The potential of large carnivores as conservation surrogates in the Romanian Carpathians |
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Authors: | Lauren?iu Rozylowicz Viorel D Popescu Maria P?troescu Gabriel Chi?amera |
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Institution: | (1) Centre for Environmental Research (CCMESI), University of Bucharest, 1 N. Balcescu Blvd., 010041 Bucharest, Romania;(2) Department of Wildlife Ecology, University of Maine, 5575 Nutting Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA;(3) “Grigore Antipa” National Museum of Natural History, 1 Kiseleff Blvd., 011341 Bucharest, Romania |
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Abstract: | Conservation shortcuts such as umbrella species have been long used for regional protection of species whose distributions
are poorly known. Although the European large carnivores—brown bear, gray wolf, and Eurasian lynx—might seem to be robust
candidates as umbrella species, their actual effectiveness has been challenged. We used 10-km resolution distribution maps
of mammals (n = 10) and birds (n = 55) of European conservation concern in the Romanian Carpathians, and a temporal sequence of land cover maps (1990, 2000,
and 2006) to examine: (1) the spatial overlap in distribution between large carnivores and bird and mammal species of conservation
concern, (2) changes in forest cover for the Romanian Carpathians during the post-communist period in relation to the distribution
of species, and (3) priority conservation areas using carnivores as umbrella species. Approximately 55% of the bird and 80%
of mammals species included in this study would potentially benefit from using large carnivores as conservation surrogates.
The changes in forest cover during 1990–2006 were concentrated in the Eastern Carpathians, where up to 45% of the forest per
mapping unit was clearcut during the study period. Implicitly, the areas of occupancy of the background species were most
disturbed by clearcutting in the Eastern Carpathians. We propose that the large carnivores could act temporary as umbrella
species in areas that are still relatively undisturbed, such as Southern and Southwestern Carpathians. This alternative conservation
strategy will allow time for (1) the new established protected areas to start efficiently and (2) the forestry practices to
switch from mostly uncontrolled clearcutting, lacking landscape scale management to ecologically-based practices. |
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