scholarly journals Identifying key denning habitat to conserve brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Croatia

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 309 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Whiteman ◽  
G. Passoni ◽  
J. M. Rowcliffe ◽  
D. Ugarković ◽  
J. Kusak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Structural Elements ◽  
Rugged Terrain ◽  
Anthropogenic Habitat ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Core Areas ◽  
Site Disturbance ◽  
Habitat Variables

Context The preservation of denning habitat is paramount to the recovery of threatened bear populations because of the effect that den site disturbance can have on cub mortality. Understanding habitat suitability for denning can allow management efforts to be directed towards the regions where conservation interventions would be most effective. Aim We sought to identify the environmental and anthropogenic habitat variables associated with the presence of Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos) den sites in Croatia. Based on these associations, in order to inform future conservation decisions, we also sought to identify regions of high suitability for denning across Croatia. Methods Using the locations of 91 dens inhabited by bears between 1982 and 2011, we opted for the presence-only modelling option in software Maxent to determine the most important predictors of den presence, and thus predict the distribution of high-value denning habitat across Croatia. Key results We found that structural elements were the most important predictors, with ruggedness and elevation both relating positively to den presence. However, distance to nearest settlement was also positively associated with den presence. Conclusion We determine that there is considerable denning habitat value in areas with high and rugged terrain as well as areas with limited human activity. We suspect that high and rugged terrain contains a greater concentration of the karstic formations used for denning than lower-lying regions. Implications Our study presents the first habitat suitability model for brown bears in Croatia, and identifies core areas suitable for denning both within and outside the species’ current range. As such, it provides useful evidence for conservation decision making and the development of scientifically-based management plans. Our results also support the need for finer spatial scale studies that can reveal specific denning preferences of subpopulations.

scholarly journals Brown bear and Persian leopard attacks on humans in Iran

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. e0255042
Author(s):  
Jamshid Parchizadeh ◽  
Jerrold L. Belant
Keyword(s):  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Carnivore Species ◽  
As Species ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Persian Leopard ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
The Government ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
National Reporting System

Large carnivore attacks on humans are a serious form of human-wildlife interaction which has increased globally in recent decades. When attacks occur, both humans and large carnivores suffer, highlighting the need to characterize these conflicts toward mitigation of attacks. We investigated brown bear (Ursus arctos) and Persian leopard (Panthera pardus) attacks on humans across Iran using reports provided by the Government of Iran during 2012–2020. We characterized temporal and spatial patterns of attacks, as well as species-specific attributes. We identified 83 attacks resulting in 77 human injuries and 6 fatalities. Bears were responsible for more attacks (63%) than leopards (37%). Attacks occurred more frequently during defensive reactions by bears and leopards on adult male people while livestock herding during the day in spring and summer. Bears reportedly attacked people more often in western provinces of Iran, while leopards attacked more frequently in northern provinces. We recommend that the Iran Department of the Environment consider implementing a national reporting system to document bear and leopard attacks on people. We further suggest development of national bear and leopard management plans that emphasize mitigating human risk to improve human attitudes toward these carnivore species to facilitate their conservation.

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 Emergence of a novel interaction between brown bear and cicada due to anthropogenic habitat modification

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanji Tomita ◽  
Tsutom Hiura
Keyword(s):  
Species Interactions ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Novel Species ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Habitat Modification ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Anthropogenic Habitat ◽  
Typical Type ◽  
Prey Interaction

AbstractNovel species interactions have generally emerged in ecosystems that are highly modified by human activities. Anthropogenic habitat modification, such as afforestation, is one possible driver of novel species interactions; however, empirical evidence remains scarce. In this study, we show that a novel predator-prey interaction between the brown bear (Ursus arctos) and nymphs of a cicada species (Lyristes bihamatus) is generated by anthropogenic habitat modification. We evaluated the frequency of brown bear predation on cicada nymphs and the density of cicada nymphs between natural forests and plantations, which are a typical type of human-modified habitat. We found that brown bear predation on cicada nymphs occurred only in the plantations. The density of cicada nymphs in the plantations was significantly higher than in the natural forest. Our results indicate that the plantation leads to the emergence of the bear-cicada interaction due to increasing the density of cicada nymphs. The study draws attention to the overlooked effects of anthropogenic habitat modification on species interactions.

scholarly journals Habitat suitability for Brown bear (Ursus arctos) in the south-eastern Iberian Range

Ecosistemas ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
José María Rey Benayas ◽  
Laura Fraile Real ◽  
Rocío de la Torre Ceijas ◽  
Néstor Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
The South ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Iberian Range

Ants: A food source sought by Slovenian brown bears (Ursus arctos)?

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (12) ◽  
pp. 1996-2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Große ◽  
P Kaczensky ◽  
F Knauer
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Food Source ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Artificial Feeding ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Brown Bears ◽  
Ant Colonies ◽  
Feeding Sites

In the heavily managed boreal forest of Scandinavia, ants, especially large colonies of red forest ants (Formica spp.), are abundant and brown bears (Ursus arctos) intensively feed on them. In contrast, the beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests of Slovenia provide only suboptimal habitat for ants and large ant colonies are virtually absent. To quantify how much ant use by brown bears is a matter of availability or preference, we quantified ant availability, species composition, and ant use. The estimated biomass of ants available to brown bears was very low in Slovenia compared with those in Sweden, averaging 135 vs. 9600 g/ha, respectively. Nevertheless, the frequency of occurrence of ants in Slovenian brown bear scats was high, averaging 85% and accounting for 25% of the ingested dry mass during the summer, which was nearly as much as their frequency of occurrence in Swedish brown bear scats during the summer. Although brown bears in Slovenia had year-round access to artificial feeding sites and the availability of ants is only about 1% of the biomass found in Sweden, they consumed about 50% of the quantity of ants compared with the brown bears in Sweden. Our results show that ants are an important and sought-after food source for brown bears in Slovenia, and the occurrence of ants should be considered in habitat-suitability models.

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