BROWNBEAR HABITATQUALITY IN GORSKIKOTAR, CROATIA JOSIP KUSAK,Biology Department, Veterinary Faculty of the Universityof Zagreb,Heinzelova 55, 10000 Zagreb,Croatia, email:
[email protected] [email protected] DJUROHUBER, Biology Department, Veterinary Faculty of the Universityof Zagreb,Heinzelova 55, 10000Zagreb, Croatia, email:
[email protected] Abstract: The brown bear (Ursus arctos) population in Croatia is a possible source of bears for reintroducingand augmenting disappearing Europeanbrown bear populations in western Europe. For successful reintroduction,knowledge about bear habitat quality of both source and target areas is necessary. We developed a habitat suitability index (HSI) model to assess Europeanbrown bear habitatquality in Gorski kotar, Croatia. Importanthabitat variables included seasonal foods, cover, roads, and fragmentation. Food sources were available year-round,whereas foraging and denning cover were more limited. Humaninfluence was manifestedthrough a relatively high density of roads (1.91 km/km2),which included forest roads. Habitatfragmentation did not occur within the study area, but a highway under constructionwas a possible threat. The overall HSI value of 0.42 for the entire area indicatedthat brown bear habitatin Gorski kotar is average. Brown bear habitatcould be improved with changes in managementpractices such as closing forest roads, seasonally avoiding logging in denning areas, and reducing reforestationof beech-fir (Fagus sp.-Abies sp.) areas to spruce (Picea abies). Ursus 10:281-291 Key words: Croatia,European brown bear, habitat quality, habitat suitability index, Ursus arctos. One of the largest remainingbrown bear populations This study was fundedby the CroatianMinistry of Sci- in Europe occurs in the Dinara, Sara, and Pindus moun- ence, Wildbiologische Geselschaft-Miinchen, John tains (approximately 60,000 km2) spanning Slovenia, Sheldon Bevins Memorial Foundation, and Stiftung Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Monte Negro, EuropaiischeNaturerbe (EURONATUR).