Mortality parameters of the wolf in Italy: does the wolf keep himself from the door?

Lovari, Sandro; Sforzi, Andrea; Scala, Claudio; Fico, Rosario

doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00260.x

Cited by 65 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Although mortality rate is not negligible in the study area, it seems to affect mainly young individuals, a general pattern observed in the rest of Italy as well (Capitani 2005;Lovari et al 2007). This is also confirmed by the prevalence of this age class in our sample of dead individuals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…It has stably re-colonized the Western Alps and has reached a continuous distribution along the Apennines, where wolf packs can locally reach high densities. Even if the species is fully protected by the Italian law, high levels of induced mortality, mainly due to poaching and traffic accidents, are reported (Lovari et al 2007). No study has been focused so far on the knowledge of social dynamics acting at the local level in the Italian wolf population and of the way these mechanisms are affecting its recovery.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Fine-scale genetic structure suggests low levels of short-range gene flow in a wolf population of the Italian Apennines

et al. 2011

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International audienceWe investigated local gene flow in a high-density wolf () population of the Italian Apennines, where no effective barrier to wolf dispersal was present. From 1998 to 2004 we examined wolf carcasses and non-invasively collected samples, focusing on three mountain districts, separated by two valleys, where wolf packs showed high spatial stability. Using nine autosomal microsatellites we successfully genotyped 177 samples, achieving the identification of 74 wolves. Genetic relatedness steeply decreased with increasing distance between sampling areas, thus suggesting that short-distance interpack migration is infrequent in this population. In addition, no individual from a central pack under intensive monitoring was sampled in the range of the surrounding packs over a 4-year period. The limited short-distance gene flow resulted in a cryptic genetic structure, which was revealed by Bayesian analysis. A different genetic cluster was found in each of the three mountain areas, and a small proportion of first-generation immigrants was detected. Overall, the present study suggests that local genetic differentiation in Italian wolves might arise from high spatial stability of packs and can be favoured by a combination of long-range dispersal, the attitude to mate between unrelated individuals and a high young mortality rate

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Fine-scale genetic structure suggests low levels of short-range gene flow in a wolf population of the Italian Apennines

et al. 2011

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“…There is a large amount of evidence that roads, and more specifically vehicles, are a mortality risk for many species of wildlife (e.g., Groot Bruinderink and Hazebroek 1996, Lodé 2000, Clevenger et al 2003, Ramp et al 2005, Lovari et al 2007). The research linking road effects with consequences at the population level has identified a reduction in demographic rates (Foppen and Reijnen 1994, Mumme et al 2000, Row et al 2007, an increased risk of extinction (Gibbs and Shriver 2005), and a reduction in population densities or abundance (Fahrig et al 1995, Marsh and Beckman 2004, Fahrig and Rytwinski 2009.…”

Section: Reduced Apparent Annual Survival Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence that a Highway Reduces Apparent Survival Rates of Squirrel Gliders

McCall¹,

McCarthy²,

Ree³

et al. 2010

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Roads and traffic are prominent components of most landscapes throughout the world, and their negative effects on the natural environment can extend for hundreds or thousands of meters beyond the road. These effects include mortality of wildlife due to collisions with vehicles, pollution of soil and air, modification of wildlife behavior in response to noise, creation of barriers to wildlife movement, and establishment of dispersal conduits for some plant and animal species. In southeast Australia, much of the remaining habitat for the squirrel glider, Petaurus norfolcensis, is located in narrow strips of Eucalyptus woodland that is adjacent to roads and streams, as well as in small patches of woodland vegetation that is farther from roads. We evaluated the effect of traffic volume on squirrel gliders by estimating apparent annual survival rates of adults along the Hume Freeway and nearby low-traffic-volume roads. We surveyed populations of squirrel gliders by trapping them over 2.5 years, and combined these data with prior information on apparent survival rates in populations located away from freeways to model the ratio of apparent annual survival rates in both site types. The apparent annual survival rate of adult squirrel gliders living along the Hume Freeway was estimated to be approximately 60% lower than for squirrel gliders living near local roads. The cause of the reduced apparent survival rate may be due to higher rates of mortality and/or higher emigration rates adjacent to the Hume Freeway compared with populations near smaller country roads. Management options for population persistence will be influenced by which of these factors is the primary cause of a reduced apparent survival rate.

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“…Several roadkills have taken place in areas where the species is not well established, which may coincide with the young dispersing or roaming individuals. Although we could not obtain data about the ages and sexes of road-killed wolves, according to Lovari et al (2007), it is more probable that the young suffer the highest roadkill frequencies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…There are several studies from the Mediterranean region documenting road mortality in wolves. In Italy, 52.0% (76 roadkills) between 1991 and 2001 (Lovari et al 2007) and in Croatia, 24.2% (15 roadkills) between 1996(Huber et al 2002 of the wolf mortality recorded were due to collisions with vehicles. Elsewhere, in Scandinavia, 26% of deaths (n=84) were roadkill (Olsen 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Factors influencing wolf Canis lupus roadkills in Northwest Spain

2010

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Roadkill is one of the most prominent causes of wildlife mortality. Much research effort has focussed on collisions with ungulates because of traffic safety. However, studies about large carnivore roadkills are scarce despite vehicles being a main cause of mortality. The absence of studies can be explained in part because of difficulties in obtaining sufficient sample sizes. We collected data from locations of 82 wolf roadkill sites in the Castilla y León Region, northwest Spain. We evaluated different models to characterise collision localities using logistic regressions with corrections for rare events. The best models included traffic and human disturbance parameters. Landscape variables did not improve predictive power. Fencing was a decisive key predictor; roadkill was proportionally higher along fenced highways than on similar major roads that lacked fences. Wolf-vehicle collisions were more common in agricultural areas, although wolf densities were lower in these zones. Both the higher density of important roads and a greater proportion of roaming wolves on the plateau may explain this pattern.

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Mortality parameters of the wolf in Italy: does the wolf keep himself from the door?

Abstract: Information on population parameters is rarely collected from carcasses. This method can be particularly useful -with limitations -when protected species are involved (e.

Cited by 65 publications

References 17 publications

Fine-scale genetic structure suggests low levels of short-range gene flow in a wolf population of the Italian Apennines

Fine-scale genetic structure suggests low levels of short-range gene flow in a wolf population of the Italian Apennines

Evidence that a Highway Reduces Apparent Survival Rates of Squirrel Gliders

Factors influencing wolf Canis lupus roadkills in Northwest Spain

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