The American West is a region full of pristine nature, high mountains, national parks and Wilderness. The populations of large carnivores are still thriving there, including black bear, polar bear, grizzly bear, puma, wolf and
Tag: Research
Wilderness reduces extinction risk by 50%
Wilderness offers a safe home for many different animal and plant species. We know that is acts as a buffer against species loss, but researchers were not sure how effective Wilderness protects species. A recent
Bears can negatively impact lynx population
In conservation it is crucial to understand the interactions between species, as they can change the dynamics of animal communities. Research (Krofel and Jerina, 2016) has shown that bears affect lynx through kleptoparasitism – stealing
Carnivores crossing borders
Long-distance travelling is important to ensure healthy survival of many animals species, but becomes more difficult due to human activities.
Study confirms low percentage of dog and wolf crossbreeding in Swiss wolf population
Many wolf opponents keep raising the argument of a high rate of hybridisation as a reason to shoot wolves. However, a recent long-term study from Switzerland came to the result that the dog introgression in the Swiss wolf population is very limited.
Isolated Sierra Morena wolf population officially extinct
The Sierra Morena used to be home to the most southern distribution of the Iberian wolf. The iberian wolves, a subspecies of the European wolf, can be found in northern Portugal and north-western Spain. However, an isolated pack lived in the Sierra Morena for decades. The last update of the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe lists the Sierra Morena population as extinct.
Ecosystem services of alpine rivers
Only 14% of alpine rivers are in a good ecological state, according to a brochure of the project “Strategic Planning for Alpine River Ecosystems” (SPARE). Climate overheating impacts sensitive river ecosystems much stronger than other
What would it take to protect Wilderness?
Wilderness is a vital element of our natural and cultural heritage. It provides important economic, social and environmental benefits to societies, and performs many functions more effectively than human-dominated landscapes. However a recent study shares alarming
Species are disappearing, so is Wilderness
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) published recently their alarming Living Planet Report 2018. One of the things that stood out most, was the Living Planet Index. The Index shows that 16 704 populations, representing
Adapting Sustainable Forest Management to Climate Change
Forests have always been a focus in nature conservation. Over the history of nature conservation, an extensive network of protected forests have been created. This protects forests and provides an opportunity to study forest dynamics.
What 200 years of hunting did to the wolves’ gene pool
Many species face current populations declines, which is often a consequence of human behaviour e.g. hunting, habitat destruction. This leads to genetic bottlenecks. Once genes have been lost from a population, they are irreversibly lost,
Global Forest Change charted
Everywhere on our planet, forests are facing the same problem: climate change and human impact. We like to use wood and other plant material for many things in our daily lives. This is putting a
Can Swedish habitat analysis solve human-wolf conflict?
A study has identified areas in Sweden that, from a human perspective, are most suitable for the wolves to repopulate. There are approximately 400 wolves in Sweden, which live mostly in the central part of
Second international Jackal Symposium, Greece
Next week, the second international Jackal Symposium takes place in Marathon Bay, Greece. International experts and scientists will come together to discuss on the latest international developments. The symposium will address not only the golden
Illegal logging Bialowieza Forest affects 4000+ hectares of Natura 2000
New publications describe the impact of recent illegal logging in Bialowieza Forest, Poland. Direct and indirect impact on the Natura 2000 site are alarming. The fragmentation rate will result in even more long-lasting effects on
Germany can reach 2% Wilderness
The German government and several environmental organisations are working on an ambitious goal for 2020. They aim to have Wilderness areas cover 2% of their land, and permanently unused forests cover 5% of Germany. This
Risk of avalanches is increasing
Most people these days have come across the terms global warming, climate change, global heating. We are reshaping the earth and the way in which our planet exists, and it is impacting all our lives
Plant-rich mountain peaks linked to climate overheating
A newly published study in Nature confirms that our mountain peaks get greener. The acceleration with which plants occupy new territory links to the rising temperatures. While some species cannot cope well with rising temperatures, others
The Economic Inequality of Protected Areas
The Walk on the Wild Side: Estimating the Global Magnitude of Visits to Protected Areas report from researchers in Cambridge, UK, Princeton, New Jersey, and Washington, DC, revealed that the world protected natural areas receive
Wilderness Institute and Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute
The Wilderness Institute at the University of Montana is led by Natalie Dawson, who I met on my first day on Campus. The Wilderness Institute connects various fields of sciences, such as arts, literature, law or