Inventory of Large Mammal Species in the Ilgaz Mountains Çankırı : A Major Ecological Corridor in Anatolia

Year 2020, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 73 - 80, 26.03.2020

Burak Akbaba Safak Bulut

https://doi.org/10.17350/HJSE19030000217

Cited By: 1

Abstract

I n order to understand the processes engendered by different faunal elements in natural systems, and to plan how such systems should be managed and conserved, it is essential to start by determining the presence of those faunal elements, even large mammals. The entire range of North Anatolian Mountains provides suitable sheltering and feeding habitats for large mammals. The region stretching between Köroğlu Mountains west and Ilgaz Mountains east is one of the most important Anatolia’s wildlife corridors. We located and identified the species of large mammals in the Ilgaz Mountains, as well as specific habitats used by them. Field studies carried out in this region during April-August 2017 resulted in 180 records of nine different species of large mammals: Lepus europaeus, Ursus arctos, Canis lupus, Vulpes vulpes, Lynx lynx, Meles meles, Sus scrofa, Cervus elaphus and Capreolus capreolus. To obtain those records took 621 days of studying with camera traps. Among those species, European hare was the most frequently recorded herbivore 101 , and brown bear was the most frequently recorded carnivore 19 . Both hare and roe deer displayed clustered distribution patterns in the region. The analysis of our records showed that lynx, boar, and fox were strictly nocturnal; whereas hare and wolf were predominantly nocturnal. We also obtained records of the cubs of many large mammal species bear, lynx, boar, red deer, roe deer although we did not encounter any large mammal nests during the study

Keywords

Mammal, Camera trap, Çankırı, Ilgaz, Anatolia.

References

• Akman Y. İklim ve Biyoiklim, Palma Yayın Dağıtım, Ankara, 1990. 11. T.C. Çankırı Valiliği Çevre ve Şehircilik İl Müdürlüğü. Çankırı İli 2016 Yılı Çevre Durum Raporu, Çankırı, 2017.
• Sanderson JG. Camera phototrapping monitoring protocol, The Tropical Ecology, Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) Initiative, The Center for Applied Biodiversity Science, Conservation International, Washington, DC, pp. 18, 2004. Demirsoy A. Türkiye Omurgalıları: Memeliler, Çevre Bakanlığı, 18. Çevre Koruma Genel Müdürlüğü, Meteksan A.Ş., Ankara, pp. 292, 1996.
• Aulagnier S, Haffner F, Mitchell-Jones AJ, Moutou F, Zima J. Mammals of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, Delachaux et Niestle SA, Paris, pp. 272, 2008.
• Jobin A, Molinari P, Breitenmoser U. Prey spectrum, prey preference and consumption rates of Eurasian lynx in the Swiss Jura Mountains. Acta Theriologica 45, no. 2 (2000) 243–252.
• Fedriani JM, Palomares F, Delibes M. Niche relations among three sympatric Mediterranean carnivores. Oecologia 121, no.1 (1999) 138–148.
• Jedrzejewska W, Jedrzejewska B, Okarma H, Schmidt K, Zub K, Musiani M. Prey selection and predation by wolves in Białowieza Primeval Forest, Poland. Journal of Mammalogy 81, no.1 (2000) 197–212.
• Tobler MW, Carrillo-Percastegui SE, Leite Pitman R, Mares R, Powell G. An evaluation of camera traps for inventorying large and medium sized terrestrial rainforest mammals. Animal Conservation 11, no. 3 (2008) 169–178.
• Jedrzejewski W, Schmidt K, Milkowski L, Jedrzejewska B, Okarma H. Foraging by lynx and its role in ungulate mortality: the local (Bialowieza Forest) and the Palearctic viewpoints. Acta Theriologica 38, no. 4 (1993) 385–403.
• Mengüllüoğlu D, Ambarlı H, Berger A, Hofer H. Foraging ecology of Eurasian lynx populations in southwest Asia: Conservation implications for a diet specialist. Ecology and Evolution 8, no. 6 (2018) 9451–9463.
• Soyumert A, Ertürk A, Tavşanoğlu Ç. The importance of lagomorphs for the Eurasian lynx in Western Asia: Results from a large scale camera-trapping survey in Turkey. Mammalian Biology 95 (2019) 18-25.
• Theuerkauf J, Jedrzejewski W, Schmidt K, Okarma H, Ruczynski I, Sniezko S, Gula R. Daily patterns and duration of wolf activity in the Białowieza Forest, Poland. Journal of Mammalogy 84, no.1 (2003) 243–253.