DWARF SHRUB BERRIES IN THE DIET OF THE BROWN BEAR (URSUS ARCTOS) IN SOUTHERN TAIGA: EXAMPLE OF THE CENTRAL FOREST STRICT NATURE RESERVE

Human–wildlife interactions (HWI) were frequent in the post-socialist period in the mountain range of Central European countries where forest habitats suffered transitions into built-up areas. Such is the case of the Upper Prahova Valley from Romania. In our study, we hypothesized that the increasing number of HWI after 1990 could be a potential consequence of woodland loss. The goal of our study was to analyse the effects of landscape changes on HWI. The study consists of the next steps: (i) applying 450 questionnaires to local stakeholders (both citizens and tourists) in order to collect data regarding HWI temporal occurrences and potential triggering factors; (ii) investigating the relation between the two variables through the Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA); (iii) modelling the landscape spatial changes between 1990 and 2018 for identifying areas with forest loss; (iv) overlapping the distribution of both the households affected by HWI and areas with loss of forested ecosystems. The local stakeholders indicate that the problematic species are the brown bear (Ursus arctos), the wild boar (Sus scrofa), the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the grey wolf (Canis lupus). The number of animal–human interactions recorded an upward trend between 1990 and 2018, and the most significant driving factors were the regulation of hunting practices, the loss of habitats, and artificial feeding. The landscape change analysis reveals that between 1990 and 2018, the forest habitats were replaced by built-up areas primarily on the outskirts of settlements, these areas coinciding with frequent HWI. The results are valid for both forest ecosystems conservation in the region, wildlife management, and human infrastructures durable spatial planning.

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Plasma ochratoxin A in the European brown bear ( Ursus arctos L.) from Croatia

Toxicology Letters ◽

10.1016/j.toxlet.2017.07.860 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 280 ◽

pp. S198

Author(s):

Dubravka Rašić ◽

Maja Lazarus ◽

Đuro Huber ◽

Slaven Reljić ◽

Maja Peraica

Keyword(s):

Ochratoxin A ◽

Ursus Arctos ◽

Brown Bear

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Fallot's Tetralogy in a European Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)

Journal of Wildlife Diseases ◽

10.7589/0090-3558-41.4.825 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 825-828 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Erik Ågren ◽

Arne Söderberg ◽

Torsten Mörner

Keyword(s):

Ursus Arctos ◽

Brown Bear ◽

Fallot's Tetralogy ◽

Fallot’S Tetralogy

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SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN THE VISIM NATURE RESERVE: FROM THE VISIM RESERVE TO THE BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Problems of Geography ◽

10.24057/probl.geogr.152.15 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

M.Y. FEDOROV ◽

◽

I.A. KUZNETSOVA ◽

Keyword(s):

Nature Reserve ◽

Historical Analysis ◽

Biosphere Reserve ◽

Metallurgical Industry ◽

Southern Taiga ◽

Joint Research ◽

Educational Tourism ◽

Nature Preservation ◽

Recreational Pressure ◽

Taiga Forests

This article presents a historical analysis of human impact and further step-by-step nature reserve creation within the territory of the current Visimsky State Biosphere Reserve. From the end of XVII to the middle of XX centuries the ecosystem of low-mountain southern taiga forests in the Middle Ural region was strongly exploited by a local mining and metallurgical industry. The establishment of the Visim State Reserve in 1946 did not provide sustainable results but initiated research studies that laid a foundation for a subsequent preservation and the studies of the endemic taiga forests of the Middle Ural in the framework of the modern Visimsky State Biosphere Reserve. Since 1975 the science department of the reserve has conducted regular observations of the nature processes. The reserve has established long-term and efficient collaboration with the Institute of Ecology of Animals and Plants, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The joint research findings are used in practical solutions of the nature preservation in the region. This collaboration is also focused on the monitoring of the recreational pressure caused by the educational tourism.

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