bears. In the absence of genetic analyses this explanation remains speculative, but supports the hypothesis that genetic variation on the shy–bold continuum may influence attacks of large carnivores on people.

scholarly journals Nomen omen. Toponyms predict recolonization and extinction patterns for large carnivores

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Clara Tattoni
Keyword(s):  
Brown Bear ◽  
Kernel Density ◽  
Kappa Statistics ◽  
Density Level ◽  
Historical Maps ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
The Past ◽  
Density Maps ◽  
Contraction And Expansion ◽  
Over Time

The names given to places are a legacy of the past distribution of animal and plant species. The hypothesis tested in this work is that the density of toponyms can be used to predict the range of two large and charismatic species over time: the wolf and the brown bear in Italy. Kernel density maps of the toponyms were created and different thresholds of density were overlapped with the present and the historical ranges for both species. The density level maps were tested with the Kappa statistics against available historical ranges for both species. The pattern of the density in toponyms overlapped with the pattern of contraction and expansion reported in literature for both species over time. The minimum historical distributions of wolves and brown bears occurred at the highest densities of toponyms (95% isopleth value) and, overall, the various kernels thresholds showed an excellent agreement with the historical maps with an average Kappa of 0.84 ± 0.5.

scholarly journals Determinants and patterns of the endangered brown bear Ursus arctos habitat use in the French Pyrenees revealed by occupancy modeling

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blaise Piédallu ◽  
Pierre-Yves Quenette ◽  
Nicolas Bombillon ◽  
Adrienne Gastineau ◽  
Christian Miquel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Occupancy Models ◽  
The West ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Endangered Status ◽  
Anthropogenic Drivers ◽  
Human Density

AbstractThe Pyrenean brown bear (Ursus arctos) in the mountainous border between France and Spain is one of the smallest and most endangered populations of large carnivores in Europe. Here, we aimed at assessing trends in brown bear habitat use in the Pyrenees and determining the underlying environmental and anthropogenic drivers. Using detection/non-detection data collected between 2008 and 2014 through non-invasive methods, we developed occupancy models to investigate the dynamic of brown bear habitat use in the Pyrenees accounting for local colonization and extinction processes. First, we found two non-connected occupancy cores, one located in the West and another in the Center of the Pyrenees, with an overall significant decrease in habitat use between 2008 and 2014. Second, we showed a negative correlation between human density and bear occupancy in agreement with previous studies on brown bear habitat suitability. Our results confirm the critically endangered status of the Pyrenean population of brown bears.

scholarly journals Threats and international tools for sustainable brown bear (Ursus arctos L.) management

2013 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vukan Lavadinović ◽  
Zoran Popović ◽  
Zoran Ristić ◽  
Dejan Beuković
Keyword(s):  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Global Level ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Brown Bears ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Large Carnivore ◽  
Distribution In Europe

AbstractLavadinović V., Popović Z., Ristić Z., Beuković D.: Threats and international tools for sustainable brown bear (Ursus arctos L.) management. Ekologia (Bratislava), Vol. 32, No. 4, p. 345-351, 2013.Negative relation between humans and large carnivores with unprofitable management caused a decrease in abundance of the latter within their natural habitat. Main reasons for negative attitudes of humans towards large carnivores are damages, fear and unfamiliarity with their characteristics. Brown bear (Ursus arctos) is a European autochthonous large carnivore. Although it is not threatened at the global level, its abundance in Europe is limited to several populations. Protection has an important role in brown bear conservation, since they face different threats, mainly by negative human activities. Conservation of the brown bear is complicated due to its habitats overlapping with the human environment and also because brown bears require large territories. In order to protect brown bears more efficiently, it is important to identify the threats and to conduct the species protection by international recommendations and agreements. In this paper, we analysed brown bear distribution in Europe, abundance limitation factors and international conservation instruments.

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