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Biotic interactions are expected to influence species’ responses to climate change, but they are usually not included when predicting future range shifts. We assessed the importance of biotic interactions to understand future consequences of climate and land use change for biodiversity using as a model system the brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Europe. By including biotic interactions using the spatial variation of energy contribution and habitat models of each food species, we showed that the use of biotic factors considerably improves our understanding of the distribution of brown bears. Predicted future range shifts, which included changes in the distribution of food species, varied greatly when considering various scenarios of change in biotic factors, warning about future indirect climate change effects. Our study confirmed that advancing our understanding of ecological networks of species interactions will improve future scenarios of biodiversity change, which is key for conserving biodiversity and ecosystem services.

In human-dominated landscapes throughout the world, wildlife seek out anthropogenic foods because they are high in nutritional value and are consistently available. To investigate this mode of foraging, some researchers use stable isotope analysis to detect these animals in populations and estimate their individual diets. In this study, we develop an integrative approach to measure the proportion of corn, a C4 plant, in the diets of free-ranging mammalian omnivores in C3-dominated ecosystems. We fed captive mice corn, C3 plants, and meat until carbon stable isotopes (δ 13C) from each diet equilibrated in their hair. We then used carbon discrimination factors (Δ 13C; offsets between stable isotope values of consumer tissues and their foods) for mice from these feeding trials and a simple carbon stable isotope mixing model to estimate the corn-based diets of free-ranging American black bears in Wisconsin and brown bears in Slovenia. We used Δ 13C factors for mice to estimate the diets of bears because mouse models are used commonly to study mammalian diet and health, including humans and bears, and body mass has no effect on carbon discrimination factors in monogastric mammalian omnivores. In this study, we found that mice grew fastest, largest, and δ 13C values equilibrated quickest in the hair of mice fed meat versus plant-based diets, suggesting protein quantity (quality was the same) has an effect on Δ 13C. Evidence also suggests that Δ 13C did not increase with animal growth rate as all mice grew throughout the 109-day feeding trials, but isotopic equilibration occurred early while mice still were subadults and was maintained throughout their adult lives. We also found that Δ 13C was highest and most variable in the hair, serum, and liver, of mice fed a mixed diet of C3 plants, supporting our mixed diet hypothesis that states that Δ 13C varies more among tissues of animals fed mixed diets than animals fed nonmixed diets because the former are composed of multiple foods, each with different macromolecular and isotopic compositions. Lastly, we found that corn may have been a more important component of bear diets in Wisconsin than previously thought (adults: x¯ = 29%; x¯ = 33%; subadults: x¯ = 22%; x¯ = 28%), and male brown bears may have fed on 50% more corn (x¯ = 47% versus 31%) in autumn during a year when beechnut availability was low. In a world that is rapidly changing, it is more important than ever to develop the appropriate quantitative tools to measure the impact people have on wildlife. Here, we provide such a tool for monogastric mammalian omnivores and encourage other researchers to do the same for other taxa of interest.

A diverse assemblage of reptiles, birds and mammals, ranging from the smallest to the size of the Brown bear, prey on the Edible Dormouse. Dormice are particularly exposed to predation while actively searching for food in the tree canopy. A much narrower spectrum of species can access dormice during their periods of inactivity, typically spent underground in burrows, caves and shafts. Entrances of underground caverns are frequently so narrow that they prevent the passing of larger predatory species. Dormice concentrate at such entrances/exits as many individuals use the same cavern. Their emergence is predictable and dormice are less agile on the ground than in the tree canopy. The exits therefore may act as efficient hunting spots for predators. However, we are not aware of any research addressing this. The goal of our study was to document species composition of predators at the exits from caverns used by dormice. The entrances of 10 of these caverns in the Dinaric Mountains in Slovenia were continuously monitored by infra-red camera traps for the whole 2021 season, set to maximum sensitivity at 1.5 m from entrances. We recorded 250 arrivals/departures of dormice from caverns and 480 recordings of 7 predatory species waiting at entrances: Stone/Pine Marten (266), Wild Cat (68), Fox (67), Domestic Cat (45), Badger (19), Brown Bear (17) and Wild Boar (4). Recorded predators were often alert and apparently controlled the exit which (in addition to the time of recordings) indicates, that they may have been there to prey on dormice. However, we did not record any predation.

Ethanol storage and lipid extraction can alter the isotopic composition of animal tissues, which can bias dietary estimates calculated by stable isotope mixing models (SIMMs). We examined the effects of ethanol storage and lipid extraction on [delta]13C, [delta]15N, and [delta]34S values measured in brown bear (Ursus arctos) muscles and livers. We also used isotopic data from our experiment to understand the effect of ethanol storage and lipid extraction on dietary contributions calculated by SIMMs. We found that ethanol storage and lipid extraction caused small increases in [delta]13C values for both muscles (ethanol storage: +0.4 - 0.5 prom., lipid extraction: +0.4 - 0.4 prom.) and liver (ethanol storage: +0.6 - 0.3prom., lipid extraction: +0.8 - 0.5 prom.). In contrast, [delta]15N and [delta]34S values did not change when stored in ethanol or when lipids were extracted from tissues. Ethanol storage and lipid extraction had negligible effects on estimated dietary contributions. We show that a relatively high lipid content in the muscles and livers of some large-bodied terrestrial omnivores do not necessarily have an effect on dietary estimates that rely on carbon stable isotopes. Our results suggest that ethanol storage could be a valuable alternative method for preserving animal tissue prior to stable isotope analysis when freezing or drying is impractical. Nevertheless, further research is needed on the mechanisms that control changes in stable isotope composition in tissues stored in ethanol. We recommend investigating the effects of ethanol on stable isotope values in species and tissues of interest before storing samples in ethanol.

In this paper, we provide an overview of the causes of death of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) diagnosed within the national passive health surveillance of roe deer in Slovenia. From 2000 to 2019, postmortem examinations of 510 free-ranging roe deer provided by hunters were conducted at the Veterinary Faculty, Slovenia. A comprehensive necropsy was performed. According to the results of the necropsy, the samples were subjected to microscopic, histopathological, bacteriological, parasitological, or virological examination. The most frequent causes of death in roe deer were infectious diseases (67%), followed by noninfectious diseases (28%). Of all deaths, parasitic infections represented 48%, bacterial infections 14.8%, trauma 12.5%, and metabolic disorders 9.8%. Less frequent causes were diseases like neoplasia and mycotic infections, winter starvation, hernias, and lightning strike. This study covered an estimated 1% of the total disease-related mortality of roe deer in Slovenia. Comparisons of sex/age structure indicated that hunters did not provide random samples (e.g., young males were disproportionately represented). Therefore, such monitoring does not ensure an unbiased assessment of the significance of the individual disease for the mortality of the population, however, it can provide credible evidence of whether or not a particular disease is present in a population. We show that no identified disease in roe deer in Slovenia can be considered a significant health threat to roe deer, other wildlife species, or humans.

Species assemblages often have a non-random nested organization, which in vertebrate scavenger (carrion-consuming) assemblages is thought to be driven by facilitation in competitive environments. However, not all scavenger species play the same role in maintaining assemblage structure, as some species are obligate scavengers (i.e., vultures) and others are facultative, scavenging opportunistically. We used a database with 177 vertebrate scavenger species from 53 assemblages in 22 countries across five continents to identify which functional traits of scavenger species are key to maintaining the scavenging network structure. We used network analyses to relate ten traits hypothesized to affect assemblage structure with the “role” of each species in the scavenging assemblage in which it appeared. We characterized the role of a species in terms of both the proportion of monitored carcasses on which that species scavenged, or scavenging breadth (i.e., the species “normalized degree”), and the role of that species in the nested structure of the assemblage (i.e., the species “paired nested degree”), therefore identifying possible facilitative interactions among species. We found that species with high olfactory acuity, social foragers, and obligate scavengers had the widest scavenging breadth. We also found that social foragers had a large paired nested degree in scavenger assemblages, probably because their presence is easier to detect by other species to signal carcass occurrence. Our study highlights differences in the functional roles of scavenger species and can be used to identify key species for targeted conservation to maintain the ecological function of scavenger assemblages., ESG, ZMR, JMB and LNA were supported by Generalitat Valenciana (SEJI/2018/024, APOSTD/2019/016, CIDEGENT/2020/030 and ACIF/2019/056, respectively), JMB, JMPG and CGC by Juan de la Cierva contracts (MEC; IJCI-2017-32149, FJCI-2015-25632 and IJC2018-036642-I, respectively), ACA by the Govern de les Illes Balears (PD/039/2017) and ESG and MM by Ramón y Cajal contracts (MEC; RYC-2019-027216-I, RYC-2015-19231). EA was supported by La Caixa-Severo Ochoa International PhD Program 2015. NS was partly supported by the National Science Centre in Poland (2013/08/M/NZ9/00469 and 2016/22/Z/NZ8/00). MK and KJ were supported by the Slovenian Research Agency (P4-0059). Contributions of HG, KLT, EFA, OER, TLD, and JCB were partially supported through funding from U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy under (DE-EM0004391) to the University of Georgia Research Foundation. HG was also supported by the Institute of Environmental Radioactivity at Fukushima University. ALB and JDA were partially supported by Queens College and the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. JDA is currently supported by a Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC-2017-22783). ERB and EF were supported by the USA National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (1256065). CK completed study with support from Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, The Peregrine Fund, and via Pompeo M. Maresi Memorial Fund via Princeton University. JAS and CCW were supported by the USA National Science Foundation #1255913, the American Association for University Women, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. HUW acknowledges funding from the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (P0880013). PLP was supported by the Rufford Foundation and University of Wisconsin-Madison. JB and JdT thank the Percy Sladen Memorial Fund and Mr Rodney Fuhr. Several authors were funded by funds from the MEC (CGL2012-40013-C02-01/02, CGL2015-66966-C2-1-R, CGL2015-66966-C2-1-R2, CGL2017-89905-R, RTI2018-099609-B-C21 and RTI2018-099609-B-C22) and from the Junta de Andalucía (RNM-1925). POV was supported by a research contract by the University of Lleida. EES and TMN were funded and supported by Australian Geographic, Bush Heritage Australia, Australian Academy of Sciences, Ecological Society of Australia, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Emirates Wolgan Valley One and Only Resort. EP, YA, MS and UY completed study under research permit by The Republic of Turkey Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. SAL thanks PICT (BID) 0725/2014, and IAATE. ALB and JDA would like to thank the Edmund Niles Huyck Preserve, Lyme Adirondack Forest Company, and LandVest Timberland.

Human–wildlife conflicts sometimes involve bold animals that do not fear humans and their activities. Such behaviour is detrimental to both wildlife and people and may lead to conflicts, which can be especially serious for large carnivores. Like most wildlife, these species have adapted to live in highly humanized landscapes by adopting human avoidance behaviours. However, bold individuals exist, which represent a main cause of conflicts, public fear and negative attitudes, that greatly influence management and conservation actions. Although costly decisions are constantly made to deal with such individuals, evidence-based knowledge of their behaviour, that is how and when they move, especially in relation to human activities, is lacking. We analysed telemetry data of brown bears (Ursus arctos) that were GPS-collared across Slovenia and Trentino (Italy) to explore spatial behaviour and rhythms of activity of bears that were identified as bold by managers and to assess if and how their behaviour differs from that of their ‘non-bold’ conspecifics (hereafter, control individuals). Because other factors such as sex and age of the bear, season, daytime and region may affect behaviour, we also included these variables in our analyses. On one hand, bold bears were more active at the daytime and used open areas considerably more often than control bears. On the other hand, although differences in distance to settlements and roads, movement rates and daily home ranges were also found, they were not as pronounced as expected. Instead, other factors were found to affect bear behaviour and, most importantly, we found strong inter-individual differences in all behaviours. Such results suggest that, although bold bears have some behavioural attributes in common that distinguish them from control bears, each individual differs from one another. Our study represents a first step towards understanding bold bears’ behaviour and provide novel evidence-based knowledge that can help to better know and manage these individuals., GB was financially supported by a collaboration contract with the MUSE – Museo delle Scienze of Trento (Italy). VP was financially supported by (a) the Excellence Project CGL2017-82782-P financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, EU), and (b) a GRUPIN research grant from the Regional Government of Asturias (Ref.: IDI/2018/000151). MMD was financially supported by the Spanish Ramon y Cajal grant RYC-2014-16263, and KJ by Slovenian Research Agency.

Za dolgoročno varstvo velikih zveri je pomembno razumevanje mehanizmov njihovega prilagajanja na prisotnost človeka, vključno z antropogenimi spremembami prostora. Rjavi medved (Ursus arctos) je za tovrstne raziskave zaradi holarktične razširjenosti in pojavljanja v različnih okoljih dobra modelna vrsta. S pregledom raziskav s celotnega območja razširjenosti vrste v svetu smo preučevali, kako medvedi prilagajajo rabo prostora intenziteti človekovih posegov v prostor. Medved se v splošnem antropogenim strukturam izogiba, še posebej stalno poseljenim območjem in močneje obremenjenim prometnicam. Zaznali smo tudi trend, da se medvedi na območjih z večjo gostoto prebivalstva pogosteje izogibajo antropogenim strukturam. Primerjava med Evropo in Severno Ameriko je nakazala večje izogibanje medvedov urbanim površinam v Evropi, pri drugih tipih antropogenih struktur pa so bile razlike med kontinentoma majhne. Pri primerjavi študij je vendarle potrebna previdnost, saj je večina obravnavanih raziskav temeljila na ugotavljanju relativne rabe prostora (t.j. raba glede na razpoložljivo), statistike absolutne rabe pa niso dovolj pogosto podane. Za ovrednotenje dejanske razlike v rabi prostora posameznih populacij medvedov iz okolij z različno stopnjo antropogenih motenj zato predlagamo analizo surovih podatkov. For successful large carnivore conservation it is important to understand mechanisms how large carnivores adapt to human presence, including anthropogenic environmental modifications. Widespread Holarctic distribution throughout various levels of human-use makes the brown bear (Ursus arctos) an appropriate model species for studying response to anthropogenic effects in large carnivores. We reviewed the literature throughout entire species% range to examine how bears modify their habitat use in response to the intensity of anthropogenic modifications of their environment. Results indicate that bears in general avoid human structures, with strongest avoidance observed for permanently inhabited areas and high-traffic roads. We observed their stronger avoidance of human structures in areas with higher human population densities. Comparison between Europe and North America indicate stronger avoidance of urban areas among European bears, while no obvious differences were observed for other types of anthropogenic infrastructure. We suggest caution when comparing responses among study areas, because most bear habitat-use studies reported only relative habitat selection (i.e. use relative to the availability) and there is lack of reported data on absolute habitat use. Therefore we recommend analysis of original data across the s

Poznavanje absolutne in/ali relativne številčnosti prostoživečih parkljarjev je eden pomembnejših vhodnih podatkov, ki nam omogoča njihovo učinkovito trajnostno upravljanje. V večjem delu Slovenije so prostoživeči parkljarji gospodarsko, motivacijsko in ekološko najpomembnejša skupina divjadi. V procesu njihovega upravljanja trenutno ni uveljavljenih standardnih in rutinskih metod, na podlagi katerih bi lahko zanesljivo ocenjevali absolutno in/ali relativno številčnost na vsakoletni ravni. Metod za spremljanje številčnosti populacij prostoživečih parkljarjev je veliko pri izbiri najustreznejše je treba upoštevati določene kriterije. Najpomembnejši kriteriji za izbiro metode so obravnavana vrsta parkljarjev, značilnosti habitata, velikost območja, gostota populacije, možnost kontrole in nenazadnje tudi stroški. V Sloveniji je bila za ocenjevanje številčnosti srnjadi in jelenjadi že v rabi metoda štetja kupčkov iztrebkov, poleg katere bi bila primerna tudi metoda kilometrskega indeksa. Pri divjem prašiču za najbolj zanesljive metode veljajo uporaba foto pasti, štetje na pogonih in daljinsko vzorčenje s pomočjo termovizije, pri gamsu pa štetje s tal in monitoring iz zraka. The information on absolute and/or relative abundance of wild ungulates is one of the key parameters for sustainable and efficient management. Wild ungulates are the most important and abundant group of game species in Slovenia however, there are currently no standard census methods, which would be performed on the annual basis. There are various methods for estimating wild ungulate abundance and several criteria have to be met, when selecting the most suitable one. The most important criteria that have to be taken into account are studied species, habitat characteristics, size of the studied area, population density and cost efficiency. Besides the faecal pellet group method, which has already been used in Slovenia to estimate the abundance of roe deer and red deer, a suitable method is also the kilometre index. The reliable methods for wild boar are camera traps, drive counts and distance sampling with thermovision and, for chamois, ground counts and aerial counts.

Understanding the distribution of biodiversity across the Earth is one of the most challenging questions in biology. Much research has been directed at explaining the species latitudinal pattern showing that communities are richer in tropical areas; however, despite decades of research, a general consensus has not yet emerged. In addition, global biodiversity patterns are being rapidly altered by human activities. Here, we aim to describe large-scale patterns of species richness and diversity in terrestrial vertebrate scavenger (carrion-consuming) assemblages, which provide key ecosystem functions and services. We used a worldwide dataset comprising 43 sites, where vertebrate scavenger assemblages were identified using 2,485 carcasses monitored between 1991 and 2018. First, we evaluated how scavenger richness (number of species) and diversity (Shannon diversity index) varied among seasons (cold vs. warm, wet vs. dry). Then, we studied the potential effects of human impact and a set of macroecological variables related to climatic conditions on the scavenger assemblages. Vertebrate scavenger richness ranged from species-poor to species rich assemblages (4–30 species). Both scavenger richness and diversity also showed some seasonal variation. However, in general, climatic variables did not drive latitudinal patterns, as scavenger richness and diversity were not affected by temperature or rainfall. Rainfall seasonality slightly increased the number of species in the community, but its effect was weak. Instead, the human impact index included in our study was the main predictor of scavenger richness. Scavenger assemblages in highly human-impacted areas sustained the smallest number of scavenger species, suggesting human activity may be overriding other macroecological processes in shaping scavenger communities. Our results highlight the effect of human impact at a global scale. As species-rich assemblages tend to be more functional, we warn about possible reductions in ecosystem functions and the services provided by scavengers in human-dominated landscapes in the Anthropocene., SG, JMPG, and ACA were supported by Juan de la Cierva contracts (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, MEC; IJCI‐2015‐24947, FJCI‐2015‐25632, and IJCI‐2014‐20744, respectively). ESG was also supported by Generalitat Valenciana (SEJI/2018/024), ACA by the Govern de les Illes Balears (PD/039/2017), and MM by a Ramón y Cajal contract (MEC; RYC‐2015‐19231). EA was supported by La Caixa‐Severo Ochoa International PhD Program 2015. NS was partly supported by the National Science Centre in Poland (2013/08/M/NZ9/00469). SAL thanks PICT (BID) 0725/2014. MK and KJ were supported by the Slovenian Research Agency (P4‐0059). Contributions of KT and JCB were partially supported through funding from U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Energy under (DE‐EM0004391) to the University of Georgia Research Foundation. EB and EF were supported by the USA National Science Foundation. CK completed study under research permit NCST/5/002/R/448 with support from Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, The Peregrine Fund, and via Pompeo M. Maresi Memorial Fund via Princeton University. JAS and CCW were supported by the USA National Science Foundation #1255913 and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Several authors were funded by funds from the MEC (CGL2012‐40013‐C02‐01/02, CGL2015‐66966‐C2‐1‐R and CGL2017‐89905‐R) and from the Junta de Andalucía (RNM‐1925).

There is increasing recognition of the occurrence of non-native species that are invasive and potentially contribute to biodiversity loss. A two-year camera trap survey was undertaken on Mountain Mosor, Croatia to determine the daily and seasonal activity patterns of recently introduced non-native aoudad (Ammotragus lervia). Aoudad were most active in open rocky habitats and least active in forest habitats. The effect of habitat on the recorded number of aoudad was significant, while the effects of month and the interaction month × habitat were not. The results showed a typical bimodal activity pattern of aoudad, with a modest peak in activity between 5:00 and 9:00 a.m., and a second, more pronounced activity peak between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. Since the native habitat of aoudad is similar to that in the Mediterranean region, the inferred range of daily and seasonal activities show that the species is well adapted to the new habitat.

Supplementary material (available online as Appendix ecog- 05083 at ). Appendix 1–2., All data necessary to reproduce the analyses presented in this study are included in the Supplementary material Appendix 1 and available from Figshare Digital Repository: (SebastiánGonzález et al. 2020)., The organization of ecological assemblages has important implications for ecosystem functioning, but little is known about how scavenger communities organize at the global scale. Here, we test four hypotheses on the factors affecting the network structure of terrestrial vertebrate scavenger assemblages and its implications on ecosystem functioning. We expect scavenger assemblages to be more nested (i.e. structured): 1) in species‐rich and productive regions, as nestedness has been linked to high competition for carrion resources, and 2) regions with low human impact, because the most efficient carrion consumers that promote nestedness are large vertebrate scavengers, which are especially sensitive to human persecution. 3) We also expect climatic conditions to affect assemblage structure, because some scavenger assemblages have been shown to be more nested in colder months. Finally, 4) we expect more organized assemblages to be more efficient in the consumption of the resource. We first analyzed the relationship between the nestedness of the scavenger assemblages and climatic variables (i.e. temperature, precipitation, temperature variability and precipitation variability), ecosystem productivity and biomass (i.e. NDVI) and degree of human impact (i.e. human footprint) using 53 study sites in 22 countries across five continents. Then, we related structure (i.e. nestedness) with its function (i.e. carrion consumption rate). We found a more nested structure for scavenger assemblages in regions with higher NDVI values and lower human footprint. Moreover, more organized assemblages were more efficient in the consumption of carrion. However, our results did not support the prediction that the structure of the scavenger assemblages is directly related to climate. Our findings suggest that the nested structure of vertebrate scavenger assemblages affects its functionality and is driven by anthropogenic disturbance and ecosystem productivity worldwide. Disarray of scavenger assemblage structure by anthropogenic disturbance may lead to decreases in functionality of the terrestrial ecosystems via loss of key species and trophic facilitation processes., Juan de la Cierva contracts (Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, MEC) IJCI-2015-24947 IJCI-2017-32149 FJCI-2015-25632, Generalitat Valenciana SEJI/2018/024 ACIF/2019/056, Govern de les Illes Balears PD/039/2017, Spanish Government RYC-2015-19231, La Caixa-Severo Ochoa International PhD Program 2015, European Social Fund (ESF) APOSTD/2019/016, National Science Centre in Poland 2013/08/M/NZ9/00469 2016/22/Z/NZ8/00, ANPCyT (BID) 0725/2014, Slovenian Research Agency - Slovenia P4-0059, EU Life DinAlp Bear LIFE13 NAT/SI/000550, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) DE-EM0004391, United States Department of Energy (DOE) DE-EM0004391, Inst. of Environmental Radioactivity at Fukushima Univ., Queens College at the City Univ. of New York, Graduate Center at the City Univ. of New York, Ramón y Cajal contract - Spanish Ministry of Science RYC-2017-22783, Agencia Estatal de Investigacion, European Social Fund (ESF), USA National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship 1256065, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, The Peregrine Fund, and via Pompeo M. Maresi Memorial Fund via Princeton Univ., National Science Foundation (NSF) 1255913, American Association for Univ. Women, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, California Dept of Fish and Wildlife P0880013, Rufford Foundation, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, Percy Sladen Memorial Fund, Spanish Government CGL201240013-C02-01/02 CGL2015-66966-C2-1-R CGL2015-66966C2-1-R2 CGL2017-89905-R RTI2018-099609-B-C22, Junta de Andalucía RNM-1925, Univ. of Lleida, Australian Geographic, Bush Heritage Australia, Australian Academy of Sciences, Ecological Society of Australia, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, Emirates Wolgan Valley One and Only Resort

Edited by Vincenzo Penteriani and Mario Melletti.-- Part III - Human–Bear Coexistence.-- This material has been published in "Bears of the World. Ecology, Conservation and Management" by / edited by Vincenzo Penteriani and Mario Melletti / Cambridge University Press. This version is free to view and download for personal use only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works., Conflicts between humans and bears have occurred since prehistory. Through time, the catalogue of human–bear conflicts (HBC) has been changing depending on the values and needs of human societies and their interactions with bears. Even today, conflict situations vary among the eight species of bears and geographically across these species’ ranges. This results in a broad range of interactions between bears and humans that may be considered as conflicts, including: (1) predation of domestic or semiwild animals, including bees, hunting dogs, and pet animals; (2) damage due to foraging on cultivated berries, fruits, agricultural products, and the tree bark in forest plantations; (3) economic loss due to destruction of beehives, fences, silos, houses, and other human property; (4) bear attacks on humans causing mild or fatal trauma; (5) bluff charges, bear intrusions into residential areas; and (6) vehicle collisions with bears and traffic accidents. In this chapter we aim to outline the principal types of HBC and geographical differences in the occurrence of conflicts and the coexistence between people and bears.

The suggestions of two anonymous referees and Nancy Jennings greatly improved the first draft of the manuscript. VP was financially supported by the Excellence Project CGL2017- 82782-P financed by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO), the Agencia Estatal de Investigacion and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional of the European Union. MMD was funded by a Spanish ‘Ramon y Cajal’ contract (no RYC-2014-16263). KJ and MK were supported by the Slovenian esearch Agency (J4-7362, P4-0059).

Diversionary feeding uses food to lure animals away from areas where they are unwanted or could cause conflicts with people. With bears (Ursidae) increasingly attracted to human food sources worldwide, diversionary feeding represents a seemingly logical and publicly acceptable means of alleviating conflicts. Feeding wildlife is widely practiced in Europe to enhance hunting and reduce conflicts, but feeding of bears is discouraged across North America. The efficacy and potential side-effects of bear feeding remain an open question because of a lack of rigorous studies. Here we examine 5 case studies from which we attempt to draw inferences about feeding as a conflict-mitigation strategy. Studies included U.S. national parks, where after bear feeding was banned conflicts were reduced; Aspen, Colorado, where lucrative dumpsters in town did not divert bears from using human-related foods at other sources; rural Minnesota, where results of intentional feeding of a small sample of bears were confounded with other variables; the Tahoe Basin of California–Nevada, where an emergency feeding effort during a drought-caused food failure seemed to reduce conflicts within approximately 1 km of the feeding site; and Slovenia, where a high density of feeders at established locations seemed to divert bears from using settlements during autumn hyperphagia. Although none of these studies were true experiments with treatments and controls, the range of circumstances yielded insights into when feeding could be effective: when food demands are not readily met by natural foods; when the provisioned food is easily found outside the potential conflict area; when the food is attractive; and when bears do not associate the feeding with people. However, long-term feeding may increase bear population size, which may increase conflicts overall, or trigger a demand for population control. Diversionary feeding, if used, should be conducted as an adaptive management strategy by professionals so as to learn more about factors influencing its effectiveness.

Many countries promote wildlife observation as part of ecotourism offerings. The brown bear Ursus arctos is among the most targeted species for ecotourism in North America and Europe, making it an ideal candidate to examine the consequences of wildlife viewing upon the species. As bear viewing often occurs in sensitive places where bears congregate for mating, rearing young and/or feeding, it is important to evaluate potential positive and negative effects of different viewing practices. Here we reviewed available information on bear viewing practices and their effects on bears, people and ecosystems. Behavioural, physiological and ecological aspects related to bears are reviewed from three different perspectives: ecotourism consequences for bears, direct bear-human interactions and social impacts of bear ecotourism. Because bear viewing can have positive and negative impacts on both bear populations and bear-human interactions, it is important to carefully evaluate every practice associated with bear viewing at a local scale. Because bear populations around the world have diverse population statuses and different management regimes, successful procedures and rules effective in one place do not guarantee that they will be adequate elsewhere. Effective management of bear viewing practices requires a better understanding of the consequences for bears, the mechanisms behind observed bear reactions to humans, and the results of bear habituation. Because inappropriate bear viewing practices can lead to processes such as food-conditioning and habituation, which can have serious consequences for both people and bears, regulations on bear ecotourism are urgently needed to minimize unintended consequences of bear viewing practices.

Large quantities of food subsidies provided by humans to animal communities have the potential to change a variety of animal life traits, including denning behaviour of facultative hibernators like bears. Brown bears Ursus arctos regularly use anthropogenic food, but it has remained unclear if human food subsidies affect their hibernation and denning behaviour, despite the consequences this could have for bear interactions with humans and other species. We studied denning behaviour of European brown bears in Slovenia, where intensive supplemental feeding with corn is practiced throughout the year, including winter. We used GPS telemetry data to locate den sites and to monitor bear denning chronology. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare our results with other bear populations across Europe, Asia and North America. A consistent relationship between latitude and time spent denning was observed for male and female brown bears across the species’ range (for each degree of latitude northwards, denning period increased for 3.1 days), and males on average denned 10.3 days longer than females throughout the latitudinal gradient. However, our study area deviated strongly from regions where supplemental feeding was not practiced. In Slovenia, denning period averaged 82 days for females and 57 days for males, which was 45 and 56% shorter compared to the time predicted for this latitude, respectively. We also observed regular den abandonments (61% of bears abandoned dens, on average 1.9 times per winter). During the winter period bears increased use of supplemental feeding sites for 61% compared to the non-denning period. We conclude that the availability of anthropogenic food is an important driver of denning behaviour in brown bears. Reduction in the denning period increases the potential for bear interactions with other species, including humans, and we highlight possible management and ecological implications of this human-caused perturbation to denning behaviour of wild ursids.

The mitigation of conflicts associated with large carnivore damage to livestock and agriculture is pivotal to their conservation. We evaluate current programs to compensate and prevent large carnivore damage in 27 European countries and the factors related to the economic costs of these programs. Overall, high compensation costs are associated with free-ranging livestock (68% of total costs) and with national economic wealth. Contrary to general belief, the return of large carnivores does not always translate into higher compensation costs. We identify a tendency towards prioritizing compensation over prevention; only a few wealthy countries pay the majority of the money allocated for prevention programs to adapt husbandry practices to the presence of large carnivores. We conclude that programs mainly focused on paying large compensation amounts will often fail to build tolerance towards predators. To mitigate conflicts and optimize the cost-effectiveness of publicly funded measures, responsible agencies should be proactive, focus on prevention-based policies and periodically evaluate the effectiveness of compensation and prevention programs in an adaptive manner. With this purpose and to identify further solutions for conflict mitigation, we call for a pan-European database of damage occurrence, management actions and associated costs.

Artificial feeding of wildlife is a widely used tool for a range of conservation and management goals. While the effects of artificial feeding on target species have been studied rather extensively, little is known about its effects on non-target species. We used automatic video surveillance to monitor the vertebrate species using artificial feeding sites (n = 20) established primarily for brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Dinaric Mountains, Slovenia. We also studied how type of artificial food (only plant-based food vs. mixed food including carrion) affects the species diversity and assemblage at the feeding sites. In total, we analyzed 117,566 recordings and identified 23 vertebrate taxa, including the brown bear, using the feeding sites. Brown bear, European badger (Meles meles), and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) were the most frequently recorded species. Birds represented a substantial part (46%) of vertebrate community using the feeding sites, including species of a high conservation importance. Feeding sites were regularly used also by species for which intentional artificial feeding is forbidden in study area (e.g., roe deer Capreolus capreolus). Species diversity at the feeding sites was highest in spring while species composition varied both seasonally and according to the type of artificial food (with or without carrion). Our study indicates that artificial feeding affects numerous non-target species, which could have several ecological and management-relevant effects, including potentially undesired consequences. Artificial feeding of wildlife should be carefully planned and we provide recommendations on how to mitigate the side effects on non-target species.

Interspecific interactions are among the key factors influencing the structure of animal communities and have high relevance for conservation. However, managers, conservationists and decision-makers rarely consider the potential side-effects of single-species carnivore management for the conservation of other carnivores. We studied how management of protected brown bears (Ursus arctos) affected interspecific interactions with an endangered apex predator, the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in Slovenia. Due to large body size and superb olfactory abilities, bears are one of the most important dominant scavengers and regularly usurp kills from other large predators, a process known as kleptoparasitism. At the same time, bears throughout the world are usually actively managed through zone-specific culling regimes, supplemental feeding, and translocations. This can considerably alter bear densities and activity patterns and in turn influence interactions among carnivores. Overall, we observed that bear scavenging pressure resulted in substantial energetic losses for Eurasian lynx. The probability of lynx losing kills to bears ranged from 8 to 74% and strongly depended on local bear densities and monthly bear movement rates. Kleptoparasitic interaction intensity differed almost 3-fold between different bear management zones. Furthermore, the presence of a bear feeding site increased the odds of lynx losing kills by 5-fold compared to areas > 1000 m from these sites. We suggest that existing bear-feeding regimes should be reconsidered in order to reduce unwanted side-effects of this controversial practice on endangered apex predators. We also call attention to the importance of considering impacts of interspecific interactions in wildlife management and conservation.

Muscle, liver and kidney of 21 Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) from Mosor Mountain, Croatia, were sampled to quantify the activity of caesium and potassium radionuclides and five toxic and ten essential stabile elements in order to establish reference values for this species and to evaluate the potential of Barbary sheep tissues to reflect environmental pollution. We also assessed seasonal diet (botanical composition and dry matter content) of Barbary sheep based on analyses of a rumen content of culled animals. None of the 19 plant species (mostly grasses) identified as part of the Barbary sheep diet is known as a stabile element or radionuclide hyperaccumulator. Measured levels reflected low environmental pollution with arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead, with levels generally less than those reported for wild herbivorous ungulates. Methodological differences (detection limit of elements in muscle) were shown to hamper interpretation and comparison of the Toxic Contamination Index (TCI) values with those published for other species. There was no homeostasis disturbance of trace elements in Barbary sheep, either due to inadequate intake via food or as an adverse effect due to a high toxic metal(loid) burden. Consumption of the muscle and liver of wild Barbary sheep can be considered safe for the health of adult consumers regarding toxic metal(loid)s and radioactive caesium, though the liver should be avoided as a food item in vulnerable population groups due to the possible adverse effects of cadmium and lead. Otherwise, muscle and liver are a rich source of copper, iron, selenium and zinc for consumers and, as such, can benefit the overall dietary intake of essential elements.

Large carnivores are challenging to manage, partly because they are wide-ranging and therefore have large distribution ranges that may cross political or administrative boundaries. Moreover, large carnivores are conflict prone in relation to some human activities, which results in diverse conservation and management policies. The conservation and management policies of European brown bears (Ursus arctos) are frequently characterised by conflicting management regimes. Thus, a comparative study of the conservation and management practices of European brown bear populations may provide valuable insights into the problems related to trans-boundary, conflict-solution oriented management of large carnivores in human-dominated landscapes. In this chapter, we provide an overview of brown bear management across Europe, including existing decision-making and policy aspects. Since most European populations extend across several countries or regions, more effort is required to increase trans-boundary and trans-regional coordination in conservation and management policies. We suggest that such trans-boundary or trans-regional approaches should coordinate monitoring efforts within and between bear populations, in order to make data comparable, harmonize regulations and management goals, and to develop strategies to define and handle problematic individuals. Several trans-boundary initiatives have already been put into practice. For example, considerable effort is currently being expended on both monitoring and research activities, but we encourage further international collaboration, particularly in policy and applied management.

Pan-European legislation stimulates international cooperation to overarching challenges of large carnivore management across jurisdictions. We present an analysis for current transboundary brown bear (Ursus arctos) population management in Croatia and Slovenia. Slovenia's bear management attempts aimed to reduce human-bear conflicts, by limiting the size and distribution of the bear population, with a relatively frequent use of intervention shooting. In contrast, fewer conflicts occur in Croatia and bears have been traditionally managed as a valuable game species, with heavily male-biased trophy hunting. On average 9% of the estimated bear population was removed annually in Croatia and 18% in Slovenia for the years 2005–2010. In Croatia, a greater proportion of adult males were shot than in Slovenia (80% vs 47% of total hunted males, respectively). We model a scenario for the shared panmictic population and two scenarios assuming that Croatian and Slovenian bear populations were spatially closed. When isolated, each countries' policies lead to potentially undesired management directions. The Slovenian bear population showed a stable or slightly decreasing trend that maintained its sex and age structure, while the Croatian bear population showed an increase in size but with a possible lack of older male bear. The panmictic scenario showed that different management policies buffered each other out with the overall combined population trend being slightly increasing with a sustained age/sex structure. The recent geopolitical refugee crisis has led to the partial erection of border security fencing between the two countries. Our data illustrate how the impacts of constructed fencing put in place to address border security issues may also impact the fate of Europe's bear populations and other wildlife species that use shared ecosystems. Keywords: brown bear (Ursus arctos), Croatia, Slovenia, Modelling, Population dynamics, Transboundary management

Velike prostoživeče rastlinojede uvrščamo med ključne vrste kopenskih ekosistemov, saj neposredno in posredno vplivajo na številne druge skupine organizmov in na zgradbo ter delovanje celotnih ekosistemov. Veliki rastlinojedi s prehranjevanjem, teptanjem, uriniranjem in iztrebljanjem prerazporejajo hranila, vplivajo na zbitje, prezračenost in erozijo tal, razširjajo rastlinska semena ter pogosto povečujejo raznovrstnost travniških ekosistemov, še zlasti v produktivnih travniških ekosistemih, na primer v zmernem podnebju Evrope. Številčnost in prostorska razširjenost večine vrst prostoživečih prežvekovalcev narašča v večjem delu Evrope, vključno s Slovenijo. Na posameznih, prostorsko omejenih lokacijah se povečujejo težave (npr. izgube travniške krme na travinju) predvsem zaradi paše jelenjadi (Cervus elaphus L.). Deli Notranjske in Kočevske se hitro zaraščajo, hkrati so to območja z največjimi gostotami jelenjadi, kar povečuje njene pritiske na preostale travnike in pašnike, zlasti tiste, ki so intenzivneje gnojeni. Slednje se zlasti med oškodovanci (kmetovalci) pogosto poudarja kot pomembna škoda zaradi izgube v pridelavi travniške krme. Vendar lahko parkljarji vplivajo na gospodarsko donosnost travinja tudi posredno, in sicer z oblikovanjem vrstne sestave travišč ter spreminjanjem produktivnosti tal. Za celostno upravljanje je treba poznati tudi njihove neposredne in posredne ekološke vplive in pomene. V članku smo zato pripravili pregled domačih in tujih raziskav neposrednih in posrednih vplivov prostoživečih velikih rastlinojedov na travniške ekosisteme. Free-ranging large herbivores are keystone species in terrestrial ecosystems, and have an important ecological role by affecting both the structure and the function of plant communities and other groups of organisms. Large herbivores often increase plant diversity especially in more productive grasslands such as temperate grasslands in Europe. Additionally, other important effects of ruminants are redistribution of nutrients by feeding and subsequent excretion of urine and dung, soil compaction and erosion via trampling and dispersal of seeds, respectively. In Europe, populations of several ruminants species are increasing both in number and geographical distribution, and problems connected with effects of grazing of red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) on grassland in some locations in Slovenia have been increasing as well. Several areas of the Inner Carniola and Kočevje regions have been overgrown with forest, and these areas have the highest density of red deer. Therefore, the pressure of red deer on the remaining grasslands is increasing and may cause important economic loss for land owners. Ungulates can affect the economic profitability of grasslands also indirectly, through the impact on species composition of grasslands and by altering the overall productivity of soil. For proper management of their populations both direct and indirect ecological impacts and value of free-ranging ungulates have to be known. Therefore, an overview of foreign and Slovene studies related to the impacts of free-ranging ruminants on grassland ecosystems is presented in the paper.

Supplementary feeding is a common, but controversial, tool in wildlife management, because it can benefit both humans and wildlife (e.g., increased wildlife densities), but has certain downsides (e.g., increased disease transmission). For species that are often involved in human-wildlife conflicts, two opposing paradigms with respect to supplementary feeding exist, i.e., (i) that supplementary feeding is efficient to lure animals away from undesired places (i.e., diversionary feeding; hypothesis 1), and (ii) that supplementary feeding stimulates ‘nuisance’ behavior (i.e., increased tolerance for humans and selection for human facilities; hypothesis 2). We formulated an alternative hypothesis (hypothesis 3); i.e., that behavioral variation among individuals dilutes population-wide, general patterns with respect to supplementary feeding. Based on GPS relocation data and resource selection functions, we show that neither of the two opposing management paradigms (hypothesis 1 and 2) hold in a particularly ‘conflict rich’ species, the brown bear (Ursus arctos), because individual variation in selection behavior with respect to supplementary feeding diluted population-wide patterns (hypothesis 3), even under very different environmental contexts(Sweden vs. Slovenia; i.e., different human and bear population density, history and intensity ofsupplementary feeding, topography, etc.). Our results emphasize that individual variation is an important component of behavioral ecology and should be considered in wildlife management and conservation

Wildlife damage to human property threatens human–wildlife coexistence. Conflicts arising from wildlife damage in intensively managed landscapes often undermine conservation efforts, making damage mitigation and compensation of special concern for wildlife conservation. However, the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of damage and claims at large scales are still poorly understood. Here, we investigated the patterns of damage caused by brown bears Ursus arctos and its ecological and socio-economic correlates at a continental scale. We compiled information about compensation schemes across 26 countries in Europe in 2005–2012 and analysed the variation in the number of compensated claims in relation to (i) bear abundance, (ii) forest availability, (iii) human land use, (iv) management practices and (v) indicators of economic wealth. Most European countries have a posteriori compensation schemes based on damage verification, which, in many cases, have operated for more than 30 years. On average, over 3200 claims of bear damage were compensated annually in Europe. The majority of claims were for damage to livestock (59%), distributed throughout the bear range, followed by damage to apiaries (21%) and agriculture (17%), mainly in Mediterranean and eastern European countries. The mean number of compensated claims per bear and year ranged from 0·1 in Estonia to 8·5 in Norway. This variation was not only due to the differences in compensation schemes; damage claims were less numerous in areas with supplementary feeding and with a high proportion of agricultural land. However, observed variation in compensated damage was not related to bear abundance. Synthesis and applications. Compensation schemes, management practices and human land use influence the number of claims for brown bear damage, while bear abundance does not. Policies that ignore this complexity and focus on a single factor, such as bear population size, may not be effective in reducing claims. To be effective, policies should be based on integrative schemes that prioritize damage prevention and make it a condition of payment of compensation that preventive measures are applied. Such integrative schemes should focus mitigation efforts in areas or populations where damage claims are more likely to occur. Similar studies using different species and continents might further improve our understanding of conflicts arising from wildlife damage., This study was funded by the National Science Center in Poland under agreement DEC‐2013/08/M/NZ9/00469. J.A. was funded by the project GLOBE POL‐NOR/198352/85/2013 under the Polish‐Norwegian Research Programme operated by the National Centre for Research and Development.

Red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) is in many parts of the world ecologically important and highly popular game species. Its population densities and environmental impacts largely depend on habitat suitability, which in turn is under strong influence of humans. Wildlife management intentionally improves habitat suitability, while forestry's impacts on red deer are mostly unintentional. In both disciplines the full extent of these impacts is poorly understood. To better understand habitat use and improve management of red deer, we studied the impacts of multiple environmental and historical factors, mostly anthropogenic, on red deer spatial distribution in Slovenia. We found that the probability of red deer presence and population density are higher close to locations of historic (> 100 years ago) red deer reintroduction sites and in large continuous forest complexes. The finding is important for forecasting future red deer distribution and population dynamics. Population density is also positively dependent on proximity to supplemental feeding sites, the proportion of spruce stands in pole-stage and the share of forest young growth, which is important for preventing unwanted impacts of red deer on forest. The approach used by this study and its results are also useful for improving habitat ranking of hunting grounds, which some countries use in wildlife management planning., Jelen obični (Cervus elaphus L.) je u mnogim dijelovima svijeta važna ekološka vrsta i popularna divljač, te kao takva ima značajan izravan utjecaj na čovjeka. Istovremeno može imati štetne posljedice na okoliš, posebice na šumarstvo. Težina ovih posljedica ovisi o gustoći populacija jelena običnog, što zauzvrat u značajnom stupnju ovisi o kvaliteti staništa i prijašnjem upravljanju ovom vrstom. Oba čimbenika snažno odražavaju ljudske utjecaje. Ovo istraživanje proučava utjecaje određenih okolišnih i povijesnih čimbenika, posebice onih antropogenih, na raširenost i lokalne gustoće populacija jelena običnog. Područje istraživanja je Slovenija, zemljopisno, klimatski i krajobrazno izuzetno raznovrsna država. Jelen obični je u povijesti istrijebljen i reintroduciran prije 100 godina na nekoliko mjesta, a također je i spontano imigrirao iz Mađarske (Slika 1). Danas je proširen na 60% površine države, ali nije još dosegao sva pogodna staništa zbog sporog širenja. Analiza je obuhvatila nezavisne varijable širokog raspona okolišnih varijabli i varijable “troškovna udaljenost”, koja prikazuje “težinu” disperzije jelena običnog od mjesta reintrodukcije, odnosno imigracije. Procjene lokalnih gustoća jelena običnog (zavisna varijabla) su dobivene pomoću dvije metode: podaci o izvršenim odstrjelnim kvotama i metodom brojanja izmeta. Vrijednosti varijabli su pripremljene na relativno finoj prostornoj rezoluciji (imajući na umu površinu cijelog područja) od 1 km2. U skladu s teorijom o višestrukom izboru staništa, zavisnost jelena običnog o okolišu je analizirana na dvije razine: 1) globalni doseg jelena običnog (nazočnost/nenazočnost) i 2) gustoće lokalnih populacija unutar područja raširenosti. Na obje razine je provedena bivarijatna (korelacija) i multivarijatna (regresija) analiza. Nazočnost jelena običnog je najvjerojatnija u blizini mjesta reintrodukcije, odnosno imigracije, što ističe važnost varijable “troškovna udaljenost”, te u velikim šumskim kompleksima, što ukazuje na pozitivan utjecaj udjela šume i veličinu šumske plohe te negativan utjecaj gustoće ruba šume (Tablica 1, Tablica 2). Ove varijable također utječu na gustoću populacije, koja raste s padom udaljenosti od hranilišta i pozitivno je vezana s udjelom sastojina u kojima dominira obična smreka. Korelacija također ukazuje na pozitivnu ovisnost s udjelom mladih sastojina (Tablica 1, Tablica 3). Troškovna udaljenost od mjesta reintrodukcije te udio i kontinuitet šume prikazuje ljudske intervencije u povijesti (nekadašnje upravljanje jelenom običnim i korištenje prostora od strane čovjeka). Poznavanje utjecaja ovih čimbenika na jelena običnog je stoga važno za razumijevanje prošlosti i predviđanje buduće dinamike populacije. Stanište jelena običnog u Sloveniji još uvijek nije u potpunosti nastanjeno i širenje se nastavlja. Stoga se očekuje kontinuirano širenje jelena običnog, imajući na umu da brzina ovisi o načinima upravljanja prostorom. Stanje je slično i u većini drugih europskih zemalja. Još je važnije poznavati utjecaje mjera u današnjem lovstvu i šumarstvu koje, mogu biti prilagođene s ciljem postizanja željenih utjecaja. Neke ustaljene prakse upravljanja često ostvaruju utjecaje suprotne željenima,i u budućnosti bi trebale biti ponovno razmatrane. U budućnosti bi više pozornosti trebalo posvetiti izboru mjesta na kojem bi se postavila hranilišta za jelensku divljač, a na nekim područjima bi se intenzitet prihranjivanja jelenske divljači trebao reducirati. Udio mladih stabala u šumama Slovenije je prenizak; stoga bi ili trebalo proširiti područja obnove šumskih sastojina ili osnovati krmne površine za divljač (remize). Upravljanje odnosima između šume i divljači zahtjeva suradnju djelatnika u lovstvu i djelatnika u šumarstvu. Metoda primijenjena u našem istraživanju također bi mogla biti korištena za poboljšanje bonitiranja lovišta za jelensku divljač, jer su procjene utjecaja pojedinih okolišnih čimbenika na kvalitetu staništa jelena običnog temeljene na kvantitativnoj analizi.

Using GPS telemetry and ear tagging, we monitored wild boar sounder (a 2-year sow, a female yearling and eight piglets) captured in northern Slovenia. Five months after the capture, the sounder left its home range and first travelled 100 km west, to the three-border area between Slovenia, Austria and Italy, and from there toward southeast. The sow and three piglets were shot 2 months after start of dispersal 60 km from the capture site and in-between travelled at least 500 km. At least one piglet continued dispersal after the death of the sow, and the yearling split from the sounder during dispersal. This is the first documented case of long-distance dispersal of adult female wild boar with piglets. Several arguments suggest that long-distance dispersal of female wild boar is more common than previously reported in the literature. For wild boar and other species with predominant male dispersal, data on occasional far-dispersing females like presented here are important for understanding biology of species (e.g. metapopulations, rate of population expansion, local sex and age structure of population) and for management including control of diseases.

Supplemental feeding is often believed to be a successful tool for reducing human–bear (Ursus arctos) conflicts, especially in Europe. However, effectiveness of this measure is poorly understood and there is growing concern for potential negative side-effects. This is particularly true for supplemental feeding using livestock carrion. Carrion feeding is considered especially effective in reducing livestock depredations by diverting bears from pastures and meeting their protein needs. In Slovenia, year-round supplementary feeding of bears with livestock carrion and corn was intensive and in some areas practiced for over 100 years. However, in 2004 the use of livestock carrion was banned in accordance with European Union regulations. This provided an opportunity to study the effects of carrion feeding on livestock depredations by bears. We used sheep as they represented 97% of all depredation events by brown bears in Slovenia. We analyzed whether bears selectively used carrion feeding stations over...

Human harvest is the most important mortality factor for wild ungulates in Europe and can affect several aspects of ungulate biology. There is a growing concern about possible negative side effects of human harvest. To better understand the differences between human and natural mortality, we compared the extent, age and sex structure, nutritional condition, spatial and temporal distribution of human harvest, and natural predation by the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx on the European roe deer Capreolus capreolus, the most abundant wild ungulate in Europe. Compared to the human harvest, lynx were less likely to kill fawns and yearlings than adults, and among adult deer, lynx were more likely to kill females. The proportion of roe deer with fat-depleted bone marrow was higher among lynx prey than among harvested animals. Average lynx kill rate was estimated to 47.8 roe deer per year, and lynx predation was considerably lower than the human harvest in the same area. While human harvest increased with higher roe deer density, lynx predation was similar across the gradient of roe deer densities. Comparison with other countries indicated that differences between human harvest and natural mortality of ungulates vary considerably in different parts of Europe. Variation in hunting practices and, even more importantly, carnivore predation may have an important role in buffering unwanted side effects of harvest of wild ungulates.

Solid understanding of species’ range and local population densities is important for successful wildlife management and research. Specific behavioral and ecological characteristics make brown bear Ursus arctos a difficult species to study. We present a map of range and local population densities of brown bears in Slovenia, made with the use of a new approach similar to voting classifications based on a combination of four datasets: Global Positioning System telemetry data, records of bear removals, systematic and opportunistic direct observations and signs of bear presence, and noninvasive genetic samples. Results indicate that the majority of bears in Slovenia live in Dinaric Mountains in the southern part of the country where local bear population densities exceed 40 bears/100 km2. This is one of the highest population densities reported so far for this species worldwide. Population densities decrease towards the north (Alpine region) and are very low along the border with Italy and Austria where almost no females are present. This explains slow past and present expansion of this transboundary bear population into the Alps and should be considered in future bear re-colonization management strategies. Results also showed that data from observations and removals overestimate bear population densities at low values, while mortality and genetic data overestimate population densities in areas with more people. Nevertheless, all data types appeared useful for describing the general bear distribution patterns. Similar approach could be applied to studies of other charismatic or game species, for which several types of data are often available.

Most studies on the relationship between home-range size and composition focus on natural factors, whereas effects of anthropogenic factors are poorly understood. I evaluated effects of multiple natural and anthropogenic habitat factors, population density, and sex on the annual home-range size of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in wellpreserved forest areas in the Dinaric Mountains of Slovenia, Europe, based on .11,000 telemetry locations from 17 males and 25 females. Home ranges were 90–2,107 ha and averaged 460 ha. Using a mixed linear model, I estimated that home-range size decreased with increasing 1) red deer density, 2) supplemental feeding intensity, and 3) average annual temperature; 4) home-range size increased as the distance of main roads from the edge of the home range increased; and 5) males had a larger home range than females (580 ha versus 400 ha). These results were explained by effects of food availability (1, 2, and 3), energy expenditure of an individual (4 and 5), intraspecific interactions (1 and 5), and size of unfragmented habitat patches (4) on home-range size. To my knowledge, this is the 1st large mammal study to explicitly show that the density and spatial distribution of roads and supplemental feeding affect home-range size of red deer and that humans can have a greater impact on home-range size and shape than natural habitat factors. Ungulates are often supplementally fed to increase their value to hunters and to reduce forest damage, particularly in Europe; however, this practice can greatly reduce the home-range size, potentially leading to increased disease transmission and competition associated with the higher deer densities around feeding sites, which can result in just the opposite of what was intended.

Scavenging is an important but poorly understood ecological process. Dominant scavengers can impose a selection pressure that alters the predator’s fitness, morphology, behavior, and ecology. Interactions between ursids, likely the most important dominant scavengers in the Holarctic region, and solitary felids, which are characterized by long feeding times, provide a good opportunity for studying the effects of kleptoparasitism by dominant scavengers. We analyzed the effects of scavenging by brown bears Ursus arctos on Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx and predator’s response to kleptoparasitism in a European temperate forest ecosystem. Bears found 32 % of lynx prey remains and 15 % of all biomass of large prey killed by lynx was lost to bears. In response, lynx increased their kill rate by 23 % but were able to compensate for only 59 % of the losses. The frequency of bear scavenging was strongly dependent on bear activity patterns and was highest during the lynx pregnancy and lactation period, when up to half of lynx kills were usurped by bears. We suggest that ursid scavenging, by promoting the hunting of smaller prey, may have played an important role in the evolution of the Lynx genus as well as other predators in the Holarctic. Our study indicates that prey loss to dominant scavengers is a widespread phenomenon among felids worldwide, including forest habitats. We highlight several implications of scavenging that could considerably improve our understanding of the ecology of vertebrate communities and the evolution of predators as well as benefit the future management and conservation of endangered predators.