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Number and distribution of wolves in Italy
... Wolves disappeared from the Alps at the beginning of twentieth century (Kaczensky et al. 2012), and instead historically survived in the Apennines in a few isolated nuclei in central-southern Italy. Since the 1960s (Zimen and Boitani 1975;see Fig. 1), wolves in the Apennines naturally recovered across their former range and, beginning in the 1990s, recolonized the Italian Alps and eventually expanded into Italy's neighbouring countries (France, Switzerland, and Austria). This recovery is reflected nowadays as a mosaic of areas throughout the country, where the time of cohabitation between wolves and humans differs greatly. ...
... Studies that have assessed the impact of large carnivores on human activities in countries such as France, Sweden, and Norway, which also experienced a recent wolf recolonization, have highlighted that the early stages of the recolonization (Chapron et al. 2014) and in the early 1970s (Zimen and Boitani 1975) based on which we assessed wolf impact on livestock and damage compensations in Italy, 2010 − 2014. The three parts of the study area are also shown process were usually associated with the highest levels of damage (Espuno et al. 2004;Swenson and Andrén 2005), and consequently with the highest conflicts among the stakeholders involved (Piédallu et al. 2016;Røskaft et al. 2007). ...
... NUTS3 units in Italy correspond to the administrative level of provinces. To account for the existence of two distinct wolf populations in the country, we divided the study area into the Alpine and the Apennine ranges; with reference to the latter, we further distinguished between the northern Apennines, where wolf recolonization occurred beginning in the midlate 1980s (Caniglia et al. 2014), and the central-southern Apennines, where the species was never extirpated (Zimen and Boitani 1975). The three areas differed also in their prevalent husbandry practices. ...
As wolves in Europe are expanding in range, their impact on economic activities through predation on livestock is increasing. In this context, the effectiveness of damage compensation programs is being debated and requires adequate assessment. With this aim, we performed a survey of wolf depredation on livestock in Italy during the years 2010 − 2014, comparing regions of historical and more recent wolf occurrence. We collected data on livestock depredations, prevalent husbandry practices and the main features of compensation schemes. We investigated the effect of several ecological and management-related variables on the extent of wolf impact. On average, 3274 (± 195.2 SD) wolf depredation events were compensated across Italy each year, comprising 7809 (± 1278.9 SD) livestock heads, and corresponding to € 1,450,814 (± € 184,762 SD) annual compensation costs. Regions recently recolonized by wolves reported lower and decreasing levels of impact compared to those with historical wolf presence. Half of all depredations occurred in 121 municipalities (9.7% of the total), which emerged as hotspots of impact and economic cost for the system. The proportion of farms with chronically recurring damage increased by 80% in the southern Apennines, where wolves never disappeared, whereas it declined by 100% in the Alps, due to effective prevention measures implemented following wolf recolonization in the mid-1990s. Long-term human-wolf coexistence does not necessarily correspond to lower damage levels and effective conflict management, casting doubts on the effectiveness and sustainability of compensation programs, if applied without reference to a context of adaptive management.
... To investigate the dependency by wolves on anthropogenic food subsidies in a human-modified landscape, we studied wolf feeding ecology in the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park (PNALM), a protected area in central Italy historically repatriated with a rich and diversified community of wild ungulates to reinforce wolf conservation. Among the few critical strongholds of Italian wolves when they were on the brink of extinction in the early 70s (Zimen and Boitani, 1975), the PNALM pioneered wolf conservation through conflict mitigation measures, closure of garbage dumps, and the reintroduction of roe (Careplus capreolus) and red (Cervus elaphus) deer (Tassi, 1976;Boscagli, 1985). Currently, wolves occur at high densities (i.e., 5 wolves/100 km 2 ) in the park and adopt habitat-mediated spatio-temporal patterns complementary to human activity to enhance their survival and fitness (Mancinelli et al., 2018(Mancinelli et al., , 2019. ...
... Average human density is 14.6 inhabitants/km 2 , though most of the population is clustered in few, small villages (Ciucci et al., 2015). The park, established in 1923, is the oldest national park in Italy and represented one of the few strongholds where wolf survived during their historical minimum in Italy (Zimen and Boitani, 1975). During our study, at least 8 wolf packs overlapped portions of our study area, each comprising 2e9 wolves (x±SD ¼ 5.3 ± 2.8 wolves/pack), with a relatively high density (>5 wolves/100 km 2 ) and a tight territorial mosaic, likely consistent with saturation levels (Mancinelli et al., 2018). ...
... The PNALM, a critical stronghold for wolves in Italy when they were most exposed to extinction risk (Zimen and Boitani, 1975), adopted since the 1970s farsighted conservation measures aimed to enhance the ecological conditions for wolves; these included the strict protection of the Apennine chamois and the reintroduction of the previously extirpated roe and red deer (Tassi, 1976). This, in addition to the hunter-assisted releases and successive expansion of wild boar throughout the region, facilitated the re-establishment of the rich and diversified wild prey community to which wolves are currently exposed. ...
In ecologically pristine ecosystems, top-down effects of apex predators play a fundamental role in shaping trophic cascades and structuring ecosystems, but in human-modified landscapes anthropogenic effects may markedly alter the ecological role of predators. In particular, human-provisioned food subsidies represent a serious concern for the conservation of apex predators, even though little empirical attention has been given to this aspect in assessing conservation outcomes. To assess the extent to which anthropogenic food subsidies affected feeding ecology of a protected wolf (Canis lupus) population in a human-modified landscape, we integrated scat-analysis (n = 1141 from 4 packs; Jan 2005–Mar 2009) and winter field inspections of Global Positioning System telemetry re-locations (n = 595 clusters and 96 single locations from 5 wolves in 5 packs and 3 floaters; 2008–2011) of wolves living in a historical national park of central Italy hosting both wild prey and livestock at high densities. We revealed that livestock dominated the wolf diet (mean biomass = 63.3 ± 14.2% SD), secondarily supplemented by wild prey (36.7 ± 5.3%, mostly wild boar [Sus scrofa], roe deer [Capreolus capreolus], and red deer [Cervus elaphus]). During winter, we revealed a higher propensity of wolves to scavenge (72.5%; n = 91 feeding events) rather than killing prey, and feeding behavior was affected by prey type (i.e., domestic vs wild ungulates) as the large majority of scavenged carrions (75.8%) were livestock carcasses abandoned on the ground that died for causes different from predation. Feeding behavior of wolves was not affected by social affiliation (i.e., pack members vs solitary wolves), indicating that pack members, even if aided by cooperative hunting, were equally likely than solitary wolves to scavenge rather than killing prey; yet, 27.5% of winter feeding events involved predation, exclusively targeted to wild prey. Our findings indicate that large livestock carrion subsidies may strongly depress predatory behavior in wolves, despite the occurrence of an abundant wild prey community, and have relevant ecological, evolutionary and management implications. Reliance on human-provided livestock carrion subsidies likely alters the ecological role of wolves by reducing their top-down cascading effects on the ecosystem, and this has relevant implications for the conservation of wolves and other apex predators in national parks. Accordingly, we call for more strict regulations to govern livestock management and practices and argue that, at least in national parks, conservation goals of apex predators need to explicitly consider their ecological role. Keywords: Canis lupus, GPS cluster checks, Livestock depredation, Scat analysis, Scavenging, Trophic cascades
... Wolves in south-central Italy are a typical example of a wideranging species, distributed over large portions of land, with a lack of ecological knowledge and some limitations in the applicability of a comprehensive sampling design. Wolves in Italy were almost extinct by the 1970s, surviving only in a few isolated nuclei in south-central Apennines (Zimen & Boitani, 1975). Since then, and in line with the general recovery of large carnivores across all Europe (Chapron et al., 2014), the species has progressively recovered its former range, recolonized the Alps, and eventually expanded into France, Switzerland, and Austria (Valière et al., 2003). ...
... As shown in Figure 2a, while the Apennine Mountain chain remains the backbone of wolf distribution, high occupancy probabilities (and confirmed presence signs) exist also in coastal areas and in the plains associated with higher levels of human density and infrastructures. This represents a further step in a successful conservation story, if we consider that, only a few decades ago, wolves in Italy were on the verge of extinction (Zimen & Boitani, 1975). It also raises the issue of the complex land sharing with human activities and the impacts it may cause. ...
Estimating demographic parameters for wide‐ranging and elusive species living at low density is challenging, especially at the scale of an entire country. To produce wolf distribution and abundance estimates for the whole south‐central portion of the Italian wolf population, we developed an integrated spatial model, based on the data collected during a 7‐month sampling campaign in 2020–2021. Data collection comprised an extensive survey of wolf presence signs, and an intensive survey in 13 sampling areas, aimed at collecting non‐invasive genetic samples (NGS). The model comprised (i) a single‐season, multiple data‐source, multi‐event occupancy model and (ii) a spatially explicit capture‐recapture model. The information about species' absence was used to inform local density estimates. We also performed a simulation‐based assessment, to estimate the best conditions for optimizing sub‐sampling and population modelling in the future. The integrated spatial model estimated that 74.2% of the study area in south‐central Italy (95% CIs = 70.5% to 77.9%) was occupied by wolves, for a total extent of the wolf distribution of 108,534 km² (95% CIs = 103,200 to 114,000). The estimate of total population size for the Apennine wolf population was of 2557 individuals (SD = 171.5; 95% CIs = 2127 to 2844). Simulations suggested that the integrated spatial model was associated with an average tendency to slightly underestimate population size. Also, the main contribution of the integrated approach was to increase precision in the abundance estimates, whereas it did not affect accuracy significantly. In the future, the area subject to NGS should be increased to at least 30%, while at least a similar proportion should be sampled for presence‐absence data, to further improve the accuracy of population size estimates and avoid the risk of underestimation. This approach could be applied to other wide‐ranging species and in other geographical areas, but specific a priori evaluations of model requirements and expected performance should be made.
... This could be one of the main conditions that favoured the increase in wild boar population density worldwide [126,128,175,176], especially where there was only one wild predator of this large ungulate [43,48,177]. For instance, during the 1970s, the Apennine wolf (Canis lupus italicus) experienced its historical minimum population size, fragmented in two areas in the Southern Apennines [167,178]. Since the late 1980s, thanks to increased efforts to protect large carnivores undertaken on most continents, including Italy [179][180][181][182][183], the wolf is gradually recolonising some territories of the Apennines [184][185][186][187]. In particular, in the Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni National Park (Southern Italy), the widest protected area in Italy, the wolf population, estimated at four individuals in 1975 [178], is naturally expanding at a fast pace with a population currently estimated at many dozens of specimens [53]. ...
... Since the late 1980s, thanks to increased efforts to protect large carnivores undertaken on most continents, including Italy [179][180][181][182][183], the wolf is gradually recolonising some territories of the Apennines [184][185][186][187]. In particular, in the Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni National Park (Southern Italy), the widest protected area in Italy, the wolf population, estimated at four individuals in 1975 [178], is naturally expanding at a fast pace with a population currently estimated at many dozens of specimens [53]. This recovery in the wolf population has had important consequences on its role as a predator both in numerical terms (i.e., few wolves engaged in hunting activities) and on attack strategies (i.e., more packs) [62,188], influencing wild boar population dynamics via predator-prey cycles [189]. ...
The recent and ever-growing problem of boar (Sus scrofa forms including wild boar, hybrid and feral pig) expansion is a very complex issue in wildlife management. The damages caused to biodiversity and the economies are addressed in different ways by the various countries, but research is needed to shed light on the causal factors of this emergency before defining a useful collaborative management policy. In this review, we screened more than 280 references published between 1975-2022, identifying and dealing with five hot factors (climate change, human induced habitat modifications, predator regulation on the prey, hybridization with domestic forms, and transfaunation) that could account for the boar expansion and its niche invasion. We also discuss some issues arising from this boar emergency, such as epizootic and zoonotic diseases or the depression of biodiversity. Finally, we provide new insights for the research and the development of management policies.
... Tra le cause di questa frammentazione, oltre alla persecuzione umana, vi erano anche la deforestazione e la riduzione di popolazioni di prede selvatiche. Negli anni '70, si stimava che la popolazione italiana fosse composta da circa un centinaio di individui (Zimen & Boitani, 1975), dislocati in due porzioni dell'Appennino centro-meridionale, che ammontavano solo al 5% dell'areale originale (Marucco, 2014). Successive pubblicazioni, basate su osservazioni dell'epoca, sostennero tuttavia che il lupo non scomparve mai completamente dall'Appennino settentrionale . ...
... Successive pubblicazioni, basate su osservazioni dell'epoca, sostennero tuttavia che il lupo non scomparve mai completamente dall'Appennino settentrionale . Ad ogni modo, la situazione era critica: il suo areale era frammentato in piccole isole di ambiente montano e di conseguenza la popolazione risultava divisa in piccoli gruppi a bassa connettività (Zimen & Boitani, 1975 Il lupo fu dichiarato specie protetta in Italia con il Decreto Ministeriale Natali del 1971, che ne vietò la caccia e proibì l'utilizzo di bocconi avvelenati per l'uccisione; divenne poi specie integralmente protetta con il Decreto Marcora del 1976. Il suo stato di specie protetta venne poi esteso in tutta Europa grazie alla Convenzione di Berna del 1979, che lo inserisce nell'Allegato II (specie strettamente protette), proibendone così la cattura, l'uccisione, la detenzione ed il commercio. ...
After reaching the historical minimum in population size, starting from the 1970s, the Apennine wolf (Canis lupus italicus) has been involved in an important process of demographic recovery and recolonization of the Italian peninsula. Different factors contributed to this process, like the availability of wild prey, good quality habitats, and the reduction of human presence in mountain areas, especially in the Apennines.
A key aspect for wolves' demographic success is represented by the choice of a pack's reproductive area, which is composed of the den and the rendezvous site. The latter is a generally remote and undisturbed area, used during summer, where a crucial phase of pups' rearing and development occurs. While selecting rendezvous sites, packs consider different environmental and human disturbance factors, to guarantee the pups' appropriate resources and protection from danger.
In areas where wolves and humans live in close contact, like Italy, the main goal for the packs is often that of maximizing the distance between the rendezvous site and hubs of human activities, like busy roads or human settlements, and of locating it in the least accessible portions of their territory (high canopy cover, slope and altitude).
This study was conducted in Casentinesi Forests National Park, in Italy, where the wolf resides consistently since the '80s. The objective was to analyze the rendezvous sites located in the park between 2014 and 2020, based on explicative variables proposed in ecological niche modelling studies, and to evaluate their distribution in the area, both in time and space.
... In Italy, the wolf population has experienced a remarkable expansion since its last minimum in the 1970s, when only over 100 individuals in small nuclei were estimated across the central Apennines (Zimen and Boitani 1975). The recovery that followed, due to a combination of factors such as the full legal protection since 1971, the abandonment of rural areas, and the increase of wild prey (Boitani 2003;Falcucci et al. 2007) amply reduced the risk of extinction nationwide. ...
... Wolf occurrence in the area has been continuously recorded since the early 1980s (Boitani and Ciucci 1993), after eradication efforts from the late 1960s (Cagnolaro et al. 1974;Zimen and Boitani 1975). A 2012 survey based on indirect signs of presence depicted a minimum of 8 packs in the area (L. ...
Representing a form of anthropogenic hybridization, wolf–dog interbreeding may potentially compromise the ecological and evolutionary traits of local wolf populations and corrode social tolerance towards wolves. However, estimates of the extent of wolf–dog hybridization in wolf populations are scarce, especially at a multi-pack scale and in human-dominated landscapes. Using non-invasive (n = 215) and invasive (n = 25) samples of wolf-like canids collected in the Province of Grosseto (central Italy, 2012–2014), we assessed the extent of wolf–dog hybridization based on multi-locus genotypes (16 and 49 loci for non-invasive and invasive samples, respectively) and Bayesian clustering techniques. Based on a total of 72 genotypes, the minimum proportion of admixed individuals in our sample was 30.6%, comprising 8 out of the 13 surveyed packs; however, by correcting for the proportion of admixed individuals undetected using the 16-loci compared with the 49-loci marker set (26.7%), we suspect the rate of recent admixture could be closer to 50%. While we did not detect any F1 hybrid, four admixed individuals had a non-negligible probability of being first-generation backcrosses, one of which likely derived from a backcross of a F1 hybrid into the dog population. Complementary genetic markers (i.e., Y-haplotype and K-locus) or anomalous morphological traits further indicated widespread occurrence of admixed individuals of older generations of backcross. This high level of admixture raises serious wolf conservation concerns and exemplifies the expected dynamics of wolf–dog hybridization if left unmanaged in human-dominated landscapes. The implications of our findings need to be urgently upscaled for the implementation of management interventions that cannot be procrastinated any longer at the regional and national scale.
... Italy is among the European countries that, since the 1970s, had the most marked increase in wolves (Boitani et al., 2022, Zanni et al. 2023. Starting from a small population of a few hundred individuals in remote areas of Central Italy (Zimen and Boitani, 1975;Cagnolaro et al., 1974), at least 2,945 -3,608 individuals are nowadays thought to be present (La Morgia et al., 2022), upsetting the scenarios for wolf conservation and coexistence in the country. ...
Many large carnivores have broad geographical ranges, encompassing ecosystems with a different prey base. Our understanding of their diet could therefore be biased by the spatial concentration of dietary studies into few areas. We propose a protocol to divide the geographical range of large carnivores, into areas that are homogeneous with respect to available food sources, by using the grey wolf (Canis lupus) in Italy, as a case study. We mapped the potential maximum distribution of wolves, on a 10 km grid (n = 2,497), and then performed cluster analysis to classify cells according to their: i) abundance of domestic and wild ungulates, ii) suitability for the coypu (Myocastor coypus) and iii) landscape anthropization. Archived on EcoEvoRxiv: https://doi. The distribution range of wolves in Italy can be divided into 5 areas, characterized by different food sources but also by a different spatial coverage from dietary studies. The Alps and some sectors of the Apennines, with low anthropization and abundant wild ungulates, were oversampled. More anthropized areas in Central and Southern Italy, rich in sheep and wild ungulates, as well as anthropized lowlands, with abundant food waste and coypu, were undersampled. Finally, no study was carried out in intensive farming districts of Northern Italy. Our protocol indicates that future studies about the diet of wolves in Italy should focus on anthropized landscapes. There, the consumption of pets could trigger wolf persecution and pathogen transmission, and predation on coypu and the consumption of food waste could increase the exposure to toxic compounds. More broadly, our protocol can improve our understanding about the feeding ecology of large carnivores, as it can be used to: i) assess and put into perspective meta-analytic findings, ii) identify knowledge gaps arising from spatial bias and prioritize new studies in undersampled areas and iii) design sampling schemes for large-scale research.
... In the 19th and 20th centuries, it suffered a drastic decline due to human persecution, deforestation and the decrease of wild ungulates, which led to its disappearance from the Alps, most of the peninsula and Sicily. The historical minimum dates back to the 1970s, when the wolf's range of presence was represented by small nuclei separated from each other, with a total of approximately 100 subjects, distributed along the central-southern Apennine ridge (Zimen and Boitani 1975). ...
The aim of this study was to molecularly investigate the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in organ samples from 11 Apennine wolves (Canis lupus italicus) collected in Central Italy. Samples from lung, liver, spleen, kidney, tongue and intestine were investigated by PCRs targeting the following genes: tet(A), tet(B), tet(C), tet(D), tet(E), tet(G), tet(K), tet(L), tet(M), tet(O), tetA(P), tet(Q), tet(S), tet(X), sul1, sul2, sul3, blaCTX−M, blaSHV, blaTEM and mcr-1. A PCR positivity was highlighted for 13 out of the 21 tested genes; no positive results were obtained for tet(C), tet(D), tet(E), tet(G), sul3, blaCTX, blaSHV and mcr-1 genes. All 11 animals sampled showed positivity for one or more resistance genes. The results confirm the potential role of the wolf as an indicator and/or vector of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria or ARGs.
... La specieè andata incontro ad un forte declino anche nell'Italia peninsulare, dove si raggiunsero i minimi storici agli inizi degli anni settanta. Si stimavano circa un centinaio di individui, limitati alle zone più remote dell'Appennino centro-meridionale (Zimen e Boitani 1975).È a partire da questi anni che la combinazione di vari fattori, tra cui le prime misure di protezione della specie (Decreto "Natali" del 1971 e Decreto "Marcora" del 1976), il consistente abbandono delle aree montane da parte dell'uomo, e l'incremento nel numero di ungulati selvatici (favorito da interventi di reintroduzione a scopo venatorio), ha favorito il ritorno naturale del lupo in tutto il suo areale storico. La ricolonizzazioneè avvenuta a partire dalla catena appenninica fino a raggiungere dapprima le Alpi occidentali, negli anni novanta, e più di recente anche le Alpi centro-orientali. ...
... However, despite the modern Italian wolf population being morphologically and genetically well characterised 11,13,[24][25][26] , few genomes are available from ancient and insular Italian samples 27,28 and the genomic identity of the Sicilian wolf remains debated 15,16 . ...
The Sicilian wolf remained isolated in Sicily from the end of the Pleistocene untilits extermination in the 1930s–1960s. Given its long-term isolation on the islandand distinctive morphology, the genetic origin of the Sicilian wolf remainsdebated. We sequenced four nuclear genomes and five mitogenomes from theseven existing museum specimens to investigate the Sicilian wolf ancestry, rela-tionships with extant and extinct wolves and dogs, and diversity. Our resultsshow that the Sicilian wolf is most closely related to the Italian wolf but carriesancestry from a lineage related to European Eneolithic and Bronze Age dogs.The average nucleotide diversity of the Sicilian wolf was half of the Italian wolf,with 37–50% of its genome contained in runs of homozygosity. Overall, weshow that, by the time it went extinct, the Sicilian wolf had high inbreeding andlow-genetic diversity, consistent with a population in an insular environment
... Oggi quindi troviamo Canis lupus dall'Appenino Calabro alle Alpi con maggiori concentrazioni negli Appennini dell'Italia centro-meridionale, in particolare nei Monti Sibillini.(Berton, 2018;Ferrari, 2012).La presenza del lupo in Italia negli anni '70 aveva toccato i minimi storici con circa 100 esemplari presenti(Boitani e Zimen, 1975) per poi arrivare al 2014 con delle popolazioni in forma stabile sulle Alpi (WAG, 2014) e diversi branchi riproduttivi stanziati in Piemonte(Marucco et al, 2010). Tra il 2017 e il 2018 l'areale stimato delle popolazioni di lupo alpino raggiunge i 17.500 km 2 occupati (Progetto WOLFALPS). ...
... This area (600 km 2 ; altitude: 600-3500 m a.s.l.) is characterized by a typical xeric inner-alpine climate. After the eradication of the local wolf population in the 1920s (Zimen & Boitani, 1975), wolves spontaneously recolonized the area in the 1990s (Bertotto et al., 2020;Marucco & McIntire, 2010), having re-established a viable reproductive wolf population (Marucco & Avanzinelli, 2018). In the last years, several tens of wolves are annually roadkilled in this area and the surrounding valleys. ...
Predation risk largely constrains prey behavior. However, whether predators may be scary also after death remains unexplored. Here, we describe the "fight-and-flight" responses of a prey, the wild boar (Sus scrofa), to carcasses of (a) its main predator, the gray wolf (Canis lupus) and (b) a carnivore that very rarely kills wild boars, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), in the western Alps (Italy). We recorded the behavior of wild boars at 10 wolf and 9 fox carcass sites. We found eight "fight-and-flight" responses toward wolf carcasses, and none toward fox carcasses. Our results suggest that carnivore carcasses may indeed be scary; fear responses toward them are dependent on the species to which the carcass belongs; and animals approaching the carcasses are feared mainly when the latter are relatively fresh. This emphasizes the multiple and complex roles that carrion plays in the landscape of fear and opens exciting ecological, epidemiological, and evolutionary research avenues.
... Introduzione La presenza del lupo (Canis lupus) in Italia ha subìto una evoluzione estremamente dinamica e il recupero della specie, in termini sia di area di distribuzione che di consistenza numerica (Galaverni et al., 2015, La Morgia et al., 2022, coerentemente con quanto rilevato per la quasi totalità delle popolazioni europee di lupo (Chapron et al., 2014), rappresenta un notevole successo di conservazione. Successivamente al minimo storico della sua distribuzione (Zimen e Boitani 1975;Boitani 1994), il lupo in Italia è andato incontro ad un processo di ricolonizzazione dei territori da cui è stato assente per decenni, spesso spingendo la propria presenza in contesti ambientali a matrice fortemente agricola e dominata dalle attività umane (Gervasi et al., 2021;Marino et al., 2016). La presenza del lupo, però, è accompagnata dall'impatto che esso arreca al patrimonio zootecnico e alla fauna di interesse venatorio, che rappresenta la principale fonte di alimentazione. ...
Ciao Marta, qui trovi tutte le relazioni prodotte nell'ambito dell'indagine 20-21, a presto
Paola
https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it/attivita/biodiversita/monitoraggio-nazionale-del-lupo/link
... The dynamics of distribution and consistency of wolf population in Italy offer an interesting case study in this regard. After a severe decline that reduced the population of the Italian wolf (Canis lupus italicus Altobello, 1921) to less than a hundred individuals that survived in small, highly isolated areas of the Central and Southern Apennines [35,36], the population has rapidly increased starting in the early 1980s [37] and recolonized most of the Apennines over a couple of decades [38]. From the 1990s, dispersing individuals expanded from the Northern Apennines to the Western Alps through a mountainous ecological corridor, beginning the recolonisation of the Alps where they had been extirpated in the early 1900s [38]. ...
Assessing the behavioural responses of floating wolves to human presence is crucial for investigating the chance of wolf populations expanding into urbanised landscapes. We studied the movement ecology of three rehabilitated wolves in a highly human-dominated landscape (Po Plain, Italy) to explore wolf’s plasticity amid widespread human pressure. To reach this aim, we estimated individual 95% utilisation distributions (UD) after the release and inspected both 95% UDs and net squared displacements to identify individual movement patterns; tested for differences in movement patterns during day and night; and analysed the selection of resting sites during dispersal movement in a highly human-altered environment. Both the 95% UDs and step lengths were smaller for wolves settling in suitable areas than for those settling in more urbanised areas. All wolves exhibited strong temporal segregation with humans during all movement phases, particularly while dispersing across highly urbanised areas. Main roads and proximity to built-up areas were shown to limit wolves’ dispersal, whereas small-wooded patches that provide shelter during rest facilitated long-distance movements. This study provides important insights into wolf movement and settling in urban and peri-urban areas, providing critical knowledge to promote human–carnivore coexistence.
... eradication of this species from central and northern European countries (Breitenmoser, 1998;Mech & Boitani, 2003). In 1970s, in Italy, only about 100 wolves survived in fragmented populations in two areas of the central-southern Apennines (Zimen & Boitani, 1975). ...
Anthropic areas play a pivot role for main wolf conservation challenges. Wolf presence in the higher Pisan hills has been well documented while wolf settlement in the lower Pisan hills is still uncertain. In this study, long‐term information on wolf presence in a highly anthropic area of the lower Pisan hills was collected by using non‐invasive monitoring techniques. Furthermore, both the relationship of this predator with human activity and the impact of hunting on wolf presence have been investigated. The results obtained indicate the presence of a stable and reproductive wolf pack composed by both Italian wolf and hybrids individuals in the municipalities of Crespina Lorenzana and Casciana Terme Lari. A high impact of wolf on livestock was recorded in this area since no prevention systems were adopted by farmers. Wolf appears not to have a negative impact on wild boar population. Similarly, wild boar drive hunting does not appear to affect the wolf pack presence in the area. Thereby wolf may play a key role as controller of wild population. Prevention strategies improvement becomes instrumental to promote wolf–human coexistence. Further investigation to monitor pack hybridization level and turnover and to assess the impact of packs on wild population and livestock in anthropic areas is desirable.
... La specie è andata incontro ad un forte declino anche nell'Italia peninsulare, dove si raggiunsero i minimi storici agli inizi degli anni Settanta. Si stimavano circa un centinaio di individui, limitati alle zone più remote dell'Appennino centro-meridionale (Zimen e Boitani 1975). È a partire da questi anni che la combinazione di vari fattori, tra cui le prime misure di protezione della specie (Decreto "Natali" del 1971 e Decreto "Marcora" del 1976), il consistente abbandono delle aree montane da parte dell'uomo, e l'incremento nel numero di ungulati selvatici (favorito da interventi di reintroduzione a scopo venatorio), ha favorito il ritorno naturale del lupo in tutto il suo areale storico. ...
Report of the results of the national wolf monitoring plan for the Province of Trento in the year 2020-2021
... Negli anni '20 e '40 venne sterminato rispettivamente sulle Alpi e in Sicilia e il ventennio successivo al secondo conflitto mondiale continuò con questo trend negativo. Nei primi anni '70 la distribuzione del lupo in Italia appariva frammentata e limitata a pochi comprensori montani localizzati nelle zone non frequentate dall'uomo dell'Appennino centro-meridionale (Zimen & Boitani, 1975). ...
Interventi per la tutela e la valorizzazione della biodiversità terrestre e marina Azioni per la tutela di flora e di fauna di interesse conservazionistico nel SIC/ZPS IT9130007 AREA DELLE GRAVINE
Azione 8-Azioni per la tutela del lupo appenninico Canis lupus
... In Italia la distribuzione attuale ricopre tutto l'arco appenninico e alpino; non sono rare condizioni sinantropiche. Questa distribuzione è frutto di una lenta ripresa e occupazione, successiva al brusco declino degli anni Settanta, che aveva ridotto la popolazione a un centinaio di individui (Boitani & Zimen, 1975) a causa di persecuzione diretta lungo tutta la penisola, e della riduzione di prede naturali. § Ecologia e Comportamento Il lupo è un carnivoro sociale e territoriale. ...
Il crescente interesse per le materie ambientali e la necessità di gestione delle risorse naturali ha determinato, negli ultimi anni, un incremento degli sforzi di ricerca dedicati soprattutto alle specie più emblematiche, quelle più minacciate di estinzione e quelle di maggiore interesse conservazionistico e/o venatorio. Tra le specie ricorrenti in queste categorie vi sono i Mammiferi, la cui biologia ed ecologia sono state oggetto di ricerca mirata e di opportuni approfondimenti. L’Ente Parco Nazionale dell’Alta Murgia (PNAM), dal 2004, ha investito ingenti risorse, anche umane, per descrivere le comunità di Mammiferi distribuite nel territorio del Parco. Ai Progetti di studio del cinghiale e del lupo, condotti continuativamente sin
dalla nascita dell’area protetta, sono stati aggiunti, negli ultimi anni, alcuni specifici su mesocarnivori e chirotteri. L’applicazione di tecniche di raccolta dati standardizzate e trasversali hanno permesso di archiviare un’importante mole di dati di presenza che consente, oggi, di descrivere al meglio lo status di alcune specie di mammiferi nel PNAM. Partendo da questi dati e integrandoli agli obiettivi del Progetto “Allupo”, finanziato da Fondazione con il Sud e dal PNAM, è stato possibile redigere il volume “I Mammiferi del Parco Nazionale dell’Alta Murgia – Chiroptera, Lagomorpha, Rodentia, Carnivora, Cetartiodactyla” con l’ambizioso obiettivo di riportare tutte le
informazioni ad oggi disponibili su questi taxa. Il volume è opera di diversi autori che, in base alle loro competenze, hanno lavorato
negli anni nei diversi ambiti di progetto condotti dall’Ente Parco. Nonostante gli sforzi per uniformare i testi e le schede, in relazione alla differente specializzazione degli autori, il volume apparirà certamente disomogeneo nello stile e nell’ordine in cui sono trattati i diversi argomenti. Nel volume sono riportare tutte le specie rinvenute nell’area Parco e appartenenti agli ordini Chiroptera, Lagomorpha, Rodentia, Carnivora, Cetartiodactyla, con l’eccezione dell’ordine dei Rodentia che annovera altre specie presenti nel Parco, qui non trattate.
In tal senso si auspica il completamento dell’opera con un secondo volume riguardante Rodentia e Eulipotyphla.
Dopo un inquadramento dell’area Parco, ciascuna specie è stata trattata singolarmente con una scheda che include, nell’ordine riportato:
– Nome Scientifico
– Tassonomia e Descrizione
– Distribuzione e Habitat
– Ecologia e Comportamento
– Stato di Conservazione e minacce
– Presenza e Stato di Conservazione nel PNAM.
Per alcune specie, inoltre, sono state realizzate mappe di idoneità ambientale che forniscono una sintesi delle relazioni che intercorrono tra ambiente e popolazioni animali.
È doveroso, infine, ringraziare i colleghi e gli amici che, negli anni, con passione e dovizia, direttamente e indirettamente, hanno collaborato alla redazione del volume, attraverso una proficua collaborazione, il confronto e l’arricchimento.
... Conservation genetic studies analysing extant canid samples revealed that such numerical contractions and genetic variability loss for the Italian wolf population have continued until the early 1970s (Montana et al. 2017a(Montana et al. , 2017b, when it reached the verge of extinction counting only approximately 100 individuals surviving in the central and southern Apennines (Zimen and Boitani 1975). ...
The Middle Ages represented a crucial period for the evolutionary history of wolves (Canis lupus), marked by both significant ecosystem changes, especially through the degradation of wooded landscapes and heavy persecution, that drove this species to a dramatic demographic decline. In Europe, informative and well-documented wolf remains from the Medieval Ages are exceptionally rare and are mostly represented by teeth and postcranial elements. In this study, we describe a well-preserved wolf cranium dated to ca. 967–1157 AD from the Po Valley (northern Italy). The specimen was analysed through a multidisciplinary approach including CT-based, ancient DNA, and palaeopathological analyses. Morphological and genetic data supported the assignment of this sample to Canis lupus species. CT-based analyses indicated a typical wolf-like morphology falling into the extant variability of the medium-sized subspecies C. lupus italicus, whereas palaeopathological analyses indicated a severe periodontitis. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the Po valley wolf had a unique and never described mtDNA control region haplotype, testifying variability in the ancient Italian wolf, which has now been lost. This study provides the first comprehensive description of a wolf from the Middle Ages, adding useful information for a deeper knowledge about population dynamics, variability, and diseases of this species.
... In southern Europe, wolves were eradicated from many countries and, where they persisted, they reached historical minimums and population bottlenecks in the 20th century. Wolves were at their nadir in~1950-1970 in Italy (Zimen and Boitani, 1975) and Spain (Quevedo et al., 2019). Recently, wolves have shown a faster recovery in Italy, expanding into neighboring countries (Galaverni et al., 2016), while the Iberian wolf population of Portugal and Spain has shown a different trend (Torres and Fonseca, 2016;Quevedo et al., 2019). ...
Wolf management in Spain is remarkably different at regional scales. South of Douro river, wolves are protected, north of Douro wolves can be hunted, and culling occurs on both sides. After a formal request to include wolves in the Spanish Red List of Threatened Species, wolves have been “listed,” but not as a vulnerable species. Recreational hunting will no longer be a wolf management option, while culling is still allowed. We describe the process to raise wolf protection at the state level, and the factors that should be relevant to guide apex-predator management. Restricting lethal control and favoring predator-prey interactions by reducing livestock depredation should be more feasible with an overarching policy that is binding over the whole range of the species in Spain.
... Moreover, there is a clear difference in the frequency and duration of sound produced by adults and pups younger than 6 months (Harrington and Mech 1978b;Harrington 1986;Nikolskii et al. 1986). Therefore, howling stimulation has been used successfully as a method of estimating wolf numbers and the composition of packs (Theberge and Pimlott 1969;Theberge and Strickland 1978;Zimen and Boitani 1975;Ciucci et al. 1997;Ciucci and Boitani 1999). We found that our estimates of wolf numbers based on howling generally corresponded well to the data on pack size and composition obtained by radio-telemetry and/or snow tracking. ...
... The other two dholes showed a strongly bimodal distribution in their heterozygosity distribution with regions of high and very low heterozygosity, probably as a result of their recent demographic histories and captive breeding. Among the different canid species that went through bottlenecks or population reductions, [29][30][31][32][33][34] the Sardinian dhole showed decreased genetic diversity across the entire genome, comparable to the AHDs from Zimbabwe, Kenya, and South Africa ( Figure 4A) that went through stable and long-term population declines. 35,36 This (C) DiscoVista relative frequency analysis. ...
The Sardinian dhole (Cynotherium sardous) was an iconic and unique canid species that was endemic to Sardinia and Corsica until it became extinct at the end of the Late Pleistocene. Given its peculiar dental morphology, small body size, and high level of endemism, several extant canids have been proposed as possible relatives of the Sardinian dhole, including the Asian dhole and African hunting dog ancestor. Morphometric analyses have failed to clarify the evolutionary relationship with other canids.We sequenced the genome of a ca-21,100-year-old Sardinian dhole in order to understand its genomic history and clarify its phylogenetic position. We found that it represents a separate taxon from all other living canids from Eurasia, Africa, and North America, and that the Sardinian dhole lineage diverged from the Asian dhole ca 885 ka. We additionally detected historical gene flow between the Sardinian and Asian dhole lineages, which ended approximately 500-300 ka, when the land bridge between Sardinia and mainland Italy was already broken, severing their population connectivity. Our sample showed low genome-wide diversity compared to other extant canids—probably a result of the long-term isolation—that could have contributed to the subsequent extinction of the Sardinian dhole.
... The Italian wolf population (C. lupus italicus, Altobello 1921), was in strong decline until the 1970s [60]; however, in the last few decades it has undergone natural re-expansion throughout the Alps and Apennines and in human-modified environments [14,21]. ...
The Italian wolf population in human-modified landscapes has increased greatly in the last few decades. Anthropisation increases the risk of transmission of many zoonotic infections and in this context, control of taeniid cestode species needs to be addressed from a One Health perspective. Predator-prey interactions are at the root of taeniid cestode transmission, and the wolf plays a key role in the maintenance and transmission of taeniids. To date, all available data on the taeniids of wolves in Italy refer to populations living in a wild habitat. Between 2018 and 2019, we investigated taeniids in a wolf pack living in a highly anthropic hilly agro-ecosystem. Thirty-eight faecal samples were collected and analysed, 4 of which were also genetically characterised for individual wolves and belonged to three different animals. Samples collected were analysed microscopically and by molecular analysis in order to identify the taeniid species. Taeniid eggs were detected in 34.2% (13/38) of samples. Within samples positive to taeniid eggs only Echinococcus granulosus s.s. and Taenia hydatigena were identified in 26.3% and 10.5% of the samples, respectively. On microscopic examination, Capillaria spp., Ancylostomatidae and Toxocara canis eggs, Crenosoma vulpis larvae, and coccidian oocysts were also found. The combination of low biodiversity of taeniid species with a high occurrence of E. granulosus s.s. recorded in this study could be the consequence of a deeper link occurring between wolves and livestock in human-modified landscapes than in wild settings.
... Until the 1970s, the Italian wolf has declined massively and was close to extinction, surviving at its historical minimum population size in two fragmented areas in the Southern Apennines (Zimen and Boitani, 1975;Boitani, 1984Boitani, , 1992. Since the late 1980s, thanks to more effective conservation efforts and changes in the ecology of mountain areas (i.e. ...
The Apennine wolf (Canis lupus italicus, Altobello, 1921) is currently experiencing a period of great population change. Any information that helps to understand this transformation will be valuable for managing it. Here we provide, for the first time, quantitative data (habitat suitability, segregation, seasonal activity, daily time budget, social structure and sex-ratio) on the population of Italian wolf from the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, the largest protected area in Italy, that houses a rising population. Using transects to locate signs and traces, we have identified 224 presence points, useful for elaborating the ecological suitability map for the wolf, in and around the Park. The suitable area expands up to 1042.65 km 2 , with elevation being the strongest predictive variable affecting the species. The model predicts two main suitable patches (Alburni Mountains and Cervati/Motola Mountains), and at least seven remote areas, differently linked to each other by ecological corridors. Camera-trapping information was collected in the two suitable patches (Alburni and Cervati/Motola) for the wolf and revealed some characteristics of this population. The highest number of wolves was recorded in May and December, and during the night, depending on the reproductive behavior and dynamic of dispersion. Single individuals and couples (at least 3 recorded) are observed more frequently than groups (maximum of 3 groups that varied from three to eight individuals). The sex-ratio in the population, inferred by camera-trapping, showed a balanced population, with males found to be group leader in 91% of the cases. Furthermore, genetic analysis revealed that the males were in charge of marking the territory in 86% of cases. Our data increases the knowledge of the wolf population from Cilento, which seemed to have stopped at the 1990s, until now. Our contribution could be helpful in defining a wolf management strategy in the National Park, as well as in the other regions of the Apennine mountains and Alps, where the wolf is expanding, aiming also at coexistence with local human communities.
... Wildlife surveys therefore tend to sample indirectly (Wilson and Delahay 2001, Linnell et al. 2007b. Non-invasive techniques applicable to monitoring populations of canids and felids include: track surveys, either on the ground (Zimen and Boitani 1975) or by aerial reconnaissance (Ballard et al. 1995); scat surveys (Crete andMessier 1987, McNay et al. 2009); scent stations and hair collection (McDaniel et al. 2000); camera trapping (Heilbrun et al. 2006); howling surveys (Fuller and Sampson 1988); and genetic analysis (Kohn et al. 1999). Surveys employing a system of transects to search for tracks and other sign provide data on presence/absence, helping to map species distribution (Becker et al. 1998, Resource Inventory Committee 1998, Kunkel et al. 2005, along with a range of other information, including breeding status, diet (Wydeven et al. 2004), habitat use and activity as well as the gender and individual identity (Ulizio et al. 2006). ...
White wilderness: winter wolf and lynx tracking in the Tatra mountains of Slovakia. Abstract Many hunters consider wolves and other carnivores such as lynx as competitors, because they prey on valuable game animals such as red deer and wild boar. As a result hunters tend to overestimate carnivore numbers and cull them intensively. While official game statistics list more than 1,500 wolves in Slovakia, others claim that the annual winter hunting season leaves fewer than 150 individuals. Are wolves being hunted to extinction, as the environmentalists say, or too numerous, as hunters claim? The dispute shows the clear need for reliable, objective methods to estimate numbers of predators. The work of this project aimed to answer that need by designing and testing a methodology for indexing wolf and lynx abundance. In doing so it brought together international volunteers and local people, nature conservationists, foresters, landowners and hunters. This report deals with the 2010 field season, which was conducted in collaboration between Biosphere Expeditions and the Slovak Wildlife Society. Fieldwork was conducted in the Liptov region of northern Slovakia with Biosphere Expeditions bringing in an international team of volunteers to help with field work from 30 January to 19 February 2010. After appropriate training, volunteers surveyed 54 transects with a total length of 447 km and identified 102 wolf tracks and 11 lynx tracks. Wolf tracks were found on 44% of the surveyed transects at a track density of 13.6 / 100 km / day, with one wolf track found on average every 7.3 km. Lynx tracks were found on 19% of the surveyed transects at a track density of 1.3 / 100 km / day and a frequency of 77.7 km. All lynx tracks appeared to be of a single individual, whereas between one and four wolves (mean: 1.7, n=61) were tracked. Differences in track abundance were found across the study area, although both percentage of transects with tracks and track density were higher for wolves than for lynx in all three survey sectors. Signs of lynx tended to be found where signs of wolves were also detected. A total of 72 samples suitable for genetic analysis were collected, 17 (24%) of these are thought to be from lynx and 55 (76%) from wolves. Most samples (75%) were of urine and all are awaiting DNA analysis. The project achieved its main aim of designing and testing a methodology for indexing wolf and lynx abundance. The Slovak Wildlife Society now intends to continue this work for at least four more years, expanding the use of the methodology to a larger area. Súhrn Množstvo poľovníkov sa domnieva, že vlky a ostatní predátori ako rys sú pre nich konkurenti, pretože lovia tú istú zver ako jelene, srnčiu či diviačiu zver. Výsledkom je, že poľovníci sa snažia umelo navýšiť štatistické počty predátorov aby ich mohli intenzívnejšie loviť. Pokiaľ oficiálne štatistiky zahrňajú viac než 1500 vlkov, iné tvrdia, že po zimnej sezóne lovu ostane menej než 150 zvierat. Budú vlky vystrieľané do posledného ako tvrdia environmentalisti, alebo sú premnožení ako tvrdia poľovníci. Táto diskusia poukazuje na jasnú a objektívnu metodiku určovania početnosti predátorov. Práca na tomto projekte cieli k naprojektovaniu metodiky k sčítavaniu početnosti vlkov a rysov. K výsledku dopomáha spolupráca zahraničných dobrovoľníkov a miestnych ľudí, ochranárov, lesníkov, majiteľov pozemkov a poľovníkov. Táto správa sa zaoberá sezónou 2010 v rámci spolupráce Biosphere Expeditions a Slovak Wildlife Society. Terénne práce boli vykonané v regióne Liptova na severnom Slovensku. Biosphere Expeditions zabezpečila medzinárodný tím dobrovoľníkov, ktorí pomáhali s terénnym výskumom od 30. Januára 2010 do 19. Februára 2010. Po primeranom tréningu, dobrovoľníci mapovali 54 transektov o celkovej dĺžlke 447 km a identifikovali 102 vľčích stopových dráh a 11 rysích. Vlčie stopy boli nájdené na 44% mapovaného územia, hustota stôp bola 13,6/100km/deň, jedna vlčia stopa bola nájdená každých 7,3 km. Stopy rysa boli nájdené na 19% územia s hustotou 1,3/100km/deň a frekvenciou každých 77,7 km. Všetky rysie stopy boli stopy jednotlivých zvierat, pokiaľ u vlkov to bolo od jedného po štyri indivíduá na jednu stopovú dráhu (1,7, n=61). Boli nájdené rozdieli medzi početnosťou stôp a zastúpením jednotlivých druhov a indivíduí v záujmovom území, aj keď percentuálne zastúpenie vlčích stopových dráh bolo väčšie u vlkov než rysa vo všetkých troch sektoroch záujmového územia. Rysie stopy boli nájdené aj na miestach výskytu vlkov. Bolo nájdených 72 vzoriek vhodných pre DNA analýzu, 17 (24%) bolo rysích vzoriek a 55 (76%) patrilo vlkom. Väčšina vzoriek (75%) bol moč. Čaká sa na DNA analýzu. Projekt dosiahol svoj hlavný cieľ, načrtnúť, otestovať metodológiu na zisťovanie početnosti vlkov a rysov. Slovak Wildlife society bude pokračovať v tomto projekte nasledujúce štyri roky na rozšírenom území.
... In particular, Italian wolves (Canis l. italicus, ALTOBELLO, 1921), having experienced a historical demographic scenario characterized by protracted isolation south of the Alps, and recurrent bottlenecks that made them sharply genetically differentiated from any other wolf population, represent an unquestionable example of recent conservational success (MONTANA et al., 2017). Indeed, after being close to extinction, during the 1980s, Italian wolves started a natural re-colonization in parts of their historical range along the Apennine, reaching the western Alps, France and Switzerland (ZIMEN and BOITANI, 1975;FABBRI et al., 2007), and currently include at least 320 wolf packs which approximately correspond to at least 1500 (± 300) wolves (GALAVERNI et al., 2016). The ecological plasticity of the species, indeed, helped it to face and exploit the recent environmental transformations of our landscapes successfully (MILANESI et al., 2015). ...
This case report describes the rescue of an eight-month-old male Italian wolf (Canis lupus italicus), the victim of a car accident that caused it a pulmonary contusion, a fracture of the shaft of right femur, and a metaphyseal fracture of the left stifle. A lateral surgical approach was performed to treat the animal’s multiple contusions and fractures. Afterwards the wolf was transferred to a wild animal recovery center for its rehabilitation, where it fully recovered. After 35 days in captivity the wolf was thus released into the supposed home-range of its original pack, and its movements were monitored by a GPS satellite collar. The collar worked correctly for 479 days. During that period the collar acquired a total of 1202 locations, indicating that the wolf had traveled at least 1590 km, with an average monthly distance (± SD) of 102 ± 40 km, exploring an overall area of about 270 km2. During the first 10 days after its release, the wolf remained in the area of its supposed native pack, whereas at about the age of 10 months the wolf began to make wide extraterritorial movements. The wolf’s last localization was acquired on 13th May 2018, about 17 months after its release, at a linear distance of about 65 km from the release site. This preliminary data showed that the wolf was alive and travelled long distances after its release, and demonstrates how a multidisciplinary management approach can support the recovery and successful release into nature of a rescued wild animal belonging to a flagship species with a notable ecological role, such as the Italian wolf.
... In Italia il lupo era ampiamente diffuso fino alla metà del secolo scorso, ma venne sterminato sulle Alpi negli anni 20 (Brunetti, 1984) e in Sicilia negli anni 40 (Cagnolaro et al., 1974); la penisola seguì il trend del resto d'Europa secondo il quale si ebbe una drastica riduzione della specie nel ventennio che seguì il secondo conflitto mondiale. Il minimo storico di presenza della specie in Italia fu registrato negli anni 70 quando Zimen e Boitani (1975) presentarono una distribuzione limitata e frammentaria e localizzata nelle zone impervie dell'Appennino centro-meridionale: i risultati portarono alla stima di meno di 100 esemplari. ...
Nell'ambito delle produzioni agro-zootecniche, e non solo, si inserisce
la gestione di diverse specie faunistiche per la loro capacità di interagire
con il sistema agricolo. Non vi è dubbio alcuno che la biodiversità animale
(domestica e/o selvatica) deve essere salvaguardata nell'interesse delle
future generazioni. Se per la salvaguardia e/o la conservazione dei genotipi
domestici si può ricorrere in un certo qual modo alla caratterizzazione
chimico-nutrizionale e alla valorizzazione delle loro produzioni legate al
territorio, alla sua storia e cultura, per le popolazioni animali di interesse
faunistico-venatorio è necessario far ricorso ad una saggia ed oculata gestione,
poiché alcune specie, per il loro comportamento e/o distribuzione
o per la loro capacità di incremento annuo dei propri effettivi e/o per le
abitudini alimentari di tipo predatorio, interagiscono negativamente con
le produzioni agro-zootecniche.
Per le specie animali di interesse faunistico-venatorio a rischio di erosione
genetica o di estinzione, si deve far ricorso ad una gestione di tipo
conservativa, in cui è necessario eliminare e/o contenere al massimo le
cause e le concause che fanno regredire le popolazioni (che possono essere
riassunti in una scomparsa degli habitat idonei alla vita selvatica ascrivibile
all'antropizzazione del territorio da parte delle attività umane, al
prelievo sconsiderato ecc.).
Per altre specie, a causa del loro comportamento, del tipo di distribuzione,
della capacità di incremento numerico dei loro effettivi e dei loro
fabbisogni alimentari, è necessario ricorrere ad una gestione di contenimento.
Per far ciò è necessario conoscere la consistenza della popolazione
interessata, la densità biologica economicamente sostenibile (carico bestiame
su 100 ettari di territorio) e la sua capacità media di incremento
annuo, per poter determinare la quota di prelievo annuo (è il caso del
cinghiale) oppure alla messa in opera di tecniche di dissuasione passiva
e/o attiva nel caso di specie protette (lupo e storno).
Da qualche anno diverse associazioni agro-zootecniche e non, attraverso
i normali canali informativi, lamentano vari danni causati da alcune
specie di fauna selvatiche, sia alle produzioni sia alla sicurezza e/o all'incolumità
dei cittadini (incidenti stradali anche mortali). A questi fenomeni
le Regioni cercano di indennizzare, per quanto è possibile, con i propri
fondi i danni; indennizzo che ricopre solo in parte il danno periziato o
accertato.
Per questo fu stipulata nel febbraio del 2016 un accordo di collaborazione
ai sensi dell’art. 15 della Legge 241/1990 - art. 7 Legge Regionale n.
27/98, tra la Regione Puglia e il Dipartimento di Scienze Agro-Ambientali
e Territoriali (DiSAAT) dell’Università degli Studi di Bari, Aldo Moro, terminato
nel febbraio del 2019. I dati presentati durante il seminario “La
Fauna Selvatica e le Interazioni con le Produzioni Agro-Zootecniche”, tenutosi
il 30.09.2019 presso la ex facoltà di Agraria di Bari, sono il risultato
sia di ricerche in campo sia di laboratorio, in cui i ricercatori hanno dato
sempre e comunque risposte alle richieste dell’Ufficio Regionale; richiesta
che scaturivano da un Comitato Tecnico-Scientifico presieduto dall’Assessore
all’Agricoltura o da un suo delegato.
Il lavoro è stato intenso e proficuo, su una specie quasi unico (es. tordo),
su altre di durata triennale (es. storno) che ha fornito i mezzi alla
Regione per poter chiedere ed ottenere il prelievo in deroga (art. 9 della
Direttiva Uccelli), lo studio sul lupo ha permesso di cartizzare la sua presenza
in territorio di Bari e nel caso del cinghiale i suoi risultati sono parte
integrante del presente lavoro.
... The species is in an expansion phase after the strong decline in the '70 of the XX century (zimen and Boitani, 1975;Genovesi, 2002). The first recent records in the Alps date to 1992 (Mercantour National Park, Poulle et al., 1997). ...
The authors are grateful to the two anonymous reviewers for their extensive and detailed comments that greatly improved the clarity and readability of this article. They also like to thank the Museo Civico di Zoologia (Rome, Italy) for hosting the meeting on May 5 th , 2017 that set the basis for this essay. Abstract Checklists represent a basic tool for conservation and management of regional faunas. However, our knowledge on species composition in a territory changes over time due to species movements across borders, extinctions, introductions, as well as to new taxonomic evidence. We aimed to provide the most updated data on native and non-native species of mammals occurring, or that used to occur until recently, on the Italian political territory and seas. The checklist only includes species whose taxonomic status was explicitly agreed in the most recent peer-reviewed literature and based on the most updated taxonomic approaches. For each species, we provided the following information: scientific and common name, global and Italian range, relevant information for management and conservation (e.g. whether it is endemic, allochthonous, or listed in international regulations and red list assessments), as well as remarks on taxonomy and distribution. This new check list of Italian mammal fauna includes nine marine and 114 terrestrial species, belonging to seven orders (Erin-aceomorpha, Soricomorpha, Chiroptera, Carnivora, Cetartiodactyla, Rodentia, Lagomorpha), and 28 families. Vespertilionidae represents the richest family (n=27 species), followed by Cricetidae (n=12) and Soricidae (n=11). The list includes 15-16 allocthonous species. Considering the relative small size of the country, Italy is confirmed as a hotspot of mammal diversity in Europe, hosting the highest species richness in relation to the total area.
... The species is in an expansion phase after the strong decline in the '70 of the XX century (zimen and Boitani, 1975;Genovesi, 2002). The first recent records in the Alps date to 1992 (Mercantour National Park, Poulle et al., 1997). ...
Checklists represent a basic tool for conservation and management of regional faunas. However, our knowledge on species composition in a territory changes over time due to species movements across borders, extinctions, introductions, as well as to new taxonomic evidence. We aimed to provide the most updated data on native and non-native species of mammals occurring, or that used to occur until recently, on the Italian political territory and seas. The checklist only includes species whose taxonomic status was explicitly agreed in the most recent peer-reviewed literature and based on the most updated taxonomic approaches. For each species, we provided the following information:
scientific and common name, global and Italian range, relevant information for management and conservation (e.g. whether it is endemic, allochthonous, or listed in international regulations and red list assessments), as well as remarks on taxonomy and distribution. This new check list of Italian mammal fauna includes nine marine and 114 terrestrial species, belonging to seven orders (Erinaceomorpha, Soricomorpha, Chiroptera, Carnivora, Cetartiodactyla, Rodentia, Lagomorpha), and 28 families. Vespertilionidae represents the richest family (n=27 species), followed by Cricetidae (n=12) and Soricidae (n=11). The list includes 15–16 allocthonous species. Considering the relative small size of the country, Italy is confirmed as a hotspot of mammal diversity in Europe, hosting
the highest species richness in relation to the total area.
... The three protected wolf populations differ by their origin (Table 1). Wolves never disappeared from PNALM (Zimen and Boitani, 1975) and acted as a source for the natural recolonisation of the northern Apennines and the Alpine range, including PNM (Fabbri et al., 2007;. In YNP, wolves were reintroduced in 1995 and 1996 through the release of de-wormed individuals (D. Smith, U.S. National Park Service, pers. ...
Little is known about the impact of infectious diseases on large carnivores. We investigated factors structuring the helminth and protozoan infections of wolves (Canis lupus) by using coprological analyses. Faecal samples (n = 342) were analysed from 11 wolf packs belonging to three different geographical and ecological settings in Italy (Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise National Park, PNALM: 4 packs, 88 samples), in France (Mercantour National Park, PNM: 4 packs, 68 samples) and in the U.S.A. (Yellowstone National Park, YNP: 3 packs, 186 samples). Parasites were found in 29.4%-88.6% of the samples and parasite taxa ranged from four to ten in each study area. Taeniidae (Taenia/Echinococcus), Sarcocystis spp. and Toxascaris leonina were most common in faecal samples from YNP, whereas Capillaria spp., Taeniidae and Uncinaria stenocephala were predominant in PNALM. We used generalised linear mixed models to assess the relationship between parasite infection or the number of parasite taxa and selected ecological drivers across study areas. Significant effects illustrated the importance of the ecological factors such as occurrence of free-ranging dogs, diet composition and wolf density, as well as the ancestry of the wolf populations, in shaping parasite-wolf communities. Additional investigations are needed to elucidate the impact of parasitic infections on wolf populations, as well as the role of anthropogenic factors in facilitating parasitic diffusion to apex predators.
... In Italia, dalle documentazioni del Ghigi (1911), da quelle di molto successive di Cagnolaro et al. (1974) e da altre riportate in Boitani et al. (2003), il lupo risulta esser stato sterminato negli anni Venti del secolo scorso sulle Alpi, negli anni Quaranta in Sicilia, mentre non è mai dato passato dato storico (sino al 1950) esistito in Sardegna. L'ultima popolazione appenninica si era ulteriormente ridotta negli anni Cinquanta, con un minimo storico all'inizio degli anni Settanta (Boitani & Zimen 1975) e una distribuzione frammentata in una decina di comprensori fra loro separati. Grazie alla protezione garantita nel 1971 e alla migliorata idoneità degli ambienti montani, avvenuta a seguito dell'abbandono della montagna, della riforestazione naturale e dell'incremento degli ungulati selvatici, si è assistito al progressivo aumento della popolazione, alla ricolonizzazione degli Appennini e al successivo ritorno naturale nelle Alpi (Ciucci & Boitani 1998;Boitani et al. 2003;Marucco 2014, Marucco et al. 2017. ...
Atlas of Mammals of Province of Trento (Italy) - 1990-2018.
... Nonetheless, the first studies specifically focused on the genetic identity of the Sicilian wolf were performed only in recent years (Angelici et al., 2016a). The first scientific investigations on the Italian grey wolf started only in the 1970s (Cagnolaro et al., 1974;Zimen and Boitani, 1975), when the population was reduced to less than 100 individuals in isolated areas in the Central and Southern Apennines (Boitani, 2003) and the Sicilian population was already extinct. Moreover, the insular and continental populations were generally considered to be identical, and even in the most accurate studies published on the wolf in Italy (i.e. ...
... Initial studies on modern Italian wolves hypothesized that their distinctiveness could be attributed to the recent genetic isolation and drift linked to the extreme human-driven bottleneck occurred in the mid-1900s (Cagnolaro et al., 1974;Randi, Lucchini & Francisci, 1993), which resulted in only 100-200 individuals surviving in the Central and Southern Apennines (Zimen & Boitani, 1975;Mech & Boitani, 2010). Conversely following works suggested that their demographic decline could have rather begun at the end of the last glacial maximum (LGM), with a progressive reduction through time similar to other Eurasian populations (Fan et al., 2016), and only exacerbated by the more extreme historical bottleneck of the Italian population (Lucchini, Galov & Randi, 2004;vonHoldt et al., 2011;Boggiano et al., 2013;Pilot et al., 2014;Montana et al., 2017aMontana et al., , 2017b. ...
Background: The contemporary Italian wolf (Canis lupus italicus) represents a case of morphological and genetic uniqueness. Today, Italian wolves are also the only documented population to fall exclusively within the mitochondrial haplogroup 2, which was the most diffused across Eurasian and North American wolves during the Late Pleistocene. However, the dynamics leading to such distinctiveness are still debated.
Methods: In order to shed light on the ancient genetic variability of this wolf population and on the origin of its current diversity, we collected 19 Late Pleistocene-Holocene samples from northern Italy, which we analyzed at a short portion of the hypervariable region 1 of the mitochondrial DNA, highly informative for wolf and dog phylogenetic analyses.
Results: Four out of the six detected haplotypes matched the ones found in ancient wolves from northern Europe and Beringia, or in modern European and Chinese wolves, and appeared closely related to the two haplotypes currently found in Italian wolves. The haplotype of two Late Pleistocene samples matched with primitive and contemporary dog sequences from the canine mitochondrial clade A.
All these haplotypes belonged to haplogroup 2. The only exception was a Holocene sample dated 3,250 years ago, affiliated to haplogroup 1.
Discussion: In this study we describe the genetic variability of the most ancient wolf specimens from Italy analyzed so far, providing a preliminary overview of the genetic make-up of the population that inhabited this area from the last glacial maximum to the Middle Age period. Our results endorsed that the genetic diversity carried by the Pleistocene wolves here analyzed showed a strong continuity with other northern Eurasian wolf specimens from the same chronological period.
Contrarily, the Holocene samples showed a greater similarity only with modern sequences from Europe and Asia, and the occurrence of an haplogroup 1 haplotype allowed to date back previous finding about its presence in this area. Moreover, the unexpected discovery of a 24,700-year-old sample carrying a haplotype that, from
the fragment here obtained, falls within the canine clade A, could represent the oldest evidence in Europe of such dog-rich clade. All these findings suggest complex population dynamics that deserve to be further investigated based on mitochondrial or whole genome sequencing.
... Nonetheless, the first studies specifically focused on the genetic identity of the Sicilian wolf were performed only in recent years (Angelici et al., 2016a). The first scientific investigations on the Italian grey wolf started only in the 1970s (Cagnolaro et al., 1974;Zimen and Boitani, 1975), when the population was reduced to less than 100 individuals in isolated areas in the Central and Southern Apennines (Boitani, 2003) and the Sicilian population was already extinct. Moreover, the insular and continental populations were generally considered to be identical, and even in the most accurate studies published on the wolf in Italy (i.e. ...
During historical times many local grey wolf (Canis lupus) populations underwent a substantial reduction of their sizes or became extinct. Among these, the wolf population once living in Sicily, the biggest island of the Mediterranean Sea, was completely eradicated by human persecution in the early decades of the XX century. In order to understand the genetic identity of the Sicilian wolf, we applied ancient DNA techniques to analyze the mitochondrial DNA of six specimens actually stored in Italian museums. We successfully amplified a diagnostic mtDNA fragment of the control region (CR) in four of the samples. Results showed that two samples shared the same haplotype, that differed by two substitutions from the currently most diffused Italian wolf haplotype (W14) and one substitution from the only other Italian haplotype (W16). The third sample showed a wolf-like haplotype never described before and the fourth a haplotype commonly found in dogs. Furthermore, all the wolf haplotypes analyzed in this study belonged to the mitochondrial haplogroup that includes haplotypes detected in all the known European Pleistocene wolves and in several modern southern European populations. Unfortunately, this endemic island population, bearing unique mtDNA variability, was definitively lost before it was possible to understand its taxonomic uniqueness and conservational value.
... For this purpose, we used a genetic data set on wolves (Canis lupus), which were molecularly identified during multiyear large-scale monitoring projects based on carcasses, livetrapped individuals, and non-invasively collected samples from the central Apennines to the western Alps in Italy (Caniglia et al., 2012(Caniglia et al., , 2013Caniglia, Fabbri, Galaverni, Milanesi, & Randi, 2014;Fabbri et al., 2007). The population of wolves in Italy experienced a demographic bottleneck in the 1970s (Zimen & Boitani, 1975), which reversed in the 1980s due to legal protection, the occurrence of ample habitat in diverse landscapes abandoned by humans and the abundant availability of wild prey (Meriggi, Brangi, Schenone, Signorelli, & Milanesi, 2011). In about 40 years, the wolf population re-expanded from south-central Italy to the entire Apennine chain (including adjacent lower hills and plains) and the Italian and French western Alps (Caniglia et al., 2013;Fabbri et al., 2007;Galaverni, Caniglia, Fabbri, Milanesi, & Randi, 2016). ...
The distribution of intraspecific genetic variation and how it relates to environmental factors is of increasing interest to researchers in macroecology and biogeography. Recent studies investigated the relationships between the environment and patterns of intraspecific genetic variation across species ranges but only few rigorously tested the relation between genetic groups and their ecological niches. We quantified the relationship of genetic differentiation (FST) and the overlap of ecological niches (as measured by n‐dimensional hypervolumes) among genetic groups resulting from spatial Bayesian genetic clustering in the wolf (Canis lupus) in the Italian peninsula. Within the Italian wolf population, four genetic clusters were detected, and these clusters showed different ecological niches. Moreover, different wolf clusters were significantly related to differences in land cover and human disturbance features. Such differences in the ecological niches of genetic clusters should be interpreted in light of neutral processes that hinder movement, dispersal, and gene flow among the genetic clusters, in order to not prematurely assume any selective or adaptive processes. In the present study, we found that both the plasticity of wolves—a habitat generalist—to cope with different environmental conditions and the occurrence of barriers that limit gene flow lead to the formation of genetic intraspecific genetic clusters and their distinct ecological niches. The distribution of intraspecific genetic variation and how it relates to environmental factors is of increasing interest to researchers in macroecology. Thus, we related genetic differentiation to ecological niche overlap among genetic groups resulting from spatial Bayesian clustering in the wolf population inhabiting part of the Italian peninsula. We found a significant relationship between genetic differentiation and ecological niche overlap and quantified differences in environmental factors among clusters.
... A possible reason relies on the fact that the first scientific investigations on the Italian grey wolf started in 1970s (Cagnolaro et al., 1974;Zimen & Boitani, 1975), when the population was reduced to less than 100 individuals in isolated areas in the Central and Southern Apennines (Boitani, 2003), and when the Sicilian population was already extinct. Another possible reason might be attributable to the fact that insular and continental populations were generally considered to be the same (e.g. ...
During historical times many local grey wolf (Canis lupus) populations underwent a substantial reduction of their sizes or became extinct. Among these, the wolf population once living in Sicily, the biggest island of the Mediterranean Sea, was completely eradicated by human persecution in the early decades of the XX century.
In order to understand the genetic identity of the Sicilian wolf, we applied ancient DNA techniques to analyse the mitochondrial DNA of six specimens actually stored in Italian museums.
We successfully amplified a diagnostic mtDNA fragment of the control region (CR) in four of the samples. Results showed that two samples shared the same haplotype, that differed by two substitutions from the currently most diffused Italian wolf haplotype (W14) and one substitution from the only other Italian haplotype (W16). The third sample showed a wolf-like haplotype never described before and the fourth a haplotype commonly found in dogs.
Furthermore, all the wolf haplotypes detected in this study belonged to the mitochondrial haplogroup that includes haplotypes detected in all the known European Pleistocene wolves and in several modern southern European populations.
Unfortunately, this endemic island population, bearing unique mtDNA variability, was definitively lost before it was possible to understand its taxonomic uniqueness and conservational value.
... Study area 101 The study area mainly fell in the southern portion of the Campobasso Province (Molise Region) in the of the 1900s, almost reaching the extinction in the '70s (Zimen and Boitani, 1975), as in most of the 110 Peninsula, mainly due to anthropic persecutions. Since the '80s the species reappeared, but data 111 regarding its abundance and distribution are fragmented and inconsistent. ...
The Italian wolf population, close to extinction in the mid-19th century, now counts about 1800 individuals. Its ongoing expansion raises social conflicts, especially in agricultural and semi-urbanized areas. Thus, monitoring wolf distribution, abundance and impact on the farming economy is a priority for conservation. We analysed canid DNA from 57 swabs from livestock kills, 13 faeces and 21 carcasses, to estimate the minimum number of individuals, their genetic variability and taxon (wolf, dog or hybrids), reconstruct the structure of local wolf packs, and describe the possible hunting patterns in a hitherto poorly investigated area of the Central Apennines. We genotyped, at the mitochondrial DNA control region and at 12 autosomal and four Y-linked microsatellites, 38 swab, three faecal and 19 muscular samples, corresponding to 42 individuals that Bayesian and Multivariate analyses assigned to 28 wolves, nine dogs and five admixed individuals. The minimum number of detected wolves ranged annually from three (2009) to 13 (2011), whereas parentage analyses identified at least three packs with a mean minimum home range of 60 ± 48 km2 and a mean pack size of 4.0 ± 0.9 individuals. The identification of the genetic profiles of the animals involved in the predations revealed that livestock were killed by at least 13 wolves and four dogs, identifying cases of single-individual attacks and cases of cooperation of individual pairs. Integrating information from multigenerational pedigrees with predation patterns we could hypothesize that i) one pack increased livestock attacks after its disruption; ii) one pack showed a mother-offspring collaboration; iii) another pack started livestock predations after two unrelated individuals established a breeding pair. Our analyses of livestock predation events provided useful information on wolf population dynamics, that can be incorporated into local wolf management actions in areas where a regular monitoring is lacking and the predation risk is high.
The comprehension of the factors that have influenced the recent changes in wolf (Canis lupus) range and diet that have occurred in our study area, characterized by a highly heterogeneous landscape, can shed light on their current process of expansion toward the plain. Wolf presence was monitored using a standardized protocol from 2007 to 2022 by carrying out eight monitoring sessions organized in seasonal surveys, during which, we collected wolf presence data. To model wolf range dynamics, we used dynamic occupancy models considering land cover types and wild ungulate abundances as covariates. Moreover, we studied the wolf diet through scat analysis, identifying the consumed items from undigested remains. Wolf occupancy in the study area progressed from mountains to lower hills gradually; the observed range dynamics were driven by prey abundance and human presence: in particular, the probability of colonization increased with roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) abundance, whereas the probability of extinction increased with urban areas. The wolf diet showed a gradual shift from the prevalent consumption of wild boar (2007–2008 and 2011–2012) to the prevalent consumption of roe deer (continuously increasing from 2015 onward). Our results might be related to a specific adaptation of the predator to the local ecology of the most consumed species: the roe deer.
There is increasing interest in human-wildlife coexistence. In Europe, coexistence with expanding large carnivore populations is a pressing issue. Seeking to inform contemporary management with an historical perspective, this study investigates the formation of human-wolf relations in Italy during critical periods of wolf decline (since the nineteenth century) and comeback (since the closing decades of the twentieth century). Specifically, this study adopts a 'more-than-human political ecology' approach, focused on exploring the entangled influence of non-human agency and wider political economies in the (co)production of human-wildlife relations. Such analysis is used to fill knowledge gaps on these key historical events in carnivore management, which are currently explained from either a more rigid structural angle or depoliticised lenses. The analyses of this study bring together the pivotal work of Italian historians and scholars on topics of capitalist development and wolf ecology, ethology and management in Italy. This work highlights how the onset of capitalism in Italy around the end of the 1700s inadvertently affected the rise of particularly problematic wolf behaviours in that period, which were in turn managed through an intensification of wolf persecution. Wolves co-shaped the need of and desire for their conservation near the end of the 1900s, which alongside the rise of a postmodern capitalist regime promoted the return of wolves in this period. The (re)alignment of wolf conservation with capitalist logics, however, displaced the costs of the wolf's return onto local communities, exacerbating conflict. This study comes with two main implications: first, it problematises fixed representations of non-humans, highlighting instead their adaptive capacities and alterity; second, it further conceives non-humans as in a constant co-becoming with human practices and wider political economies, emphasising the need for structural change for conviviality. These analyses may inform wolf management in Europe and beyond, as well as other contexts of coexistence.
Wolves are one of the most studied wildlife species in the world, yet we only have an emerging picture of how humans affect wolf social dynamics. This chapter provides an overview of wolf social dynamics, including the fundamentals of how they live, breed, hunt, and survive, the advantages and disadvantages that coincide with group living, and how human pressures may affect their social behavior.
Wolves are a short-lived species with a fast-paced life history who display a high degree of behavioral flexibility. Their primary social unit is a multigenerational family group, also called a “pack.” Group dynamics (e.g., number of individuals, age structure, composition, and cohesion) and foraging strategies (e.g., prey selection, hunting tactics, and scavenging behavior) vary widely and are generally context dependent. In other words, they differ between systems, seasons, prey type, size and density, the density of conspecifics and other competitors, habitat type and landscape characteristics, and levels of anthropogenic disturbance. Regardless of the system, group living provides a range of advantages to wolves, including territorial defense, breeding, hunting, and food defense. However, these must be balanced with inherent disadvantages of group living, such as intraspecific competition within the pack, e.g., competition for food.
Anthropogenic disturbance can directly and indirectly alter wolf behavior. For example, wolves alter their spatial and temporal movement patterns and space use within human-modified landscapes and in response to human disturbance, which can dampen their ecological role as apex predators. Humans also directly affect pack dynamics and social behavior by killing individuals, via both legal and illegal harvest. By reviewing recent research conducted on wolf populations living under different levels of protection, we suggest that wolf pack social structure appears to be comparatively more complex (i.e., include more age classes and complex relationships) in systems where anthropogenic mortality is low. In addition, high anthropogenic mortality across all age and sex classes may alter dispersal patterns and reduce pack cohesion and functionality, which may ultimately foster pack dissolution. In turn, this may increase pack turnover rates and reduce both individual lifespan and pack longevity, with potentially relevant ecological and conservation implications.
The consequences of anthropogenic disturbance on social dynamics is likely particularly important, as there are few wolf populations inhabiting landscapes free from humans and their impact. Wolves are often considered a resilient species, meaning you can hunt them and their numbers will quickly rebound. Indeed, wolves may appear numerically resilient, but their pack composition and social dynamics are likely more fragile. This is important because changes to pack size and composition can affect a pack’s ability to successfully hunt prey, rear pups, and defend their territories, as well as their overall ecology, population dynamics, and cascading effects through an ecosystem.
The return of wolves to Swiss mountains and the damage they cause to sheep and goat herds in the region have raised concerns about a consequent wave of farm closures. In this paper, we examine the relationship between wolf attacks and the decline of Alpine summer farms, a specific high‐altitude farm type. We collected farm structure data and monitoring data on wolf attacks between 2004 and 2021 and analysed them using a causal random forest method, enabling a detailed analysis of the relation between wolf attacks and the number of different types of Alpine summer farms at a regional level. The results show that the farming systems are unaffected by incidental and infrequent wolf attacks, but that a high number of wolf attacks in a region is related to faster decrease in number of grazing systems where sheep are most vulnerable to such attacks. In contrast, systems that allow for better herd protection tend to show an increase in areas with frequent wolf attacks.
Convivere con il lupo, conoscere per preservare.
Il sistema dei Parchi nazionali dell’Appennino meridionale per lo sviluppo di misure coordinate di protezione per il lupo
Convivere con il lupo, conoscere per preservare.
Il sistema dei Parchi nazionali dell’Appennino meridionale per lo sviluppo di misure coordinate di protezione per il lupo
The Sicilian wolf represented the only population of wolves living on a Mediterranean island until the first half of the twentieth century (1930s-1960s) 1–7 . Previous studies hypothesised that they remained isolated from mainland wolves from the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) 8,9 , until human persecutions led them to extinction 1–7 .
There are only seven known Sicilian wolf specimens from the 19th and 20th century preserved in museums in Italy and recent morphometric analyses assigned them to the new subspecies Canis lupus cristaldii ¹⁰ . To better understand the origins of the Sicilian wolf, and its relationship to other wolf populations, we sequenced four whole genomes (3.8×-11.6×) and five mitogenomes. We investigated the relationship between Sicilian wolves and other modern breeds to identify potential admixture. Furthermore, considering that the last land-bridge between Sicily and Italy disappeared after the LGM ¹¹ , around 17 kya, we explored the possibility that the Sicilian wolf retained ancestry from ancient wolf and dog lineages. Additionally, we explored whether the long-term isolation might have affected the genomic diversity, inbreeding levels and genetic load of the Sicilian wolf.
Our findings show that the Sicilian wolves shared most ancestry with the modern Italian wolf population but are better modelled as admixed with European dog breeds, and shared traces of Eneolithic and Bronze age European dogs. We also find signatures of severe inbreeding and low genomic diversity at population and individual levels due to long-term isolation and drift, suggesting also low effective population size.
In this study, internal organs (tongue, intestine, and spleen) of 23 free-ranging Italian wolves (Canis lupus italicus) found dead between 2017 and 2019 were tested for Carnivore protoparvovirus 1, Canine adenovirus (CAdV), and Canine circovirus (CanineCV) using real-time PCR assays. Genetic characterisation of the identified viruses was carried out by amplification, sequencing, and analysis of the complete viral genome or informative viral genes. All the wolves tested positive for at least one of the DNA viruses screened, and 11/23 were coinfected. Carnivore protoparvoviruses were the most frequently detected viruses (21/23), followed by CanineCV (11/23) and CAdV (4/23). From the analysis of the partial VP2 gene of 13 carnivore protoparvoviruses, 12 were canine parvovirus type 2b, closely related to the strains detected in dogs and wild carnivores from Italy, and one was a feline panleukopenia-like virus. Of the four CAdV identified, two were CAdV-1 and two were CAdV-2. The complete genome of seven CanineCVs was sequenced and related to the CanineCV identified in dogs, wolves, and foxes worldwide. Close correlations emerged between the viruses identified in wolves and those circulating in domestic dogs. Further studies are needed to investigate if these pathogens may be potentially cross-transmitted between the two species.
The Sardinian dhole (Cynotherium sardous) was an iconic and unique canid species of canid that was endemic of Sardinia and Corsica until it became extinct at the end of the Late Pleistocene. Given its peculiar dental morphology, small body size and high level of endemism, several canids have been proposed as possible ancestors of the Sardinian dhole, including the Asian dhole and African hunting dog ancestor. Morphometric analyses have failed to clarify the evolutionary relationship with other canids.
We sequenced the genome of a ca 21,100 year old Sardinian dhole in order to understand its genomic history and clarify its phylogenetic position. We found it represents a separate taxon from all other living canids from Eurasia, Africa and North America, and that the Sardinian and Asian dhole lineages diverged ca 885 ka. We additionally detected historical gene flow between the Sardinian and Asian dhole lineages, that ended approximately 500-300 ka, when the landbridge between Sardinia and mainland Italy was broken, severing their population connectivity. Our sample showed low genome-wide diversity compared to other extant canids - probably a result of the long term isolation - that could have contributed to the subsequent extinction of the Sardinian dhole.
Communication regarding the conservation of grey wolf (about 2000 individuals) and brown bear (110 individuals, including 2 subspecies) in Italy has some disadvantages. Italy does not have a national faunal plan with national strategy for the management of these species and ungulate populations. The cultural perception is quite different: brown bear is positive but not in the Alps where it was reintroduced (Trentino) and grey wolf generally negative, except by environmentalists. Appropriate communication is needed, that is, it should not be improvised, but it must be planned and an essential part of the project and not have a fixed term. Three types of management plan are discussed since a lot of difficulties troubles a plan drowned up by subjects other than the institution that will have to guarantee its realization. According to the point of view that communication is also negotiation, it is essential to understand the interests of the parties and have some empathy to apply advantageous solutions for everyone. A professional communicator who works specifically within the organization is still an indispensable figure, much better than a technician. The results of the Italian model are critically pointed out, especially a recent (2018) aggressive law of the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano (North Italy). Finally, it is emphasized that the best communication is ‘on the battlefield’ and through immediate actions.
Despite the generally positive trend of European populations, the wolf (Canis lupus) is still today a challenging species to conserve, particularly in the most anthropogenic southern European countries, because of its conflict with humans. In this chapter we summarize the dynamics of wolf distribution in Italy, one of the most densely populated European countries, over the last 50 years. We track changes in the wolf’s diet by comparing its change in Italy with other countries, with the aim of understanding how these changes may have affected the evolution of the human-predator conflict in Italy. In particular, we summarize the results of studies both in Italy and in other European countries to clarify the true impact of wolf predation on both livestock and wild ungulates, which represent the two main causes of predator-human conflict. In order to provide specific insight about the past and the current distribution and feeding habits of the wolf in Italy, and to take stock of the conflict between wolves and humans, we present three case studies. All were carried out over recent decades in northern Italy, i.e. in the area where wolf packs, and particularly their ability to produce dispersing individuals, could affect the future of the entire Italian population. Finally, we consider how to mitigate wolf-human conflict and suggest effective management of wolf populations.
Il ritorno del lupo in alcune zone d’Italia risulta essere un fenomeno recente e di grande impatto sull’opinione pubblica e nella vita degli allevatori che devono proteggersi dagli attacchi al bestiame. Il fine di questa ricerca è quello di produrre un quadro sociologico legato al ritorno di questo predatore nelle zone di Campogrosso di Recoaro e dell’Altopiano di Asiago per poter comprendere e confrontare le percezioni, le opinioni e le attitudini delle persone nei confronti di questo fenomeno. In particolare, dopo aver attuato un approfondimento di carattere ecologico nel primo capitolo ed aver fornito nozioni riguardo la situazione attuale della popolazione di lupo, il suo monitoraggio e le principali problematiche legate alla sua conservazione, nel secondo capitolo si espongono le principali teorie legate alla Human Dimension del ritorno del lupo, le attitudini attuali e passate delle persone nei suoi confronti e i motivi di conflitto con le attività umane, in principal modo con il mondo dell’allevamento. Il terzo capitolo è dedicato al turismo: se per quello di stampo naturalistico il lupo può rappresentare un elemento di attrazione, per altre forme di turismo questo carnivoro potrebbe costituire un elemento di rischio che disincentiva la frequentazione, talvolta anche a causa dell’allarmismo prodotto dai media, altro elemento che verrà esplorato all’interno del capitolo. Vengono infine presentate e caratterizzate le località di conduzione della ricerca. Nel quarto capitolo, dopo aver approfondito la domanda e la metodologia di ricerca condotta tramite interviste, vengono analizzati per aree tematiche i risultati suddivisi nelle tre categorie intervistate: escursionisti, allevatori e operatori economici, ossia le categorie che si sono ritenute maggiormente interessate dal ritorno del lupo. Il quadro locale emerso rispecchia le opinioni rilevate dagli studiosi in altre parti d’Italia e d’Europa, confermando che il settore maggiormente danneggiato da questo ritorno è quello degli allevatori; per la maggior parte degli escursionisti e dei commercianti intervistati, invece, il lupo non risulta essere un particolare problema, anzi, per taluni potrebbe rivelarsi una forma di incentivo. Infine, si conclude con una riflessione generale e vengono forniti spunti per ulteriori approfondimenti e per concretizzare i risultati di questa ricerca.
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