scholarly journals Habitat Suitability Modelling of Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) in Shimbar Protected Area, Khuzestan Province

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (18) ◽  
pp. 61-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Obeidavi ◽  
K. Rangzan ◽  
R. Mirzaei ◽  
M. Kabolizade ◽  
◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-47
Author(s):  
S.V. Zimin ◽  

In 2016-2020 in the FSBI «State Reserve «Vishersky» (Perm Territory, Russia), observations of game animals were carried out, including the brown bear – Ursus arctos, the elk - Alces alces, the wild reindeer – Rangifer tarandus using camera traps. Camera traps of following models were user Keep Guard CK 076 HD Boskon Guard BG 520 Suntek (Owl 120), Scoutguard SG 562-BW (Boly Guard), Scoutguard SG - 2060-k, Bushnell Natureview Cam HD Essential mainly on animal paths. The total number of camera s was 4097 traps/day. On the basis of the results of remote sensing, the indices of the abundance of species were calculated, the seasonal and daily activity of animals was assessed, and the features of their behavior were revealed. According to the camera traps, the population density of brown bear does not correspond to the indicator for the optimal habitats of this species [8]. The western slope of the North Ural taiga in general and for the Upper Visher population of brown bears in particular such low this density is probably optimal. In total, 227 photolocations were obtained, of which 11 species of mammals and 2 spesies of grouse birds were recorded. The most frequently recorded species is the elk. It has been confirmed that with the formation of a deep snow cover, it leaves the protected area, whist was noted in the second half of the 19 th century [5]. Information on the age and sex composition of the moose group was obtained. The sex ratio was 1.8 in favor of males. Brown bear and elk are most active during daylight hours. To determine the indicator of the abundance of animal throughout the reserve additional data from camera traps installed in the main biotopes of the protected area required. At the same time, a network of camera traps is desirable following the example of the Central Forest Reserve [6] of the Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve and the Land of the Leopard National Park [11] with a network size of 5x5 km, where at least one observation point should be located.


Ecosistemas ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
José María Rey Benayas ◽  
Laura Fraile Real ◽  
Rocío de la Torre Ceijas ◽  
Néstor Fernández

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (12) ◽  
pp. 1996-2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Große ◽  
P Kaczensky ◽  
F Knauer

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.


2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 309 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Whiteman ◽  
G. Passoni ◽  
J. M. Rowcliffe ◽  
D. Ugarković ◽  
J. Kusak ◽  
...  

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.


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