An evaluation of habitat selection of Asiatic black bears in a season of prevalent conflicts

Abstract

Abstract Identifying the relationships between human land use and wildlife habitat use is an essential component in any attempt to mitigate human–wildlife conflict and conserve imperilled wildlife populations. We studied habitat selection by Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) by employing a resource selection function (RSF), using GPS relocation data for 9 bears in 2008 and 2009. We focused on habitat selection in summer when human–bear conflicts are most frequent in the central Japanese Alps. Logistic regression indicated that bears were positively associated with red pine (Pinus densiflora) forest and regenerating lands and negatively associated with both larch (Larix leptolepis) and coniferous plantation. Almost all bears tended to select areas with steep slopes that were close to roads and rivers. An index of human–bear encounter risk, estimated using the predicted RSF map and road density, suggested that only 5.3% of the study area was secure habitat with low human access for bears. Selection by ...