Identification of Ecological Connectivity for Brown Bears: Example of Malatya Province

Year 2017, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 111 - 119, 30.11.2017

Duygu Doğan , Şükran Şahin

Abstract

Increasing population, industrialization and
use of agricultural land in the world results in devastation and fragmentation
of natural areas, and thus the wild life is threatened. Especially big
carnivorous animals are influenced heavily by this situation. They are
vulnerable due to the need for wide areas for habitation, low reproduction
rates, huge body size and the fact that they are perceived as threats by people
because of their predatory characteristics. Therefore, these species should be
considered as a priority in protection strategies.

Connectivity is one of the tools used for
preventing the mentioned devastation created by human activities and enabling
protection of the habitats of mentioned species. An umbrella species, big
carnivorous brown bear (Ursus arctos L) is tackled
in the study which is found in the natural landscape of Malatya province. The
purpose of the study is to identify their habitats via Geographical Information
Systems and ensure ecological connectivity among habitats. Similar studies are
examined as examples within the applied model in this context and they are
transferred to the field. The mobility among reproduction and population areas
of the brown bears is provided by the to-be-established ecological networks,
while they are protected from isolation and spatial losses.

Keywords

Brown bear (Ursus arctos L), ecological connectivity, habitat model, Malatya, Turkey

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