96 research outputs found
Bears in Human-Modified Landscapes: The Case Studies of the Cantabrian, Apennine, and Pindos Mountains
No full textBrown bears Ursus arctos were historically persecuted and almost eradicated from Southern Europe in the 20th century as a result of hunting and direct persecution (Zedrosser et al. 2011; Martínez Cano et al. 2016). The effects of human induced mortality were exacerbated by other threats, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, due to the expansion of human populations (Swenson et al.
2000). As a result, nowadays there are only small fragmented populations of bears in Southern Europe, where brown bears frequently inhabit human modified landscapes. These areas are characterised by the widespread presence of people and infrastructures, which potentially have ecological impacts on bears. The close coexistence of brown bears and humans generates multiple human-driven disturbances (Ordiz et al. 2017) and causes bear mortality (Bischof et al. 2009), affecting the distribution, demography, behaviour and
viability of bear populations (Penteriani et al. 2018a; Zarzo-Arias et al. 2018). Brown bears in the Cantabrian (north-western Spain), Apennine (central Italy) and Pindos (north-western Greece) mountains (Figure 19.1) represent three examples of small and threatened bear populations in human-modified landscapes (Figure 19.2). Most of their range is characterised by high human densities, widespread agricultural activities, livestock raising and urban development, connected by dense networks of transport infrastructures
(Penteriani et al. submitted; Mateo-Sánchez et al. 2016). This has resulted in a reduction of continuous habitat suitable for the species (Martínez Cano et al. 2016). Here, we summarise the past and present histories and fates of these three populations as examples on how the coexistence of bears and people in human-modified landscapes can take different turns depending on human
attitudes
Habitat preferences of the secretive forest buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus) in Central Africa
No full textThe forest buffalo Syncerus caffer nanus is one of the three subspecies of African buffalo inhabiting the rainforests of Western and Central Africa. Because of its secretive behaviour and main habitat (dense rainforests), there is little quantitative information on the habitat preferences of this buffalo. We present here the first data on the frequencies of this species along a habitat gradient ranging from clearings and rivers to forests, as well as the characteristics of the buffalo's resting places. We recorded information from a buffalo herd during the period January 2002-January 2004 in the Bai-Hokou area (Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, Central African Republic). Resting places were firstly compared with available habitat (i.e. resting vs. random sites) and, successively, comparisons were made between diurnal versus nocturnal and wet versus dry season resting places. Forest buffalos were found to be highly dependent on clearings, as well as on the more open forest stands, characterized by large trees and open canopy. Such preferences could be due to the tendency of the buffalos to rest all together; open patches are likely to facilitate social interactions between the members of the herd
The proportion of immature breeders as a reliable early warning signal of population decline: evidence from the Spanish imperial eagle in Doñana
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A worldwide perspective on large carnivore attacks on humans
No full textVP was financially supported by the
Project PID2020-114181GB-I00 financed by the
Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, the
Agencia Estatal de Investigacioón (AEI), and the
Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER,
EU).Bombieri G., Penteriani V., Almasieh K., Ambarlı H., Ashrafzadeh M.R., Das C.S., Dharaiya N., Hoogesteijn R., Hoogesteijn A., Ikanda D., Jędrzejewski W., Kaboli M., Kirilyuk A., Jangid A.K., Sharma R.K., Kushnir H., Lamichhane B.R., Mohammadi A., Monroy-Vilchis O., Mukeka J.M., Nikolaev I., Ohrens O., Packer C., Pedrini P., Ratnayeke S., Seryodkin I., Sharp T., Palei H.S., Smith T., Subedi A., Tortato F., Yamazaki K., del Mar Delgado M
Humans as prey: Coping with large carnivore attacks using a predator-prey interaction perspective
No full textThe number of attacks on humans by large carnivores in North America is increasing.A better understanding of the factors triggering such attacks is critical to mitigating the risk offuture encounters in landscapes where humans and large carnivores coexist. Since 1955, ofthe 632 attacks on humans by large carnivores, 106 (17%) involved predation. We draw onconcepts and empirical evidence from the Predator–Prey Interaction Theory to provide insightsinto how to reduce predatory attacks and, thus, improve human–large carnivore coexistence.Because large carnivore-caused mortality risks for humans are comparable to those shown byother mammal species in response to predation risk, framing predatory attacks under a theoryunderpinning predator–prey interactions may represent a powerful tool for minimizing largecarnivore attacks. Most large carnivores have marked crepuscular and nocturnal activity; byminimizing outdoor activities in high-risk areas from sunset to sunrise, humans could reducethe number of predatory attacks. The most effective way in which prey avoid predation, butstill utilize risky areas, is by adopting temporal changes in activity patterns. The human agegroups most often targeted by large carnivores are essentially the same as when predators ingeneral search for prey, namely the youngest individuals. Thus, increased parental vigilanceand education for children may be a key factor to reduce predatory attacks. Lastly, becausegroup size can affect predator–prey encounter rates and outcomes in different ways, largegroups of people can decrease predation rates. Many humans may no longer considerpredation by large carnivores to be a logical or plausible consequence of our predator-naïvebehavior because humans now only occasionally represent prey for such species. However,the solution to the conflicts represented by large carnivore attacks on humans requires theimplementation of correct strategies to face these rare event
Patterns of wild carnivore attacks on humans in urban areas
No full textAttacks by wild carnivores on humans represent an increasing problem in urban areas across North America and their frequency is expected to rise following urban expansion towards carnivore habitats. Here, we analyzed records of carnivore attacks on humans in urban areas of the U.S. and Canada between 1980 and 2016 to analyze the general patterns of the attacks, as well as describe the landscape structure and, for those attacks occurring at night, the light conditions at the site of the attacks. We found that several behavioral and landscape-related factors were recurrent elements in the attacks recorded. The species for which the attack locations were available (coyote and black bear) attacked in areas with different conditions of landscape structure and artificial light. Specifically, black bears attacked more frequently in areas with abundant and aggregated vegetation cover and scarce buildings and roads, while coyotes attacked in a broader range of landscape conditions. At night, black bears attacked in generally darker areas than coyotes. By providing a comprehensive perspective of the phenomenon, this study will improve our understanding of how effective strategies aimed at reducing the frequency of risky encounters in urban areas should be developed
The seasonal sensitivity of brown bear denning phenology in response to climatic variability
No full textThe work was financially supported by: (a) the Academy of Finland grant 250444; (b) a Spanish Ramon y Cajal grant RYC-2014-16263 and Kone Foundation grant 44–6977 (MD); (c) University of Helsinki LUOVA Doctoral Program (GT); and (d) the Excellence Project CGL2017–82782-P (VP) financed by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO), the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, EU)Delgado, M.M., Tikhonov, G., Meyke, E., Babushkin, M., Bespalova, T., Bondarchuk, S., Esengeldenova, A., Fedchenko, I., Kalinkin, Y., Knorre, A., Kosenkov, G., Kozsheechkin, V., Kuznetsov, A., Larin, E., Mirsaitov, D., Prokosheva, I., Rozhkov, Y., Rykov, A., Seryodkin, I.V., Shubin, S., Sibgatullin, R., Sikkila, N., Sitnikova, E., Sultangareeva, L., Vasin, A., Yarushina, L., Kurhinen, J., Penteriani, V
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