Where have all the young wolves gone? Traffic and cryptic mortality create a wolf population sink in Denmark and northernmost Germany
Abstract Large carnivores are currently recolonizing Europe following legal protection, but increased mortality in landscapes highly impacted by humans may limit further population expansion. We analyzed mortality and disappearance rates of 35 wolves (of which three emigrated, nine died and 14 disap...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:b4acca420f5246aebb81568404cab8f5 2023-05-15T15:50:27+02:00 Where have all the young wolves gone? Traffic and cryptic mortality create a wolf population sink in Denmark and northernmost Germany Peter Sunde Sebastian Collet Carsten Nowak Philip Francis Thomsen Michael Møller Hansen Björn Schulz Jens Matzen Frank‐Uwe Michler Christina Vedel‐Smith Kent Olsen 2021-09-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12812 https://doaj.org/article/b4acca420f5246aebb81568404cab8f5 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12812 https://doaj.org/toc/1755-263X 1755-263X doi:10.1111/conl.12812 https://doaj.org/article/b4acca420f5246aebb81568404cab8f5 Conservation Letters, Vol 14, Iss 5, Pp n/a-n/a (2021) Canis lupus Denmark genetic wildlife monitoring Germany human–wildlife conflict illegal killings General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12812 2022-12-31T09:08:06Z Abstract Large carnivores are currently recolonizing Europe following legal protection, but increased mortality in landscapes highly impacted by humans may limit further population expansion. We analyzed mortality and disappearance rates of 35 wolves (of which three emigrated, nine died and 14 disappeared by 1 January 2020) by genetic monitoring in the heavily cultivated and densely populated Jutland peninsula (Denmark and Schleswig‐Holstein, Germany). Annual traffic kill rate estimates ranged from 0.37 (95% CI: 0.11–0.85) to 0.78 (0.51–0.96) in the German part, equivalent to 0.08 (0.02–0.29)–0.25 (0.13–0.46) for the entire region, in the absence of any registered Danish roadkills. In Denmark, annual mortality rate estimates ranged from 0.46 (0.29–0.67) to 0.52 (0.35–0.71), predominantly from cryptic mortality. Despite successful reproductions, we conclude the region is a wolf population sink, primarily driven by cryptic mortality, most likely illegal killing. We hypothesize that frequent encounters between wolves and wolf‐averse persecutors in cultivated landscapes may cause unsustainably high mortality rates despite the majority of hunters respecting protection laws. Article in Journal/Newspaper Canis lupus Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Conservation Letters 14 5 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Canis lupus Denmark genetic wildlife monitoring Germany human–wildlife conflict illegal killings General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
spellingShingle |
Canis lupus Denmark genetic wildlife monitoring Germany human–wildlife conflict illegal killings General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 Peter Sunde Sebastian Collet Carsten Nowak Philip Francis Thomsen Michael Møller Hansen Björn Schulz Jens Matzen Frank‐Uwe Michler Christina Vedel‐Smith Kent Olsen Where have all the young wolves gone? Traffic and cryptic mortality create a wolf population sink in Denmark and northernmost Germany |
topic_facet |
Canis lupus Denmark genetic wildlife monitoring Germany human–wildlife conflict illegal killings General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
description |
Abstract Large carnivores are currently recolonizing Europe following legal protection, but increased mortality in landscapes highly impacted by humans may limit further population expansion. We analyzed mortality and disappearance rates of 35 wolves (of which three emigrated, nine died and 14 disappeared by 1 January 2020) by genetic monitoring in the heavily cultivated and densely populated Jutland peninsula (Denmark and Schleswig‐Holstein, Germany). Annual traffic kill rate estimates ranged from 0.37 (95% CI: 0.11–0.85) to 0.78 (0.51–0.96) in the German part, equivalent to 0.08 (0.02–0.29)–0.25 (0.13–0.46) for the entire region, in the absence of any registered Danish roadkills. In Denmark, annual mortality rate estimates ranged from 0.46 (0.29–0.67) to 0.52 (0.35–0.71), predominantly from cryptic mortality. Despite successful reproductions, we conclude the region is a wolf population sink, primarily driven by cryptic mortality, most likely illegal killing. We hypothesize that frequent encounters between wolves and wolf‐averse persecutors in cultivated landscapes may cause unsustainably high mortality rates despite the majority of hunters respecting protection laws. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Peter Sunde Sebastian Collet Carsten Nowak Philip Francis Thomsen Michael Møller Hansen Björn Schulz Jens Matzen Frank‐Uwe Michler Christina Vedel‐Smith Kent Olsen |
author_facet |
Peter Sunde Sebastian Collet Carsten Nowak Philip Francis Thomsen Michael Møller Hansen Björn Schulz Jens Matzen Frank‐Uwe Michler Christina Vedel‐Smith Kent Olsen |
author_sort |
Peter Sunde |
title |
Where have all the young wolves gone? Traffic and cryptic mortality create a wolf population sink in Denmark and northernmost Germany |
title_short |
Where have all the young wolves gone? Traffic and cryptic mortality create a wolf population sink in Denmark and northernmost Germany |
title_full |
Where have all the young wolves gone? Traffic and cryptic mortality create a wolf population sink in Denmark and northernmost Germany |
title_fullStr |
Where have all the young wolves gone? Traffic and cryptic mortality create a wolf population sink in Denmark and northernmost Germany |
title_full_unstemmed |
Where have all the young wolves gone? Traffic and cryptic mortality create a wolf population sink in Denmark and northernmost Germany |
title_sort |
where have all the young wolves gone? traffic and cryptic mortality create a wolf population sink in denmark and northernmost germany |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12812 https://doaj.org/article/b4acca420f5246aebb81568404cab8f5 |
genre |
Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus |
op_source |
Conservation Letters, Vol 14, Iss 5, Pp n/a-n/a (2021) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12812 https://doaj.org/toc/1755-263X 1755-263X doi:10.1111/conl.12812 https://doaj.org/article/b4acca420f5246aebb81568404cab8f5 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12812 |
container_title |
Conservation Letters |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
5 |
_version_ |
1766385380603461632 |