Until recently, the Bulgarian bear population (
L.) was considered one of the significant ones in Europe and one of the few with more than 500 bears. While the numbers of some neighboring populations ...may be increasing, the Bulgarian population has been on a downward trend since the early 1990s. The probable numbers of the species at the end of the 1980s was about 700-750 individuals. Calculations based on field data from national monitoring and statistical analysis show probable numbers in Bulgaria in 2020 of about 500 individuals (data for the autumn state). This decline is mostly related to poaching due to weaker control activity, the reduction of forest areas and habitat fragmentation. The preservation of the Bulgarian population, which, together with the other Balkan populations and the Apennine bear, has a unique gene pool, is particularly important from the point of view of preserving the biodiversity of the species in Europe.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The possibilities of using non-invasively sampled biological material to study the genetic diversity and status of the brown bear population in the European North of Russia are discussed. The ...effectiveness of sampling and preservation methods is evaluated. Fieldwork including non-invasive collection of biological material was carried out in the study area in spring, summer and autumn 2014–2016. The studied area covers the southeast of the Murmansk Region and the Republic of Karelia. 393 samples of bear feces were collected. We conducted DNA extraction from samples and genotyping with 8 microsatellite markers in the DNA laboratory of the NIBIO Svanhovd Research Station (Svanvik, Norway). 48 brown bear individuals were successfully identified. The influence of several factors (the preservation method, age of the collected sample, diet content and sun exposure) on the amplification success was studied. When we analyzed all factors together, only diet content had a significant effect on the amplification success (p <0.05). The presence of berries in feces was found to have a positive effect on DNA and increased the effectiveness of genotyping. The analysis of each factor independently showed that both the ‘freshness’ of the sample and the method of its preservation significantly influenced the result of genotyping. Fresh feces and samples preserved in STOOL solution were the most suitable for genetic analysis. According to these results, recommendations for using noninvasively sampled biomaterial in population genetic studies are given.
The article provides data on the diet of brown bear, collected in Karelia and the Terski district of Murmansk Region in the 2002-2016 years. Quantitative characteristics of the diet of the brown bear ...are given on the basis of analysis of the composition of feces (n = 631) and registration of patterns predator foraging activity. The seasonal dynamics of consumed food items, regional and local features are described in the article. Particular attention was paid to the role of ants in the bear feeding, to estimate this more than 800 ant colonies were examined on the routes.
▶ Blending satellite data produces accurate, high resolution, disturbance sequences. ▶ Validation of predicted dates of disturbance suggests an accuracy of 62%. ▶ Most disturbances are small in area ...and occur late in the growing season. ▶ Disturbance patterns at the scale of grizzly bear home ranges are highly variable.
Timely and accurate mapping of anthropogenic and natural disturbance patterns can be used to better understand the nature of wildlife habitats, distributions and movements. One common approach to map forest disturbance is by using high spatial resolution satellite imagery, such as Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) or Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) imagery acquired at a 30
m spatial resolution. However, the low revisit times of these sensors acts to limit the capability to accurately determine dates for a sequence of disturbance events, especially in regions where cloud contamination is a frequent occurrence. As wildlife habitat use can vary significantly seasonally, annual patterns of disturbance are often insufficient in assessing relationships between disturbance and foraging behaviour or movement patterns.
The Spatial Temporal Adaptive Algorithm for mapping Reflectance Change (STAARCH) allows the generation of high-spatial (30
m) and -temporal (weekly or bi-weekly) resolution disturbance sequences using fusion of Landsat TM or ETM+ and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery. The STAARCH algorithm is applied here to generate a disturbance sequence representing stand-replacing events (disturbances over 1
ha in area) for the period 2001–2008, over almost 6
million
ha of grizzly bear habitat along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta. The STAARCH algorithm incorporates pairs of Landsat images to detect the spatial extent of disturbances; information from the bi-weekly MODIS composites is used in this study to assign a date of disturbance (DoD) to each detected disturbed area. Dates of estimated disturbances with areas over 5
ha are validated by comparison with a yearly Landsat-based change sequence, with producer's accuracies ranging between 15 and 85% (average overall accuracy 62%, kappa statistic of 0.54) depending on the size of the disturbance event. The spatial and temporal patterns of disturbances within the entire region and in smaller subsets, representative of the size of a grizzly bear annual home range, are then explored. Disturbance levels are shown to increase later in the growing season, with most disturbances occurring in late August and September. Individual events are generally small in area (<10
ha) except in the case of wildfires, with, on average, 0.4% of the total area disturbed each year. The application of STAARCH provides unique high temporal and spatial resolution disturbance information over an extensive area, with significant potential for improving understanding of wildlife habitat use.
Poisoning from snake venom in animals is an emergency which requires immediate attention or otherwise, the delayed and inadequate treatment leads to untoward consequences and death. The present paper ...describes a case of venomous snakebite in a brown bear cub (Ursus arctos L.) and its therapeutic management. The brown bear cub of which was found alone on the slopes of a mountain in the southwest part of the country was presented to the peripheral veterinary practice in Ohrid with a history of dullness, disorientation and excessive swelling around the left forepaw. It was diagnosed for snakebite based on the history and physical examination. The hematological parameters showed reduced values of hemoglobin, packed cell volume and increased total leukocyte count. The biochemical values showed elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase and creatinine. After immobilization of the animal, the treatment was conducted with fluids, corticosteroid and broad spectrum antibiotic with careful monitoring. Despite the treatment which was initiated immediately, it was only partially effective, and the animal died one hour after the beginning of its course. Poisonous snakes are common in the mountainous part of Macedonia and, just like humans, wild bears especially their cubs are susceptible to the deadly venom of some species. The severity of the reaction to snake venom and prognosis in animals depends on a number of factors: on the type and species of snake, on how much venom was injected, on the location of the bite, on the age, health and body weight of the animal and crucially, the time interval between the snakebite and the application of the treatment.
La conservation des populations animales autour desquelles existe une controverse passe entre autres par une compréhension de l’écologie de l’espèce, mais également par une analyse des attitudes ...humaines vis-à-vis de sa présence. Cependant, ces deux aspects sont rarement mobilisés ensemble au sein de travaux combinant sciences de l’environnement et sociologie. Nous proposons ici une étude portant sur la population d’ours brun (Ursus arctos) résidant dans les Pyrénées, intégrant à la fois dynamique de la population et de sa distribution, et une analyse de l’attitude des Pyrénéens vis-à-vis des plantigrades. Nous conduisons également une réflexion sur les méthodes à employer afin d’intégrer ces résultats au sein d’une approche socio-écologique. Nos modèles écologiques, qui utilisent des données de suivi obtenues dans le cadre d’un partenariat transfrontalier entre France, Andorre et Espagne, mettent en évidence une augmentation des effectifs et une réduction de la distribution de la population entre 2008 et 2014. Si ces conclusions ne semblent pas aller dans le sens d’une dégradation rapide de leur état de conservation, les ours pyrénéens restent menacés du fait de leurs faibles effectifs et du fort taux de consanguinité au sein de la population. Notre enquête sociologique, réalisée dans les communes sur lesquelles l’ours est ou a été présent entre 2008 et 2013, a mis en évidence une hétérogénéité spatiale dans l’attitude des habitants des Pyrénées sur la question de l’ours, avec notamment des variations significatives en fonction de leurs lieux de naissance et de résidence. Nous discutons ensuite d’une approche intégrant résultats de sociologie et d’écologie avec le but de créer un modèle pouvant servir d’outil à un responsable chargé de la gestion ou de la résolution du conflit, en analysant les méthodes à notre disposition, leurs avantages et leurs limites. Nous concluons sur l’intérêt des approches pluridisciplinaire dans la gestion des controverses autour de la conservation de populations animales.
The conservation of controversial animal populations requires an understanding of the species’ ecology, but also an analysis of the human attitudes towards its presence. However, those two aspects are rarely studied together through a combination of environmental sciences and sociology. Here we study the brown bear (Ursus arctos) population residing in the Pyrenees mountains, analyzing both population dynamics and distribution, and the attitudes of Pyrenean people towards the species. We also ponder on the methods to use to combine these results in a socio-ecological approach. Our ecological models, which use monitoring data obtained through a crossborder partnership between France, Andorra and Spain, highlight an increase of population size and a reduction of its distribution between 2008 and 2014. If those conclusions do not seem to indicate a quick degradation of their conservation status, Pyrenean brown bears remain threatened by low numbers and high inbreeding in the population. A sociological study was performed in the municipalities where bear was or had been present between 2008 and 2013. We found spatial heterogeneity in the attitudes of Pyrenean people regarding bears, with significant variations depending on where they were born and where they currently live. We follow by discussing an approach that combines sociological and ecological results, with the goal of building a model that can be used as a tool for someone responsible for managing or solving the conflict; to do this, we analyze the methods available, their strengths and limits. We conclude on the importance of interdisciplinary approaches when managing controversies over wildlife conservation.
Les oppositions aux actions de conservation de la nature sont souvent présentées, de manière trop schématique, comme les réactions spontanées d'acteurs « locaux » à des initiatives portées par des ...institutions ou des groupes de pression environnementaux « extérieurs ». Dans cet article, un cas est présenté : les mouvements d'opposition aux actions de conservation de l'ours des Pyrénées, pendant la période 1997-2001. Son analyse montre que l'affichage de cette résistance comme locale relève d'une posture construite par des acteurs qui ne sont pas significativement plus « locaux » que les partisans de l'ours. Les actions de ces opposants relèvent plutôt d'une stratégie socioprofessionnelle et politique pour le maillage et le contrôle du territoire, pour l'appropriation et la maîtrise de postes de pouvoir institutionnel et de ressources financières publiques. Sur cette base, on montre le caractère mystificateur d'analyses qui tendent à attribuer la résistance aux actions de conservation uniquement à des erreurs de la part des acteurs qui les portent. Ces résistances ont leurs dynamiques propres. Elles doivent être analysées de façon précise pour alimenter la réflexion sur les difficultés rencontrées par les actions en faveur de la nature. Les auteurs proposent pour cela une double perspective de gestion stratégique et de géopolitique, complétée par une nécessaire critique du local (ou, du moins, de certaines instrumentalisations de cette notion très flexible).
Opposition to conservation initiatives is often presented as a spontaneous reaction of local people to projects or programs promoted by outside environmental institutions or pressure groups. This paper shows that such interpretations, unless based on precise field-work from relevant theoretical perspectives, can be very misleading, often purposefully so. The argument rests on three complementary perspectives : (1) a strategic management approach that sees conservation projects as promoting change, and thus arousing a potential of resistance to change, (2) a geopolitical perspective, focusing on initiatives by given political networks or powerful economic sectors to use this potential resistance to change as a fulcrum for strategies aimed at enhanced control of territories and financial resources from public funds, and (3) a critique of the rhetorics of locality, so often used as a veil for such strategies. A detailed case-study of one emblematic case – opposition to conservation of the brown bear (
Ursus arctos) in the French Pyrenees mountains – shows that precisely such strategies are used by an alliance of farming unions and powerful political forces, and play a central role in the evolution of the management of that species. Based on the case study and on the theoretical perspectives they advocate, the authors stress that the many difficulties met by conservation projects and programs should not be ascribed cursorily to bad design or implementation, at least not before an in-depth analysis of initiatives from political, social or economic actors that may have an incentive in bringing about failure of conservation projects and programs.
Seven fossil specimens, inscribed in five different Dutch collections, are identified as remains of brown bears, Ursus arctos L. Three items are postcranial skeletal parts, two are isolated teeth and ...two are mandibular fragments. Five fossils have been collected from the North Sea bottom in the region just to the west of the Brown Ridge, while an isolated canine was found during dredging operations along the Meuse near 's-Hertogenbosch and part of a second isolated canine appeared when a ditch was cleaned near Broek in Waterland, north of Amsterdam. The age of the specimens varies from Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene.
Pyrénean bear. II. Its Saving
After his introduction here (Bulletin 1986, p. 177-8) : the collective book, about brown bear in Pyrénées : disappearance or live together, the author sums up most ...recents papers about the greatest “carnivorous” so threatened, and its defence.
Après sa présentation ici-même (Bulletin 1986 p. 177-8), d’un ouvrage collectif : «L’ours brun des Pyrénées : disparition ou cohabitation», l’auteur fait le point des publications et diffusions les plus récentes sur le plus grand «carnivore» si menacé, et sa défense.
PDF
