Balkan Chamois (<i>Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica</i>) Avoids Roads, Settlements, and Hunting Grounds: An Ecological Overview from Timfi Mountain, Greece
Balkan chamois (<i>Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica</i>) is a protected species with an Inadequate-Bad (U2) conservation status in Greece. Our study explores its seasonal range use pattern, demography and habitat selection in a site of the Natura 2000 network, Timfi Mountain. To this aim, w...
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MDPI AG
2020-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/12/4/124 |
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| author | Vassiliki Kati Christina Kassara Dimitrios Vassilakis Haritakis Papaioannou |
| author_facet | Vassiliki Kati Christina Kassara Dimitrios Vassilakis Haritakis Papaioannou |
| author_sort | Vassiliki Kati |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Balkan chamois (<i>Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica</i>) is a protected species with an Inadequate-Bad (U2) conservation status in Greece. Our study explores its seasonal range use pattern, demography and habitat selection in a site of the Natura 2000 network, Timfi Mountain. To this aim, we examined 1168 observations obtained from six seasonal surveys (2002: four seasons, 2014 and 2017: autumn) and performed an ecological-niche factor analysis (ENFA), using 16 environmental and human-disturbance variables. The species had an annual range of 6491 ha (25% of the study area), followed the typical range-use pattern, and presented the minimum core area during the rutting season (autumn). Timfi Mt hosted 469 individuals in 2017 (the largest population in Greece), increasing by 3.55 times since 2002. The species selected higher altitudes during summer and autumn, pinewoods over broad-leaved woods as winter grounds, and it avoided south-facing slopes. Our results supported the anthropogenic risk avoidance hypothesis; the species always selected remote areas away from roads, human settlements, and hunting grounds. In Greece, 40% of its distribution area falls within hunting ban areas (16.5% of the country). A national conservation policy is needed towards maintaining and increasing roadless areas and hunting-ban areas within Balkan chamois range nationwide. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:12:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4632c2db080e43aa8b5596f15b533a88 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:12:39Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-4632c2db080e43aa8b5596f15b533a882023-11-16T14:25:29ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182020-03-0112412410.3390/d12040124Balkan Chamois (<i>Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica</i>) Avoids Roads, Settlements, and Hunting Grounds: An Ecological Overview from Timfi Mountain, GreeceVassiliki Kati0Christina Kassara1Dimitrios Vassilakis2Haritakis Papaioannou3Department of Biological Applications & Technology, University of Ioannina, University Campus, 45500 Ioannina, GreeceDepartment of Biological Applications & Technology, University of Ioannina, University Campus, 45500 Ioannina, GreeceHellenic Republic, Decentralized Administration of Macedonia–Thrace, Forestry Service of Soufli, Ermou 6, 68400 Soufli, GreeceDepartment of Biological Applications & Technology, University of Ioannina, University Campus, 45500 Ioannina, GreeceBalkan chamois (<i>Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica</i>) is a protected species with an Inadequate-Bad (U2) conservation status in Greece. Our study explores its seasonal range use pattern, demography and habitat selection in a site of the Natura 2000 network, Timfi Mountain. To this aim, we examined 1168 observations obtained from six seasonal surveys (2002: four seasons, 2014 and 2017: autumn) and performed an ecological-niche factor analysis (ENFA), using 16 environmental and human-disturbance variables. The species had an annual range of 6491 ha (25% of the study area), followed the typical range-use pattern, and presented the minimum core area during the rutting season (autumn). Timfi Mt hosted 469 individuals in 2017 (the largest population in Greece), increasing by 3.55 times since 2002. The species selected higher altitudes during summer and autumn, pinewoods over broad-leaved woods as winter grounds, and it avoided south-facing slopes. Our results supported the anthropogenic risk avoidance hypothesis; the species always selected remote areas away from roads, human settlements, and hunting grounds. In Greece, 40% of its distribution area falls within hunting ban areas (16.5% of the country). A national conservation policy is needed towards maintaining and increasing roadless areas and hunting-ban areas within Balkan chamois range nationwide.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/12/4/124climate changeconservationdemographydisturbanceENFAhabitat selection |
| spellingShingle | Vassiliki Kati Christina Kassara Dimitrios Vassilakis Haritakis Papaioannou Balkan Chamois (<i>Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica</i>) Avoids Roads, Settlements, and Hunting Grounds: An Ecological Overview from Timfi Mountain, Greece Diversity climate change conservation demography disturbance ENFA habitat selection |
| title | Balkan Chamois (<i>Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica</i>) Avoids Roads, Settlements, and Hunting Grounds: An Ecological Overview from Timfi Mountain, Greece |
| title_full | Balkan Chamois (<i>Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica</i>) Avoids Roads, Settlements, and Hunting Grounds: An Ecological Overview from Timfi Mountain, Greece |
| title_fullStr | Balkan Chamois (<i>Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica</i>) Avoids Roads, Settlements, and Hunting Grounds: An Ecological Overview from Timfi Mountain, Greece |
| title_full_unstemmed | Balkan Chamois (<i>Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica</i>) Avoids Roads, Settlements, and Hunting Grounds: An Ecological Overview from Timfi Mountain, Greece |
| title_short | Balkan Chamois (<i>Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica</i>) Avoids Roads, Settlements, and Hunting Grounds: An Ecological Overview from Timfi Mountain, Greece |
| title_sort | balkan chamois i rupicapra rupicapra balcanica i avoids roads settlements and hunting grounds an ecological overview from timfi mountain greece |
| topic | climate change conservation demography disturbance ENFA habitat selection |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/12/4/124 |
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