Abstract
Using data from the National Wolf Census, carried out in Poland in 2000–2001, and GIS techniques we analysed habitat selection by wolvesCanis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 in uplands and mountains of southern Poland. We compared ten habitat variables and two parameters related to wolf abundance in 52 circular plots (154 km2 each) with recorded wolves and 97 randomly selected plots with no signs of wolf presence. Wolf plots were characterized by higher elevation and closer location to the state border than wolf-free plots. Furthermore, wolf plots had higher forest cover, but smaller number of villages and towns and shorter railways and roads than plots without wolves. The best model explaining wolf distribution included forest cover, number of villages, length of roads and railway lines. Compared to northern Poland, the southern part of the country offers worse habitats for wolves due to significantly denser network of settlements and transportation routes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adamic M. 1992. Status of the wolf (Canis lupus L.) in Slovenia. [In: Proceedings of the workshop: Wolves in Europe — current status and prospects. C. Promberger and W. Schröder, eds]. Oberammergau, Germany: 71–73.
Anderson D. R., Burnham K. P. and Thompson W. L. 2000. Null hypotheses testing: problems, prevalence, and an alternative. Journal of Wildlife Management 64: 912–923.
Boitani L. 1982. Wolf management in intensively used areas of Italy. [In: Wolves of the World. Perspectives of behavior, ecology, and conservation. F. H. Harrington and D. C. Paquet, eds]. Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, New York, USA: 158–172.
Boitani L. 2003. Wolves conservation and recovery. [In: Wolves. Behavior, ecology, and conservation. D. Mech and L. Boitani, eds]. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London: 317–340.
Central Statistical Office. 2000. Forestry statistical yearbook 2000. Warszawa. [In Polish]
Central Statistical Office. 2002. Statistical yearbook of the Republic of Poland 2002. Warszawa: 1–761. [In Polish]
Ciucci P. and Boitani L. 1998. Wolf and dog depredation on livestock in central Italy. Wildlife Society Bulletin 26: 504–514.
Ciucci P., Masi M. and Boitani L. 2003. Winter habitat and travel route selection by wolves in the northern Apennines, Italy. Ecography 26: 223–225.
Clevenger A. P., McIvor M., McIvor D., Chruszcz B. and Gunson K. 2001. Tiger salamander,Ambystoma tigrium, movements and mortality on the trans-Canada highway in Southwestern Alberta. Canadian Field-Naturalist 115: 199–204.
Conway K. 1996. Wolf recovery — GIS facilitates habitat mapping in the Great Lake States. GIS World 11: 54–57.
Corsi F., Duprè E. and Boitani L. 1999. A large-scale model of wolf distribution in Italy for conservation planning. Conservation Biology 13: 150–159.
Farago S. 1992. Current status of the wolf (Canis lupus) in Hungary. [In: Proceedings of the workshop: Wolves in Europe — current status and prospects. C. Promberger and W. Schröder, eds]. Oberammergau, Germany: 45–49.
Find’o S. and Chovancová B. 2004. Home ranges of two wolf packs in the Slovak Carpathians. Folia Zoologica 53: 17–26.
Frkovic A. and Huber D. 1992. Wolves in Croatia: Baseline data. [In: Proceedings of the workshop: Wolves in Europe — current status and prospects. C. Promberger and W. Schröder, eds]. Oberammergau, Germany: 67–69.
Glenz C., Massolo A., Kuonen D. S. and Schlaepfer R. 2001. A wolf habitat suitability prediction study in Valais (Switzerland). Landscape and Urban Planning 55: 55–65.
Harrison D. J. and Chapin T. G. 1998. Extent and connectivity of habitat for wolves in eastern North America. Wildlife Society Bulletin 26: 767–775.
Jędrzejewska B. and Jędrzejewski W. 1998. Predation in vertebrate communities. The Białowieża Primeval Forest as a case study. Springer, Berlin: 1–450.
Jędrzejewski W., Nowak S., Schmidt K. and Jędrzejewska B. 2002. The wolf and lynx in Poland — results of the census conducted in 2001. Kosmos 51: 491–499. [In Polish with English summary]
Jędrzejewski W., Niedziałkowska M., Nowak S. and Jędrzejewska B. 2004. Habitat variables associated with wolf (Canis lupus) distribution and abundance in northern Poland. Diversity and Distributions 10: 225–233.
Kerley L. I., Goodrich J. M., Miquelle D. G., Smirnov E. N., Quigley H. B. and Hornocker M. G. 2002. Effects of roads and human disturbance on Amur tigers. Conservation Biology 16: 97–108.
Massolo A. and Meriggi A. 1998. Factors affecting habitat occupancy by wolves in northern Apennines (northern Italy): a model of habitat suitability. Ecography 21: 97–107.
Mladenoff D. J., Sickley T. A., Haight R. G. and Wydeven A. P. 1995. A regional landscape analysis and prediction of favorable gray wolf habitat in the northern Great Lakes region. Conservation Biology 9: 279–294.
Nowak S. and Mysłajek R. 2003. [Conservation problems of wolvesCanis lupus in Western Bieszczady landscape parks]. [In: Selected species of endangered animals in the Western Bieszczady Mts and ways of their protection. M. Broda and J. Mastaj, eds]. Zespół Parków Krajobrazowych Województwa Śląskiego, Będzin: 14–19. [In Polish]
Oakleaf J. K., Murray D. L., Bangs E. E., Mack C. M., Smith D. W., Fontaine J. A., Oakleaf J. R., Jimenez M. D., Meier T. J. and Niemeyer C. C. 2003. Habitat selection by recolonizing wolves in the Northwestern United States. [In: World Wolf Congress 2003. Bridging science and community]. September 25-28, 2003. The Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta, Canada: 23–24.
Promberger C. 1992. Population trends of wolves in Portugal. [In: Proceedings of the workshop: Wolves in Europe — current status and prospects. C. Promberger and W. Schröder, eds]. Oberammergau, Germany: 111–112.
Promberger Ch., Mertens A., Promberger-Fürpass B. and Blumer A. 2000. Economic evaluation. [In: Carpathian Large Carnivore project. Annual report]. S and G Print, HACO International Publishing: 1–72.
Salvatori V., Corsi F., Milton E. J. and Boitani L. 2002a. Use of satellite images for regional modelling of conservation areas for wolves in the Carpathian Mountains, Central Europe. [In: Information for sustainability and development. Proceedings of the 29th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment]. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Salvatori V., Okarma H., Ionescu O., Dovhanych Y., Find’o S. and Boitani L. 2002b. Hunting legislation in the Carpathian Mountains: implications for the conservation and management of large carnivores. Wildlife Biology 8: 3–10.
Saunders S. C., Mislivets M. R., Chen J. and Cleland D. T. 2002. Effects of roads on landscape structure within nested ecological units of the Northern Great Lakes Region, USA. Biological Conservation 103: 209–225.
Sidorovich V. E., Tikhomirova L. L. and Jędrzejewska B. 2003. WolfCanis lupus numbers, diet and damage on livestock in relation to hunting and ungulate abundance in northeastern Belarus. Wildlife Biology 9: 103–111.
Singleton P. H., Gaines W. L. and Lehmkuhl J. F. 2002. Landscape permeability for large carnivores in Washington: a geographic information system weighted-distance and least-cost corridor assessment. US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR, Research Paper PNW-RP-549: 1–89.
Starkel L. 1999. [Geography of Poland]. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN. Warszawa: 1–593. [In Polish]
Stein J. T. 2000. From extermination to reintroduction: A snapshot of North America large carnivore conservation at the millenium. Unpublished MSc thesis, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven.
Theuerkauf J., Jędrzejewski W., Schmidt K. and Gula R. 2003. Spatiotemporal segregation of wolves from humans in the Białowieża Forest (Poland). The Journal of Wildlife Management 67: 706–716.
Vila C., Castroviejo J. and Urios V. 1992. The Iberian wolf in Spain. [In: Proceedings of the workshop: Wolves in Europe — current status and prospects. C. Promberger and W. Schröder, eds]. Oberammergau, Germany: 105–109.
Wydeven A. P., Fuller T. K., Weber W. and MacDonald K. 1998. The potential for wolf recovery in the northeastern United States via dispersal from southeastern Canada. Wildlife Society Bulletin 26: 776–784.
Wydeven A. P., Mladenoff D. J., Sickley T. A., Kohn B. E., Thiel R. P. and Hansen J. L. 2001. Road density as a factor in habitat selection by wolves and other carnivores in the Great Lakes Region. Endangered Species 18: 110–114.
Zięba F., Bodziarczyk J. and Szwagrzyk J. 1996. The limits to renaturalization: large carnivores in the Tatry Biosphere Reserve. Przegląd Przyrodniczy 7: 245–256. [In Polish with English abstract]
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Associate Editor was Karol Zub.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jędrzejewski, W., Niedzialkowska, M., Mysłajek, R.W. et al. Habitat selection by wolvesCanis lupus in the uplands and mountains of southern Poland. Acta Theriol 50, 417–428 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03192636
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03192636