Wolverine density distribution reflects past persecution and current management in Scandinavia

Abstract

After centuries of intense persecution, several large carnivore species in Europe and North America have experienced a rebound. Today's spatial configuration of large carnivore populations has likely arisen from the interplay between their ecological traits and current environmental conditions, but also from their history of persecution and protection. Yet, due to the challenge of studying population‐level phenomena, we are rarely able to disentangle and quantify the influence of past and present factors driving the distribution and density of these controversial species. Using spatial capture‐recapture models and a data set of 742 genetically identified wolverines Gulo gulo collected over ½ million km2 across their entire range in Norway and Sweden, we identify landscape‐level factors explaining the current population density of wolverines in the Scandinavian Peninsula. Distance from the relict range along the Swedish–Norwegian border, where the wolverine population survived a long history of persecution, remains a key determinant of wolverine density today. However, regional differences in management and environmental conditions also played an important role in shaping spatial patterns in present‐day wolverine density. Specifically, we found evidence of slower recolonization in areas that had set lower wolverine population goals in terms of the desired number of annual reproductions. Management of transboundary large carnivore populations at biologically relevant scales may be inhibited by administrative fragmentation. Yet, as our study shows, population‐level monitoring is an achievable prerequisite for a comprehensive understanding of the distribution and density of large carnivores across an increasingly anthropogenic landscape.