High Habitat Potential but Limited Connectivity for Brown Bears Throughout Europe
Title (eng)
High Habitat Potential but Limited Connectivity for Brown Bears Throughout Europe
Author
Marta De Barba
Andreas Zedrosser
Nuria Selva
Niko Balkenhol
Julien Renaud
Gregor Simcic
Ainhoa Graciarena
Shane C. Frank
Anne G. Hertel
Aida Parres
Hüseyin Ambarlı
Andriy‐Taras Bashta
Natalia Bragalanti
Henrik Brøseth
Mark Chynoweth
Duško Ćirović
Paolo Ciucci
Csaba Domokos
Aleksandar Dutsov
Alper Ertürk
Ancuta Fedorca
Mihai Fedorca
Stefano Filacorda
Slavomir Finďo
Luca Fumagalli
Claudio Groff
Snorre B. Hagen
Bledi Hoxha
Djuro Huber
Otso Huitu
Georgeta Ionescu
Ovidiu Ionescu
Klemen Jerina
Alexandros A. Karamanlidis
Jonas Kindberg
Ilpo Kojola
Diana Krajmerová
José Vicente López‐Bao
Peep Männil
Yorgos Mertzanis
Anja Molinari‐Jobin
Paolo Molinari
Andrea Mustoni
Javier Naves
Sergey Ogurtsov
Deniz Özüt
Santiago Palazon
Jasmin Pasic
Ladislav Paule
Milan Paunović
Aleksandar Perovic
Stefano Pesaro
Vladimir Piminov
Mihai I. Pop
Maria Psaralexi
Pierre Yves Quenette
Slaven Reljic
Eloy Revilla
Urmas Saarma
Alexander Saveljev
Ali Onur Sayar
Cagan Sekercioglu
Agnieszka Sergiel
Tomaz Skrbinsek
Michaela Skuban
Anil Soyumert
Aleksandar Stojanov
Konstantin Tirronen
Igor Trbojević
Tijana Trbojević
Filip Zięba
Diana Zlatanova
Tomasz Zwijacz‐Kozica
Jerrold L. Belant
Abstract (eng)
Aim
Large carnivores worldwide have experienced substantial range contractions due to human activities, though several species are recolonising parts of their historical range. We aimed to assess current and potential European brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) habitat as well as habitat connectivity on a continental scale.
Location
The extended biogeographical regions of Europe, spanning from Portugal to central Russia, longitudinally, and from Norway to Türkiye, latitudinally. Excluding inland seas; this area covers 11,151,636 km2.
Methods
We assessed habitat suitability throughout the study area using an ensemble species distribution model with nine submodels, using data from 10 European bear populations and Türkiye. We used the resulting habitat suitability maps to conduct a least-cost path connectivity analysis and an omnidirectional circuit connectivity analysis.
Main Conclusions
Habitat suitability was strongly associated with low percentages of agricultural cover, low percentages of human development, and proximity to forest. Of our entire study area, 37% (4.09 million km2) is occupied or potentially suitable for bears. Connectivity analyses identified corridors that could facilitate movement among southern European bear populations, though agricultural land and human development limit connectivity between northern and southern European bear populations. Previous research estimated bears occupied 0.5 million km2 across the European Union, while our results estimate 1.82 million km2 of this part of our study area is potentially suitable for bears, though connectivity is limited. Our results inform conservation strategies and policy development for the future of brown bears in Europe, emphasising the need for transboundary conservation efforts.
Keywords (eng)
Habitat ConnectivityHabitat SuitabilityLarge CarnivoreRecolonisationSpecies Distribution ModelUrsus Arctos
Type (eng)
Language
[eng]
Persistent identifier
Is in series
Title (eng)
Diversity and Distributions
Volume
32
Issue
1
ISSN
1366-9516
Issued
2026
Number of pages
17
Publication
Wiley
Version type (eng)
Date issued
2026
Access rights (eng)
License
Rights statement (eng)
© 2025 The Author(s)
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https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/o:5275 - Other links and identifiers
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- RightsLicenseRights statement© 2025 The Author(s)
- DetailsResource typeText (PDF)Formatapplication/pdfCreated07.07.2026 10:06:59 UTC
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