PARCO SIRENTE VELINO

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Marsican bear
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Save the Bear - 2003/2007

Italiano

 

 

ph. A. Vescovo
Sirente Velino Natural Park

 

Marsican bear
NAME OF THE SPECIE:
(Ursus arctos marsicanus)


The primary distribution of brown bear in Europe has been adapted to different environmental conditions.Disegno raffigurante un'Orso marsicano adulto
The bear spends most of its time in the forest, full of green leafs, in grasslands, rocky lands and other places in function of its biological and ecological necessity: food, shelter, lethargy, copulation.
Its diet is essentially vegetarian (90% of its diet is made of grass, pulpy and dry fruits), anyway during the warm season it feeds itself of insects, carcasses and may also damage cattle and beekeeping. The omnivorous diet of the bear is related to its teeth, developed canines and molars and to the adaptation to vegetarian food by its digestive apparatus. The specie is characterized by a low frequency of copulation because of its late sexual development and protracted reproduction cycles: females repeat reproduction every 3-4 years. Puppies are usually from 2 to 4, and attain independence at one year and a half or two years and a half.

The Bear, as many carnivorous, is present in low rate of population and moves along wide home range. Its home range can change from 10 to 300kmq for each specimen, usually wider for male because of the natural condition and resources (male home range 1.600kmq and 128kmq in Sweden and Croatia and female home range 225kmq and 58kmq). There have been also records of males moving into wide areas such as 12.000kmq. One of the major factor that causes limits to species distribution is the necessity of wintering sites, which requires uncontaminated areas. Topography is also necessary to focalize the anthropic areas.

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES ON NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN BASES. POPULATION EVOLUTION
Un'Orso marsicano con i suoi cuccioliThe Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) distribution is holoarctic and its presence is through the entire north hemisphere between the 35° and 65° of the parallel. The distribution of the areas is extended mostly in Europe, Asia and North America from arctic areas to desert habitat, from the subarctic forest (Alaska, Canada, Siberia) to rocky mountains of European, American and Asian regions. The Brown Bear was diffused in most of Europe (excluding major islands) but during history, the extension of human race, the destruction of natural habitat, which was often suitable to species connection to the agricultural changes and to the deforestation, besides the direct persecution, have determined the decrease of the surface. Today bears cover wide spaces through North Scandinavia and Russia. The actual European population of the bear is around 50.000 (about 14.000 out of Russia) in a space of 2,5 million kmq (800.000 out of Russia) diffused in different consistence of the populations: two are copious (5.000 specimens),three are medium (500-5.000 specimens) one is small (100-500 specimens) and six are very small (<100 specimens).In Southern Europe the bears area is divided among different populations: Spain (50-65), Greece (110-130), Albania (250), ex Yugoslavia (2000), Italy (40-80), Austria (20-50). In Italy exist three separate populations: the most important is situated in the Central Apennine and it includes around 40 to 50 specimens represented by the subspecies Ursus arctos marsicanus genetically different from the brown European bear, a small group of less than 5 specimens are present in Trento province which is now subject to reintegration project; finally, bears which come from Slovenia are now colonizing the Udine alpine area. In Central Apennines, besides the National Park of Abruzzo and its external area, the bears spaces are essentially: Maiella mountains, Alto Molise, Sirente Velino system, Ernici -Simbruini mountains, Genzana mountain, Gran Sasso and Laga mountains, Duchessa and Reatino mountain.

POPULATIONS DIMENSIONS SUBJECT OF INTERVENTION
In 1985,in the National Park of Abruzzo, it has been estimated, with the bears’ tracks counting techniques, a number near to 50 bears and with the extrapolation of data into the area, it has been estimated a total population of 70-80 bears.
The recent scientific studies on the consistence of the populations have been estimated on genetic bases by the Forest Corps of the State and offer one first plan of one part of the area and confirm the precarious conservation level and risk of extinction of the Central Apennines population.
In the Sirente Velino Park it has been estimated the steady presence of 3 to 5 specimens (5 to 10% of the present population inside the distribution area).
The Sirente Velino area is an important zone of connection (or linkage zone), in the system of protected zones of Central Apennines, by admitting that the National Park of Abruzzo is the most dense Apennines area of the bear population. The project seems to be interested on the expansion process of the population of the bears in National Park of Abruzzo and the neighbouring zones. The presence of the bears into the Sirente Velino Mountain, has been historically documented Orso bruno marsicano -  Ursus arctos marsicanuswith continuous signals through the last century. Since 1996, with the event of the monitoring activities realized during the Project Life and Ponte project, has been confirmed the steady presence of the bears in the area. The first Project Life (Habitat Gole Rupestri) and the Ponte Life I-Life II project, have underlined that the Sirente Velino constitutes one passage and food zone important to specimens coming from National Park of Abruzzo. The second Life project has underlined the importance of the area even for shelters, lethargy, and reproduction. Today the area is also frequented by wintered bears, reproductive bears and by females with puppies.

 

ph. G. Boscagli
LifeNatura by Indeent