engleski

The effects of traffic on large carnivore populations in Croatia

Roads and railways are causing habitat fragmentation, disturbance and direct mortality to all three species of large carnivores in Croatia. As traffic is becoming faster, quieter and denser, and the number of traffic routes is increasing, so traffic kills are on the increase. Traffic related mortality in Croatia involved Brown Bear Ursus arctos, Eurasian Lynx Lynx lynx, and Grey Wolf Canis lupus. During the period 1986-94, 19% (42 of 217) of the total Brown Bear mortality was caused by traffic (as compared with 11% until 1985); 6.6% (10 of 151) of total Eurasian Lynx mortality during the period 1978-95 was due to traffic, and 3.6% (20 of 560) of total Grey Wolf mortality since 1945 resulted from traffic accidents. Large carnivores in the first year of their life were found to be significantly more vulnerable to such accidents than older individuals, relative to their share in the population (wolves P<0.05 (χ2 = 9.64); bears P<0.05 (χ2 = 5.52); and lynxes P<0.1 (χ2 = 2.91)).

Canis lupus; Croatia; European Brown Bear; Eurasian Lynx; Lynx lynx; traffic kills; Ursus arctos; Grey Wolf

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