A multidisciplinary approach to estimating wolf population size for long-term conservation

• Published in: Conservation Biology
• Main Authors: Marucco, Francesca, Boiani, Maria V., Dupont, Pierre, Milleret, Cyril, Avanzinelli, Elisa, Pilgrim, Kristine, Schwartz, Michael K., von Hardenberg, Achaz, Perrone, Domenica S., Friard, Olivier P., Menzano, Arianna, Bisi, Francesco, Fattori, Umberto, Tomasella, Michela, Calderola, Sonia, Carolfi, Sabrina, Ferrari, Piero, Chioso, Christian, Truc, Fabrizio, Bombieri, Giulia, Pedrotti, Luca, Righetti, Davide, Acutis, Pierluigi L., Guglielmo, Fabio, Hauffe, Heidi C., Rossi, Chiara, Caniglia, Romolo, Aragno, Paola, La Morgia, Valentina, Genovesi, Piero, Bischof, Richard
• Other Authors: University of Turin; University of Chester; Norwegian University of Life Sciences; Aree Protette Alpi Marittime; USDA National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation; University of Insubria; Osservatorio Biodiversità, Trieste; Programmazione e Gestione ittica e faunistico-venatoria; Protette e Marine, Parchi e Biodiversità - Settore Fauna Selvatica, Caccia e Vigilanza Venatoria; Ufficio per la fauna selvatica e ittica, Loc; MUSE - Museo delle Scienze di Trento; ERSAF - Direzione Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio; Ripartizione Foreste, Ufficio Caccia e Pesca; Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Genetics Laboratory; Museo regionale di Scienze naturali Efisio Noussan; Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione E. Mach; ISPRA Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Wildlife Coordination Service
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2023
• Subjects: population modelling; citizen science; large carnivores; imperfect detection; monitoring; spatial capture-recapture; genetic sampling; Canis lupus
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10034/627856; https://chesterrep.openrepository.com/bitstream/handle/10034/627856/Conservation%20Biology%20-%202023%20-%20Marucco%20-%20A%20multidisciplinary%20approach%20to%20estimating%20wolf%20population%20size%20for%20long%e2%80%90term.pdf?sequence=5; https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14132

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Marucco, F., Boiani, M. V., Dupont, P., Milleret, C., Avanzinelli, E., Pilgrim, K., Schwartz, A. M. K., von Hardenberg, A., Perrone, S., Friard, O., Menzano, A., Bisi, F., Fattori, U., Tomasella, M., Calderola, S., Carolfi, S., Ferrari, P., Chioso, C., Truc, F., . Bischof, R. (2023). A multidisciplinary approach to estimating wolf population size for long-term conservation. Conservation Biology, 37(6), article-number e14132], which has been published in final form at [https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14132]. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited. The wolf (Canis lupus) is among the most controversial of wildlife species. Abundance estimates are required to inform public debate and policy decisions, but obtaining them at biologically relevant scales is challenging. We developed a system for comprehensive population estimation across the Italian Alpine Region (100,000 km ), involving 1,513 trained operators representing 160 institutions. This extensive network allowed for coordinated genetic sample collection and landscape-level spatial capture-recapture analysis transcending administrative boundaries. We produced the first estimates of key parameters for wolf population status assessment including wolf abundance (952 individuals, 95% CrI: 816-1120), the number of reproductive units (135 packs, 95% CrI: 112-165), and the proportion of mature individuals ...