🐗 New paper on zoning for African swine fever mitigation Based on GPS data from 527 wild boar across 46 European study sites, we found buffer sizes of ~8 km likely sufficient around most infection foci, but buffers up to 20 km may be necessary to limit wild boar movement! 📄 doi.org/10.1111/1365...

New paper using LiDAR variables to predict soil microbial diversity at the landscape scale!🌱 Between 34% - 46% of variation in soil microbial diversity was explained by LiDAR variables, with richness & phylogenetic diversity showing the strongest predictive performance. 📃 doi.org/10.1080/0143...

New insights into forest disturbance: A 400-year tree-ring-study in the Bohemian Forest reveals an acceleration of disturbance processes. Maintaining natural diversity is crucial for forest resilience under climate change! doi.org/10.1111/1365...

Elevation as a key driver of half‐millennium disturbance history in Central European mountain natural forests

Under climate change and the underlying shift in the tree species composition, a higher probability of disturbances can be anticipated in mixed forests at lower elevations. However, our findings high...

doi.org

Last week we had our annual summer department meeting in the Bavarian Forest National Park. 🌲🦫🐺🦌🐗🛰️ We reflected on the year so far and all the ongoing projects, shared our most interesting findings and experinces, and of course enjoyed good food and company! 🐾🌳

New paper out! Ecosystem engineers at work: how beaver ponds reshape avian abundance and diversity 🦫 Bird abundance was 23% higher, and bird community composition differed significantly between beaver ponds and control plots.🐦 📰Read the paper here: doi.org/10.1002/ece3...

Paper Alert: Landscape heterogeneity drives moose winter utilization of forests. GPS data shows core areas have few large, cohesive patches with more young forest, while edges are fragmented. Edge‑rich, connected forest boosts use. doi.org/10.1007/s10980-026-02404-0

Unveiling the patchwork: landscape arrangement drives moose winter utilization of forests - Landscape Ecology

Context Landscape heterogeneity is a key driver of ecological processes, yet how spatial structure influences animal space use across scales remains insufficiently understood. In managed boreal forests, the composition and configuration of forest patches in the landscape may constrain how large herbivores use their winter habitat. Objectives We examined how multi-scale structural metrics of young forest patches shape utilization intensity within moose (Alces alces) winter ranges and core areas. Methods Using GPS data from 176 adult moose across seven populations in Sweden (2016–2024; 62–68°N), we estimated winter ranges with Biased Random Bridge (BRB) models to quantify utilization distributions (UDs). We distinguished intensively used core zones (50% UD) from peripheral zones (95–50% UD) within a given winter range. The landscape was classified into three habitat classes biologically relevant for moose during winter: young forest (tree height < 5 m), forest (tree height ≥ 5 m), and non-forest. For each moose and winter season, UDs were linked with multi-scale landscape metrics characterizing patch area, patch cohesion, fragmentation, and edge density. Linear Discriminant Analysis was conducted to identify structural differences between core areas and peripheral zones across three spatial levels, and mixed models were used to determine whether utilization intensity varied with patch structure, connectivity, snow depth, and soil moisture. Results Patches differed structurally between core areas and peripheral zones. Core areas were characterised by fewer, larger, and more consolidated patches with higher young forest (< 5 m) representation, while peripheral zones displayed greater patch fragmentation, higher patch cohesion, and larger patches of forest with larger trees (≥ 5 m) across all habitat classes. Individual patch geometry did not differ between core areas and peripheral zones at any site. These patterns were consistent across populations. Within core areas, moose utilization intensity was positively associated with edge density and cohesion of forest (≥ 5 m), and negatively associated with young forest patch area, suggesting that moose concentrate their winter space use in well-connected, edge-rich forest interspersed with small young forest patches. Conclusions Landscape arrangement exerts a strong influence on the spatial distribution of a large herbivore such as moose within managed boreal forest matrices. Structural features of the landscape mediate behavioural responses to resource distribution and environmental constraints, shaping how animals organise and concentrate their winter habitat use. This highlights landscape structure as a behavioural filter linking forest management patterns to animal movement, with direct implications for forest planning aimed at redistributing winter space use and possibly reducing localized browsing damage. Graphical abstract

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War affects wildlife. Our new Science paper shows wildlife in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone altered behavior during the 2022 Russian occupation - night activity dropped & activity fell on intense conflict days. Camera traps reveal ecological impacts of war. doi.org/10.1126/scie...

Another lynx paper is out!🐈 Protected areas and hunting system significantly affected both survival and reached age of female lynx. These results provide evidence that insufficient enforcement of legal protection poses a threat to lynx populations. 🐾 📜 Read the paper here: doi.org/10.1111/csp2...

New #lynx paper out on age-specific patterns of reproductive success in wild female Eurasian lynx across Europe!🐈 Temporal and latitudinal variations suggest that environmental conditions and lynx age shape reproductive patterns in Eurasian lynx. 🐾 📜 doi.org/10.1098/rsbl... #euromammals #eurlynx

Last week, we had the pleasure of presenting a range of our ongoing lab research at the @forestsat.bsky.social including results for the projects AI Klima (Interreg) and KI Recover. 🌿 It was great to exchange on current developments in the field of forest remote sensing! 🛰️🌳

New paper on translocation effects on lynx population viability and connectivity!🐈 Lynx translocations positively affected population viability and connectivity, but transboundary management to improve lynx populations in western & central Europe is still needed.🐾 📃 doi.org/10.1111/cobi... #lynx

Some first results from the wolf project!🐺 Prof. Marco Heurich talks about the Interreg project in the Bavarian Forest and Šumava National Parks researching the ecological effects of the return of wolves on the forest ecosystem. 🐾🦌🌲 📽️Watch the recording here (in German): youtu.be/tEiZ2gZICco?...

Wölfe 🐺 in den Nationalparken Šumava 🇨🇿 und Bayerischer Wald 🇩🇪 I Wissenschaftlicher Vortrag

YouTube video by Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald

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Our friends The Missing Lynx Project are fundrasing! 🐈This funds work towards a British #lynx release license application if plans can be agreed that are acceptable, feasible and practical for stakeholders. 💸Donations currently doubled for 1 week, no extra cost! donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...

Help Restore Eurasian Lynx to Britain’s Forests – Big Give

The state of nature in the UK is dire, and we need positive and tangible action to turn the tide. …

donate.biggive.org

📽️ We have another Film appearance! 🦌Go check out this short video about how artificial intelligence is protecting Germany’s wildlife 📸: www.dw.com/de/wie-k%C3%... #cameratraps #wildlifemonitoring #ai #nationalparks

Wie Künstliche Intelligenz Deutschlands Wildtiere schützt

Wie entwickeln sich Tierbestände in deutschen Nationalparks? Ein neues KI-Monitoring liefert Millionen Daten und zeigt, wie Tiere auf Klimawandel und Naturschutz reagieren.

dw.com

New study: Lynx can strongly shape roe deer dynamics - and adaptive, joint harvesting of predators & prey can stabilise populations. Monitoring relative densities is key. Read the paper to see the model & management rules. #wildlife #lynx nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

🐺 Following up from the wolf documentary that was filmed in the Bavarian Forest, there are now also two more related podcasts! 🎧 📻 Wölfe im Nationalpark: Gut für den Wald? 🌲 www.br.de/radio/bayern... 🎤 Guter Wolf, böser Wolf: Der Umgang mit dem "Problem-Tier" www.ardsounds.de/episode/urn:...

Nahaufnahme: Wölfe im Nationalpark: Gut für den Wald? | BR.de

Wölfe gelten als Problemtiere. Dabei wird oft übersehen, dass sie sich hauptsächlich von Wildtieren ernähren. Studien aus den USA zeigen: Sie spielen eine wichtige Rolle im Ökosystem. Auch in Bayern? ...

br.de

Wildlife & Conservation at Uni Freiburg@wild-ecol-cons.bsky.social · 8mo ago

🐺The Interreg wolf project in the Bavarian Forest & Šumava National Park got some air time on TV! 📽️ 📺 For any german speakers, you can find the short documentary here: www.ardmediathek.de/video/Y3JpZD...

We were honoured to present our EUROLYNX work at the Snow Leopard Foundation — thank you for the invite! #EUROLYNX is an open collaborative network of 54 research groups studying Eurasian lynx across Europe. Watch the recorded webinar here: snowleopardnetwork.org/2026/02/15/e...

First PhD paper from Yutong Liang on excursions of Eurasian #lynx during the mating season!🐱 Using data from 125 lynx across Europe, they found that extra-territorial mating excursions are a male-biased strategy, indicating active mate-searching🐈💕🐈 📰 doi.org/10.1098/rspb... #Eurolynx #euromammals

New lab paper out: experimental evidence for large carnivore risk cues reducing deer browsing intensity in a temperate forest🌳 🦌Deer modified their behaviour in response to large carnivore scent cues, with more pronounced effects in lynx treatments🐾 📎Full paper here: doi.org/10.1111/1365...

New research out on trends of ungulate species in Europe 🐗 Annual hunting bags of roe deer, red deer, wild boar, fallow deer, mouflon, northern chamois & moose were used to identify temporal trends and evaluate the social/environmental drivers of their relative abundances. 📄 doi.org/10.1007/s133...

🦌New paper on environmental pollutants in red and fallow deer samples from eight National Parks in Germany. ⚠️The findings show that deer populations in national parks are susceptible to widespread contamination, despite their focus on nature conservation. 📃 Read more here: doi.org/10.1016/j.sc...

🐺The Interreg wolf project in the Bavarian Forest & Šumava National Park got some air time on TV! 📽️ 📺 For any german speakers, you can find the short documentary here: www.ardmediathek.de/video/Y3JpZD...

UNKRAUT: Wölfe im Nationalpark · Gut für die Natur? - hier anschauen

Wölfe wurden im 19. Jahrhundert unerbittlich verfolgt. Im Bayerischen Wald ist der letzte Wolf im Jahr 1848 erlegt worden. 170 Jahre später passiert etwas, was sich Wissenschaftler nicht hätten träume...

ardmediathek.de

🎓PhD position in bioacoustics, statistics, and AI for forest biodiversity in Sweden! 🌲 🔊🐦If you have a strong interest in wildlife conservation technology, specifically the use of passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) and AI then go check it out here: www.slu.se/en/about-slu...

PhD position in bioacoustics, statistics, and AI for forest biodiversity | slu.se

SLU - Science and Education for Sustainable Life

slu.se

New Paper alert! 🦌 Here we looked at the effects of opening winter enclosures on red deer movement and local browsing pressure. Winter home ranges increased six times when fences were opened, but browsing pressure decreased near open fences enclosures.🌱 📜Read more here: doi.org/10.1016/j.fo...

Hot off the press!🔥 How does human recreation & hunting affect wildlife?🥾🦌 Increased hunting intensity led to a significantly increasing avoidance of recreational activities by all species, independent of whether they were subjected to hunting or not! 📰 doi.org/10.1016/j.ge...

Important new paper on #wildcat vehicle collisions!🐈 A use-availability model mapped collision risk across Germany's roads, showing that existing mitigation measures are well placed, but more roads require intervention to support wildcat populations.🚗 📖 Read more here: doi.org/10.1016/j.je...

How does hunting disturbance influences social contact rates in a group-living wild mammal?🐗 New paper from #euromammals on wild boar behaviour shows that hunting modality plays a significant role in shaping intra-group, but not inter-group, contacts. 📄Read more here: doi.org/10.1111/1365...

Impact of hunting modality on social contacts in wild boar populations across Europe

Our study showcases how hunting disturbance influences social contact rates in a group-living wild mammal. Along with other biotic and abiotic drivers, hunting modality plays a significant role in sh...

doi.org

Our first in-person KI-Recover team meeting in Sankt Oswald! 🌲✨ We were thrilled by the collaborative energy, fresh ideas, and strong alignment during the workshop. The field excursion was a highlight. Excited for what’s next!

Geoinformation in Environmental Planning @ TU Berlin@geo-tub.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Our three-day KI-Recover workshop at the Bavarian Forest National Park wrapped up with a snowy, insightful visit to the project sites. We’re already very much looking forward to the next meeting. #KIRecover #ForestRecovery#ReforestationMonitoring #KI

Paper alert!🛰️🥬 We show that thermal infrared hyperspectral data can predict LAI with high accuracy using PLSR & neural nets! Key wavebands (8.1–10.3 μm) work across sensors & conditions - boosting future satellite missions like LandsatNext & CopernicusLSTM doi.org/10.3390/rs17...

🔥Hot off the press: We assessed intensities of hunting and recreation on the temporal activity of red & roe deer, wild boar, red fox, and lynx in the Bavarian Forest National Park, finding that hunting is a strong driver behind wildlife temporal behavior! 📄Read more here: doi.org/10.1002/eap....

Temporal displacement of the mammal community in a protected area due to hunting and recreational activities

Recreation (i.e., hiking and biking) and hunting can occur simultaneously in time and space, and both sources of disturbance affect wildlife behavior, leading to reactions resembling anti-predator be...

doi.org