Home range and habitat selection of wolves recolonising central European human-dominated landscapes

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60460709%3A41330%2F24%3A98109" target="_blank" >RIV/60460709:41330/24:98109 - isvavai.cz</a>

Nalezeny alternativní kódy

RIV/62156489:43410/24:43925272

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01245" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01245</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01245" target="_blank" >10.1002/wlb3.01245</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Home range and habitat selection of wolves recolonising central European human-dominated landscapes

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Decades of persecution has resulted in the long-term absence of grey wolves Canis lupus from most European countries. However, recent changes in both legislation and public attitudes toward wolves has eased the pressure, allowing wolves to rapidly re-establish territories in their previous central European habitats over the last 20 years. Unfortunately, these habitats are now heavily altered by humans. Understanding the spatial ecology of wolves in such highly modified environments is crucial, given the high potential for conflict and the need to reconcile their return with multiple human concerns. We equipped 20 wolves, originating from seven packs in six central European regions, with GPS collars, allowing us to calculate monthly average home range sizes for 14 of the animals of 213.3 km2 using autocorrelated kernel density estimation. We then used ESA WorldCover data to assess the mosaic of available habitats used within each home range. Our data confirmed a general seasonal pattern for breeding individuals, with smaller apparent home ranges during the reproduction phase, and no specific pattern for non-breeders. Predictably, our wolves showed a general preference for remote areas, and especially forests, though some wolves within military training areas also showed a broader preference for grassland, possibly influenced by local land use and high availability of prey. Our results provide a comprehensive insight into the ecology of wolves during their re-colonisation of central Europe. Though wolves are spreading relatively quickly across central European landscapes, their permanent reoccupation remains uncertain due to conflicts with the human population. To secure the restoration of European wolf populations, further robust biological data, including data on spatial ecology, will be needed to clearly identify any management implications.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Home range and habitat selection of wolves recolonising central European human-dominated landscapes

Popis výsledku anglicky

Decades of persecution has resulted in the long-term absence of grey wolves Canis lupus from most European countries. However, recent changes in both legislation and public attitudes toward wolves has eased the pressure, allowing wolves to rapidly re-establish territories in their previous central European habitats over the last 20 years. Unfortunately, these habitats are now heavily altered by humans. Understanding the spatial ecology of wolves in such highly modified environments is crucial, given the high potential for conflict and the need to reconcile their return with multiple human concerns. We equipped 20 wolves, originating from seven packs in six central European regions, with GPS collars, allowing us to calculate monthly average home range sizes for 14 of the animals of 213.3 km2 using autocorrelated kernel density estimation. We then used ESA WorldCover data to assess the mosaic of available habitats used within each home range. Our data confirmed a general seasonal pattern for breeding individuals, with smaller apparent home ranges during the reproduction phase, and no specific pattern for non-breeders. Predictably, our wolves showed a general preference for remote areas, and especially forests, though some wolves within military training areas also showed a broader preference for grassland, possibly influenced by local land use and high availability of prey. Our results provide a comprehensive insight into the ecology of wolves during their re-colonisation of central Europe. Though wolves are spreading relatively quickly across central European landscapes, their permanent reoccupation remains uncertain due to conflicts with the human population. To secure the restoration of European wolf populations, further robust biological data, including data on spatial ecology, will be needed to clearly identify any management implications.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

10613 - Zoology

Projekt

—

Návaznosti

R - Projekt Ramcoveho programu EK

Rok uplatnění

2024

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

WILDLIFE BIOLOGY

ISSN

0909-6396

e-ISSN

0909-6396

Svazek periodika

2024

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

6

Stát vydavatele periodika

CZ - Česká republika

Počet stran výsledku

17

Strana od-do

1-17

Kód UT WoS článku

001244126400001

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-85195640473