Abstract
In wolves Canis lupus, scent marking plays an important role in territory defence. In Europe, studies on patterns of scent marking in wolves have mostly been conducted in mountains or primeval forests, but since these areas are characterised by low human activity, the impact of people on this behaviour has been neglected. We conducted a study that combined genetic methods with an analysis of the spatial distribution of wolf territory markings in lowland managed forests with high human activity. We found that scent markings are deposited by all members of wolf family groups. Wolves most intensively marked crossroads and their vicinity, especially on roads only accessible for four-wheel drive cars. Our study provides further evidence that crossroads of forest roads play a crucial role in wolf scent marking. The results of our study may be useful during inventories of wolf populations based on collecting indirect signs of their presence or non-invasive genetic sampling.
Highlights
The wolf population went through a steep historical decline, but recently, the wolf’s key ecological role has been increasingly recognized, leading to the introduction of conservation programs (Mysłajek and Nowak 2015), creation of protected areas (Diserens et al 2017), and its reintroduction to several places (Fritts et al 1997)
That suggests scent marking behaviour may be altered by human presence
Wolves inhabiting NRF belong to the Baltic wolf population, which is the source of the Central European wolf population that is currently recovering in western Poland, Germany, western Czech Republic, The Netherlands and Denmark (Czarnomska et al 2013; Szewczyk et al 2019)
Summary
The wolf population went through a steep historical decline, but recently, the wolf’s key ecological role has been increasingly recognized, leading to the introduction of conservation programs (Mysłajek and Nowak 2015), creation of protected areas (Diserens et al 2017), and its reintroduction to several places (Fritts et al 1997). Wolf numbers have increased both in Europe (Chapron et al 2014) and North America (Phillips et al 2004). This increase in wolf populations coincides with recolonisation of landscapes dominated. Association for Nature “Wolf”, Cynkowa 4, 34-324 Twardorzeczka, Poland That suggests scent marking behaviour may be altered by human presence
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