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Predicting potential European bison habitat across its former range
Tobias Kuemmerle1, Volker C Radeloff, Kajetan Perzanowski
1Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA. kummerle@pik-potsdam.de
Summary
Conservation efforts for European bison (Bison bonasus) show abundant potential habitat exists, particularly in Eastern Europe. However, most suitable areas face land-use conflicts, highlighting the need for careful planning for large mammal survival.
Area of Science:
- Conservation Biology
- Landscape Ecology
- Wildlife Management
Background:
- Habitat loss poses a significant threat to large mammals globally.
- Effective conservation requires identifying suitable habitats within human-dominated landscapes, balancing species needs with land-use pressures.
- European bison (Bison bonasus) conservation faces challenges in reintroducing metapopulations due to unclear suitable areas and potential land-use conflicts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To map European bison habitat across its former range using real landscape patterns.
- To compare broadscale habitat suitability factors with previously identified fine-scale factors.
- To identify potential conservation conflict areas and prioritize regions for reintroduction.
Main Methods:
- Utilized herd range maps of 36 free-ranging European bison herds as habitat use data for continental-scale assessment.
- Developed habitat suitability models with high goodness of fit (AUC = 0.941).
- Compared suitability maps with land cover, livestock density, agricultural constraints, and protected areas to assess conservation conflicts.
Main Results:
- Abundant potential habitat for European bison was identified, favoring mosaic landscapes with broad-leaved and mixed forests.
- Habitat availability is not limiting for European bison metapopulations.
- Most suitable habitats are located outside protected areas, presenting significant potential for land-use conflicts.
Conclusions:
- Eastern Europe, specifically the Carpathians, Belarus-Ukraine borderlands, and European Russia, offers the most promising areas for establishing large European bison metapopulations.
- The future of European bison and other large mammals depends on abundant, less fragmented habitats with lower land-use conflict potential, predominantly found in Eastern Europe.
- Broadscale habitat assessments incorporating land use are crucial for successful conservation planning of large herbivores and carnivores in human-dominated environments.
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