engleski

Bringing together genetic research on brown bears in the Alps – Dinara – Pindos and Carpathian Mountains

Despite considerable research efforts throughout the world the status of brown bears (Ursus arctos) remains in some cases unknown, while in many other cases and despite intensive management some (meta)populations continue to decline. Large home ranges of brown bears often cross national borders and populations typically span over several countries. This should be mirrored in research, management and conservation, which would be most effective if carried out on a larger, multinational scale. Legislative, logistic and scientific differences between the various countries involved, make however, this task very challenging. Almost nowhere in the world is this more evident than in the Alpine, the Dinara - Pindos and the Carpathian Mountains brown bear populations that span over thirteen different countries. Since 2007 an international effort has been launched to bring seven research projects focusing on the genetic study of brown bears under a common framework. The initiative covers a huge area from the Carpathian Mountains in the north to the southern Pindos Mountains in the south, and all the way west to the Alps. It managed to gather data and link together researchers and conservationists from Slovakia, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, F.Y.R. of Macedonia, Albania and Greece. The projects applied both non-invasive sampling methodologies and tissue samples collected from dead bears or bears captured for translocation or research, but varied considerably in study area size, project duration and laboratory procedures. Employing various sets of microsatellite loci (a total of 27 different ones were screened) a total of more than 1800 bears were identified. The standardization of laboratory procedures and statistical analyses among the various laboratories of the project has produced the first preliminary assessment of the genetic status of brown bears in the region. We present the major findings in regard to genetic diversity, population size, history and connectivity on a local scale, but also across the entire range of the initiative and discuss the implications of these findings. We present the common guidelines for genetic research in the area and identify research and conservation priorities for the future.

brown bear; genetics; Alps; Dinara – Pindos; Carpathian Mountains

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