Coordinating Monitoring and Conservation Measures on Population Level

Sybille Wölfl & Tereza Mináriková Lynx Project Bavaria ALKA Wildlife

Regional Workshop of the EU Platform on Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores, Berlin, 18-20 April 2016 Project area: czech-german border region

Oberfranken Fichtel Mountains

Pilsen

Upper Palatinate Forest / Ceský Les

Oberpfalz

1450m Budweis

Niederbayern 300m

Bavarian-Bohemian Forest

0 60 120 km

Governmental districts and mountain ranges Project partners: GOs and NGOs

Associated partners Government of Lower Bavaria

Bavarian Agency of Environment Czech Agency of Environment (AOPK)

Czech Ministry of Environment (MŽP) 2013 – 2015

National Park Bavarian Forest Project Goals and Objectives

Develop and strengthen transboundary cooperation – by regular meetings and workshops of project team – Coordination of public relations work and conservation education

Establish lynx monitoring on population level – Assess status of lynx population • Prerequisite: harmonize data collection and data analysis – Analyse habitat and population viability

Integrate interest groups in project implementation

Different measures in both countries were implemented, dependant on preliminary work done in lynx conservation and management in both countries (different administrational, financial, organisational conditions) Collaboration with interest groups: Bavaria

Bavaria: long tradition in integrating different interest groups (nature conservationists, hunters, foresters, farmer) in lynx conservation and management Integration and collaboration is expressed in two fields: – Alliance of NGOs and Hunting Association (Wildland Trust) in the Large Carnivores compensation fund (founded in 1997)

NGO Alliance is based on the understanding that conservation and management of LC is a common task of all interest groups A l l i a n c e

– Large Carnivore Network: volunteers of all interest groups are involved in monitoring (collect, document, forward signs of LC presence)

Trained regularly Spread all over Bavaria Collaboration with interest groups: CR

Czech Republic: start to establish communication with hunters and foresters

Workshops with hunters, foresters and nature conservation authorities

Cooperation with NGO Hnuti DUHA in establishing and educating lynx patrols for lynx monitoring

Cooperation with hunters and foresters in camera-trapping: – regular communication and common work improved relationships and bridged the gap between nature conservationists and hunters/foresters

Public relations and conservation education

Presentations, excursions for interest groups information stands, newspaper articles, interviews for TV, radio education of NGO volunteers (CR), LC network (BAV) websites, map application with results of camera-trapping brochures, e.g. tracking guide, lynx poster

http://map.translynx.eu/ Transboundary Cooperation and Coordination

Regular workshops and meetings: compile data, discuss how to proceed

Common snow tracking: combination of field work and socializing

Many eMails and phone calls, esp. during preparation of project reports Results were summarized in project reports

Compilation of transboundary lynx data collected during TL project

Re-analysis of previous data for PVA and habitat analysis

Agreement on how to process data for PVA and habitat analysis © Wölfl et al. (in prep.)

Agreement on interpretation of results

© Polednikova et al. (in prep.)

© Romportl et al. (in prep.) Lynx Monitoring on population level

76 grids monitored with camera-traps along bavarian-czech-austrian border region (ETRS LAEA 5210 10km grid)

min. 2 camera-traps per grid

Grids covered most of the currently known and potential range of lynx population and possible migration corridors Lynx Monitoring on population level

Results of lynx year 2014 (1.5.2014 – 30.4.2015)

55 grids with evidence of lynx (C1) family groups: 15 population size: 60-80 independent lynx

© Wölfl et al. (in prep.) Challenges in Coordinating the Monitoring

Different approaches in monitoring methods and evaluation of lynx data in both countries – It was necessary to reach a consensus on how to collect and evaluate lynx data – Camera-trapping as main method (CR: add. snow-tracking) – BAV used evaluation criteria based on SCALP criteria (adopted since 2009 for whole Germany): CR agreed on applying these criteria too

Common data structure – find the least common denominator – incorporate different coordinate systems – work without (online) data base

Lynx Monitoring: About Population Size

TransLynx project provided best assessment of population size Analysis of recent and old lynx data revealed a considerable former overestimation of population size This is causing communication troubles now and highlights importance of jointly agreed communication of population parameters (size, distribution, density, genetics) Lessons learned

Coordination of an international team is demanding and communication is very time-consuming

the usual thinking and working in administrational units is a challenge (mostly technical)

Technical problems will arise but they can be solved much more easily than interpersonal problems

Human relations are very important for the success of the project but cannot be planned in advance

It doesn‘t make sense not to work on population level Thank you for your attention!