Wolf ecology and predation behavior: a conflict minimization strategy towards sustainable livestock breeding

• Main Authors: Petridou, Maria, Πετρίδου, Μαρία
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Ioannina 2023
• Subjects: Λύκος; Κτηνοτροφία; Σύγκρουση; Δίαιτα λύκου; Τροφικές συνήθειες; Χωροχρονικά πρότυπα; Μέτρα προστασίας κοπαδιού; Θήρευση; Κτηνοτροφικές πρακτικές; Συνύπαρξη λύκου - ανθρώπου; Wolf; Canis lupus; Diet; Spatiotemporal patterns; Livestock depredation; Preventive measures; Husbandry practices; Camera trapping; Wolf - livestock conflict; Wolf - human conflict; Human dimension; Βιολογία; Φυσικές Επιστήμες; Διατήρηση της βιοποικιλότητας; Biological Sciences; Natural Sciences; Biodiversity Conservation
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10442/hedi/54592; https://doi.org/10.12681/eadd/54592

Livestock depredation is the primary driver of wolf-human conflict worldwide, threatening wolf conservation and impacting human livelihoods. To achieve sustainable coexistence between wolves and human communities, it is crucial to understand both ecological and social factors. To address the challenges of wolf-livestock conflicts in Greece, this thesis adopts a multi-disciplinary approach, exploring wolf feeding habits, spatiotemporal patterns in relation to human disturbance, the influence of livestock husbandry practices on wolf depredation, and the broader challenges faced by livestock farming communities. Chapter 1 gives a general introduction to the thesis theme and key concepts. Chapter 2 investigates the feeding ecology of wolves in central Greece via scat analysis, in a highly anthropogenic area, where livestock density is high, while wild ungulate density and diversity is low. We aimed to: (a) investigate if wolf diet is comprises mainly of livestock, and (b) examine if wolves show selection towards specific livestock species. Chapter 3 focuses on the spatiotemporal behavior of wolves, their main wild prey, and other sympatric predators as documented by camera trapping in northwestern Greece. We had four objectives, which were to investigate: (a) the temporal activity patterns of wolves and temporal overlap with their main wild prey and other sympatric predators, (b) the temporal activity patterns of wild mammals in relation to human disturbance, (c) nocturnality of wild mammals as a response to the intensity of human disturbance, and (d) factors influencing the detection rates of wild mammals. Chapter 4 provides an overview of wolf depredation nationwide based on national livestock compensation data and quantitively evaluates the effects of traditional husbandry practices for mitigating wolf depredation in northwestern Greece, based on interview data from farmers. We aimed to: (a) assess the temporal patterns of sheep/goat and cattle depredation by wolves in Greece using national data of damage ...