Dinarides Research Articles

Evaluation of DNA damage in haemolymph of freshwater mussels Unio pictorum from Lake Skadar

This study was carried out on mussels Unio pictorum as test organism, in order to identify the possible pollution in Moraca River and Lake Skadar. Lake Skadar, located in a karst area in the outer part of the south-eastern Dinaric Alps, is the largest of the Balkan lakes and has a surface area which fluctuates seasonally from approximately 370 to 600 km2. The mussels U. pictorum were exposed in cages by 30 individuals on several locations for the period of three weeks. Following the three-week exposure, haemolymph samples were taken from mussels and tested using the Comet assay and micronucleus test. DNA damage on living organisms, made by pressure of pollutans and other stresors were evaluated. In brief, the results of investigation show that DNA damage is certainly present in caged U. pictorum mussels, and that it is caused by pollution in the Moraca River, which affects ecological and toxicological status of Lake Skadar.

Aphaenogasterillyrica, a new species from the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).

Aphaenogasterillyricasp. nov., a member of the A.subterranea species group, is described from Dinaric Alps of Slovenia and Croatia, from Golešnica Mt. in north Macedonia, Osogovo-Belasica Massif of southwestern Bulgaria, and from Kerkini Mts. of Greek Macedonia. It is characterised by large body size, moderately sculptured head, elevated mesonotum, and long propodeal spines. Its habitat preferences are discussed. A key to the Aphaenogastergraeca complex is provided.

Cascading effects of canopy mortality drive long‐term changes in understorey diversity in temperate old‐growth forests of Europe

AbstractQuestionsWe investigated the influence of protracted mortality of a dominant canopy tree (Abies alba) on long‐term understorey dynamics. We ask (a) how tree regeneration and understorey species diversity and composition changed over 32 years; and (b) whether the observed changes were mainly driven by mortality of A. alba.LocationThree old‐growth forest reserves dominated by A. alba and Fagus sylvatica in the Dinaric Mountains of Slovenia.MethodTree layer and understorey regeneration and herbs were surveyed in 147 plots across the three forest reserves in 1983 and 2015. Soils were also sampled in 2015. The study period coincides with a protracted period of increased A. alba mortality in the canopy layer associated with anthropogenic emissions.ResultsBetween 1983 and 2015, the decline in canopy layer A. alba caused a recruitment pulse of F. sylvatica regeneration to the subcanopy tree layer across the three reserves. These changes were accompanied by a significant decline in plot level herb species richness. A model‐based analysis of beta‐diversity revealed significant community convergence during the study period, mainly caused by the loss of rare species. Ellenberg values indicate that these changes were mainly driven by loss of understorey light, while an increase in soil pH may have played a role also.ConclusionsThis observational study suggests that the long‐term decline of A. alba resulted in a cascade of processes — widespread F. sylvatica recruitment that impeded penetration of light to the forest floor, and possibly a change in soil conditions due to the decline of coniferous litter. These changes caused a significant loss of herb diversity and homogenization of the understorey community across the three sites. This study sheds light on the potential cascading consequences triggered by episodes of increased tree mortality resulting from global‐change‐type drivers.

Spearheading into the Neolithic: Last Foragers and First Farmers in the Dinaric Alps of Montenegro

This article presents a summary of new evidence for the Mesolithic in the Dinaric Alps of Montenegro. The region is one of the best areas in south-eastern Europe to study Early Holocene foragers and the nature of the transition to Neolithic lifeways at the end of the seventh and the beginning of the sixth millennium calbcthanks to the existence of biodiverse landscapes and numerous karstic features. We argue that harpoons found at two different sites in this regional context represent a curated technology that has its roots in a local Mesolithic cultural tradition. The continued use of this standardized hunting tool kit in the Neolithic provides an important indication about the character of the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition. We also use this regional case study to address wider questions concerning the visibility and modes of Mesolithic occupation in south-eastern Europe as a whole.

Last Glacial Maximum and Younger Dryas piedmont glaciations in Blidinje, the Dinaric Mountains (Bosnia and Herzegovina): insights from 36Cl cosmogenic dating

The highest parts of the Dinaric Mountains along the eastern Adriatic coast of the southern Europe, known for their typical Mediterranean karst-dominated landscape and very humid climate, were glaciated during the Late Pleistocene. Palaeo-piedmont type glaciers that originated from Cvrsnica Mountain (2226 m a.s.l.; above sea level) in Bosnia and Herzegovina deposited hummocky, lateral and terminal moraines into the Blidinje Polje. We constrained the timing of the largest recognized glacier extent on Svinjaca and Glavice piedmont glaciers by applying the cosmogenic 36Cl surface exposure dating method on twelve boulder samples collected from lateral, terminal and hummocky moraines. Using 40 mm ka–1 bedrock erosion rate due to high precipitation rates, we obtained 36Cl ages of Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 22.7 ± 3.8 ka) from the hummocky moraines, and Younger Dryas (13.2 ± 1.8 ka) from the lateral moraine in Svinjaca area. The amphitheater shaped terminal moraine in Glavice area also yielded a Younger Dryas (13.5 ± 1.8 ka) age within the error margins. Our results provide a new dataset, and present a relevant contribution towards a better understanding of the glacial chronologies of the Dinaric Mountains. Because our boulder ages reflect complex exhumation and denudation histories, future work is needed to better understand these processes and their influence on the cosmogenic exposure dating approach in a karstic landscape.

Macroscopic, optical and diffraction assessment of encrustations and SEM analyses of phototrophic microbial mats from wellheads and select zones of emergence of mineral water in Serbia

Investigations focusing on wellhead encrustations within select zones of emergence of mineral water, in different hydrogeological provinces, were conducted from 2014 to 2017 in Serbia. They included: well BB-1 in Bogatic (Inner Dinaric Alps of western Serbia), wells LB-4 and LB-5 in Lukovska Banja (Sumadija-Kopaonik-Kosovo Province), and wells VG-2 and VG-3 in Vranjska Banja (Serbian Crystalline Core). The studied occurrences belong to the group of hot mineral waters, with temperatures ranging from 62°C to 93.9°C, and total dissolved solids (TDS) from 600 to 1267 mg/L. They are mildly acidic to mildly alkaline (pH 6.6 – 8.0) and their genetic types are HCO3--Na++K+ (Bogatic and Lukovska Banja) and SO42-, HCO3--Na++K+ (Vranjska Banja). Macroscopic, optical and diffraction assessment revealed that the encrustations comprised calcite and aragonite minerals, along with some local quartz, muscovite, albite and clinochlore. The conclusion was that there was a predominant presence of calcium carbonate in all the occurrences, represented by crystalline calcite grains, characteristically birefractive, and dark, semitranslucent grains in the form of microcrystalline calcite highly stained by iron hydroxides (Bogatic), as well as crystalline calcite with radially developed carbonate - aragonite (Lukovska Banja) and rod-like and filamentous aggregates of aragonite and calcite, highly translucent in places (Vranjska Banja).The texture of the samples exhibits alternating horizontal or wavy carbonate laminae. In Vranjska Banja, they include thin micritic to medium crystalline laminae and laminae composed of aggregates of aragonite needles in the form of bunch. In Bogatic and Lukovska Banja, there are thick micritic and highly porous laminae, 0.025 to 1 mm thick, or interlayers of a coarser crystalline structure. Apart from encrustations, all the occurrences exhibit phototrophic microbial mats, which were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The onset and progress of encrustation are primarily influenced by the physical and chemical composition of the mineral water (T, pH, TDS, HCO3-, Ca2+, CO2, etc.), as corroborated by hydrogeochemical modeling software PHREEQC 3.4.0. In addition, phototrophic biofilms might be contributing to the creation and accumulation of minerals in the encrustations.

The coast of giants: an anthropometric survey of high schoolers on the Adriatic coast of Croatia.

The aim of this anthropometric survey was to map regional differences in height and body proportions in eight counties adjacent to the Adriatic coast of Croatia. Body height was measured in 1,803 males and 782 females aged 17–20 years at 66 schools in 23 towns. When corrected for population size in regions, mean male height is 182.6 cm in all eight counties, 182.8 cm in seven counties of Adriatic Croatia, and 183.7 cm in four counties of Dalmatia proper. Regional variation is considerable: from 180.6 cm in the county of Karlovac to 184.1 cm in the county of Split-Dalmacija. The mean height of females is based on more limited data (168.0 cm in seven counties). These results show that young men from Dalmatia are currently the tallest in the world in the age category of 18 years, and the north-to-south gradient of increasing stature on the Adriatic coast largely mirrors that in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The extraordinary values of height in Croatia and BiH can most likely be explained by unique genetic predispositions that are shared by the local populations of the Dinaric Alps.

An integrative taxonomic study reveals carychiid microsnails of the troglobitic genus Zospeum in the Eastern and Dinaric Alps (Gastropoda, Ellobioidea, Carychiinae)

The minute snails of the troglobitic genus Zospeum are known from the southeastern Alps through the Dinarides and from the Pyrenees to the Cantabrian Mountains. The majority of Zospeum has been described from the northernmost region of Southeast Europe, the geographical focus of our study. The taxonomic value of the few available morphological shell characters has been debated for nearly as long as the genus is known. Recent results of genetic studies questioned the established taxonomic system based on morphological characters in the 1970s, with one species (Z. isselianum) appearing to be polyphyletic. Here, we present a comprehensive revision of Zospeum from the Alpine and Dinaride regions, using an integrative approach including genetic methods, morphometry, X-ray micro computer tomography (micro-CT), and SEM. We reveal 25 species and describe 5 new to science. Genetic analysis separated the genus into five clades, strongly challenging the previously valid taxonomic system and revealing several species polyphyletic. The various methods used for morphological characterization often proved useful in separating species showing high incidence of cryptic speciation in the genus. Radular investigation, using SEM, uncovered new insights about the taxonomic value of the configuration of the radular ribbon within Zospeum as well as Zospeum’s dentitional affinity within the Ellobioidea.

Assessment of Genetic Diversity and Population Genetic Structure of Norway Spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karsten) at Its Southern Lineage in Europe. Implications for Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources

In the present paper we studied the genetic diversity and genetic structure of five Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karsten) natural populations situated in Serbia, belonging to the southern lineage of the species at the southern margin of the species distribution range. Four populations occur as disjunct populations on the outskirts of the Dinaric Alps mountain chain, whereas one is located at the edge of Balkan Mountain range and, therefore, can be considered as ecologically marginal due to drier climatic conditions occurring in this region. Due to the negative effect of biotic and abiotic stress factors, the sustainability of these populations is endangered, making conservation of their genetic resources one of the key measures of Norway spruce persistence in Serbia under climatic changes. The insight on genetic diversity and genetic structure of the studied spruce populations can provide the information required for the initiation of programs aimed at the conservation and utilization of spruce genetic resources at the rear edge of species environmental limits. Norway spruce genetic variation and population genetic structure were estimated using eight EST-SSR markers. The results showed that mean expected heterozygosity was 0.616 and allelic richness 10.22. Genetic differentiation among populations was low (Fst = 0.007). No recent bottleneck effect or isolation by distance were detected. Bayesian clustering, obtained with STRUCTURE, grouped the populations into two genetic clusters, whereas UPGMA analysis distinguished three main groups approximately in line with the geographic area of occurrence. Based on the study results and the EUFORGEN Pan-European strategy for genetic conservation of forest trees, the establishment of additional dynamic gene conservation units must be considered in Serbia in order to protect the adaptive and neutral genetic diversity of the species.

Genetic and spatial characterization of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) population in the area stretching between the Eastern and Dinaric Alps and its relationship with rabies and canine distemper dynamics.

Information on the population dynamics of a reservoir species have been increasingly adopted to understand and eventually predict the dispersal patterns of infectious diseases throughout an area. Although potentially relevant, to date there are no studies which have investigated the genetic structure of the red fox population in relation to infectious disease dynamics. Therefore, we genetically and spatially characterised the red fox population in the area stretching between the Eastern and Dinaric Alps, which has been affected by both distemper and rabies at different time intervals. Red foxes collected from north-eastern Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia between 2006–2012, were studied using a set of 21 microsatellite markers. We confirmed a weak genetic differentiation within the fox population using Bayesian clustering analyses, and we were able to differentiate the fox population into geographically segregated groups. Our finding might be due to the presence of geographical barriers that have likely influenced the distribution of the fox population, limiting in turn gene flow and spread of infectious diseases. Focusing on the Italian red fox population, we observed interesting variations in the prevalence of both diseases among distinct fox clusters, with the previously identified Italy 1 and Italy 2 rabies as well as distemper viruses preferentially affecting different sub-groups identified in the study. Knowledge of the regional-scale population structure can improve understanding of the epidemiology and spread of diseases. Our study paves the way for an integrated approach for disease control coupling pathogen, host and environmental data to inform targeted control programs in the future.

Endogean and cavernicolous Coleoptera of the Balkans. XVIII. Strong radiation in caves of the Central Dinarides: seven new species of Thaumastocephalus Poggi et al., 2001 (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae).

Seven new species of the cavernicolous and anophthalmous genus Thaumastocephalus Poggi, Nonveiller, Colla, Pavićević T. Rađa, 2001 are described: T. bilandzijae sp. n., T. kirini sp. n., T. marsici sp. n., T. rujnicensis sp. n., T. slavkoi sp. n. and T. troglavi sp. n. from Croatia and T. dahnae sp. n. from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Aedeagi of all species are illustrated. A key to all species is provided. The records of all specimens of the genus treated here are given, and their distributions are discussed and shown on maps. The distribution of all genera of cavernicolous Pselaphinae in the Dinarides is discussed.

First 36Cl cosmogenic moraine geochronology of the Dinaric mountain karst: Velež and Crvanj Mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina

This article presents the first attempt to date moraines in the Dinaric mountain karst using cosmogenic 36Cl surface exposure dating technique. Twenty samples were collected from moraine boulders from two sets of the lowest and largest lateral moraines on the Velež (1965 m asl) and Crvanj mountains (1920 m asl) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The dated lateral-terminal moraine complexes, spanning elevations from ∼980 to 1350 m asl, are up to 2.7 km long and rise more than 100 m above the valley floor. The moraine boulders yielded 36Cl ages spanning from Oldest Dryas for Velež (14.9 ± 1.1 ka) to Younger Dryas for Crvanj (11.9 ± 0.9 ka), considering the average age of the two oldest samples from each lateral moraine as the most representative time of moraine emplacement. The dated moraines mark the largest extent of glaciers in both study areas, which have been reconstructed to ∼28 km2 for Velež and ∼24 km2 for Crvanj, having a mean equilibrium line altitude at 1388 m and 1541 m, respectively. Under modern precipitation values, which account for ∼2000 mm, the temperature depression between 8 and 10 °C is required to sustain the palaeoglaciers with reconstructed equilibrium line altitudes. Glaciers of similar size with such low equilibrium line altitudes during the Lateglacial have not been reported until now for the Balkan Peninsula. It is very likely that the boulder ages reflect complex exhumation and denudation histories, which at this point do not allow obtaining more precise moraine chronologies for the study areas. Nevertheless, this article delivers new data on the extent and timing of Quaternary glaciations in the Mediterranean mountains, where records of glacier fluctuations seem to be asynchronous amongst different areas. It is clear that dating moraines with cosmogenic 36Cl surface exposure dating in carbonate lithologies in areas of high precipitation like the Dinaric karst, remains challenging.

Small-scale spatial genetic structure of Alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) in Northern Dinarides

Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) is a mountain-dwelling ungulate inhabiting predominantly rocky habitat with steep slopes. Since it mostly inhabits boreal habitats at high altitudes, low valleys tend to separate populations, thereby limiting gene flow. In the present study, we genotyped 54 georeferenced chamois using 20 SSR loci to test the influence of the Kupa River on the spatial genetic structure of the population in the bordering area between Croatia and Slovenia in the northern Dinaric Mountains. Both GENELAND and STRUCTURE assigned all individuals to one spatial cluster, indicating that the Kupa River does not represent a barrier to gene flow for chamois. Unfortunately, in 2015, a razor wire fence was constructed along the Croatian-Slovenian border at the Kupa River. This fence represents a major threat to the chamois population as it may cause mortality, obstruct seasonal dispersal, and reduce the effective population size. If the fence remains as it is, changes in the genetic structure and genetic diversity of the population due to the effect of drift and reduced effective population size can be predicted over the next generations.

Paraglacial adjustment of alluvial fans to the last deglaciation in the Snežnik Mountain, Dinaric karst (Slovenia)

Glaciokarst depressions are major glacigenic depocenters in the Dinaric mountain karst areas and often store important information about the timing and nature of glacial processes and paraglacial sediment reworking. This study focuses on Praprotna draga, which is one of the largest glaciokarst depressions in the Snežnik Mountain (Dinaric karst), with an area of ~3.4 km2 and a maximum depth of 140 m. The western slopes of the depression are characterized by undulated moraine morphology and alluvial fans are filling its entire floor. We present the results on the thickness, origin and age of the sediment infill using a complementary geomorphological, sedimentological, geophysical and dating approach. Distribution of moraines point to two glacial advances that were associated with two main alluvial fan aggradation phases recognized using the electrical resistivity tomography measurements. The youngest alluvial deposits were sampled for cosmogenic 36Cl analysis using amalgamated carbonate pebbles. The depth profile of 36Cl concentrations suggests an age of 12.3 ± 1.7 ka when assuming a likely denudation rate of 20 mm ka−1. Since the existence of the Younger Dryas glaciers in the study area is climatically difficult to explain, we tentatively propose that the youngest alluvial deposition in Praprotna draga took place after the glacier retreat during the paraglacial period. Our findings suggest that the time window of paraglacial adjustment in the Snežnik Mountain was brief and likely conditioned by quick recolonization with vegetation and inefficient surface runoff on deglaciated karst terrain.

Petrogenesis of high-grade metamorphic soles from the Central Dinaric Ophiolite belt and their significance for the Neotethyan evolution in the Dinarides

High-grade metamorphic soles in NE Bosnia and Herzegovina make part of the Krivaja-Konjuh ophiolite complex (KKOC), which is one of the most important constituents of the Jurassic ophiolite melange of the Central Dinarides. Several rock types were distinguished within the investigated metamorphic suite - sapphirine and corundum amphibolites, garnet-clinopyroxene±orthopyroxene amphibolites, clinopyroxene±garnet amphibolites, amphibolites per se and clinopyroxene+plagoclase±garnet gneisses.Peak temperature and pressure conditions calculated from different mineral pairs were estimated to range between 850 and 1100°C at 1.1 to 1.3 GPa. A prograde multi-stage metamorphic history of analyzed rocks was followed by the post-peak relaxation witnessed in decomposing porphyroblasts of garnet and ubiquitous formation of amphibole and orthopyroxene rims around clinopyroxene. The whole-rock chemical composition of magmatic protoliths largely defines it as cumulates from supra-subduction zones and scarcely as MORB-like tholeiitic mafic extrusives. Their origin is linked to near-ridge crust generation of a back-arc basin. Following the Middle Jurassic contraction of Neotethyan a portion of these rocks was likely entrained in an incipient subduction/thrusting system characteristic for the formation of metamorphic soles. According to geological evidences, and most notably, the age of radiolarians taken from KKOC basalts, the formation of metamorphic sole rocks must have followed a rapid transition in the Dinaridic Neotethys geotectonic setting before its final obduction onto the Adria margins in the next 15 Ma before the end of Jurassic.

Spatial patterns of precipitation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The paper investigates the spatial distribution of the seasonal and annual precipitation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The mean monthly precipitation data from 40 meteorological stations covering the standard climatological thirty-year period (1961−1990) were used for the analysis. Seven precipitation-based parameters were used to regionalize climate in Bosnia and Herzegovina by using the Principal Component Analysis and clustering techniques. The spatial patterns of precipitation were determined by using the R-mode principal component analysis with varimax rotation. The first two principal components, which describe 97.60% of the total variance, were taken into consideration. The varimax rotated scores were subjected to the Cluster Analysis in order to identify homogeneous precipitation regions over the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The agglomerative hierarchical clustering identified three sub-regions with different precipitation regimes. The complex orography, i.e., the influence of the Pannonian Basin, the Dinaric Alps, and the Adriatic Sea, is one of the most decisive factors that affect spatial patterns of precipitation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Variability of needle morpho-anatomy of natural Pinus heldreichii populations from Scardo-Pindic mountains

Eight morpho-anatomical properties of two-year-old needles of Pinus heldreichii (Bosnian pine) from the Scardo-Pindic mountain massif in Serbia (Kosovo, Mt. Osljak) and North Macedonia (Mt. Galicica) were investigated. All measured characteristics, except for needle length, were inspected on mid-needle cross-section. Cross-sections were obtained with razorblade, while measurements were performed with Leica-Gallen III light microscope. The mean values of the analyzed characters were as follows: 5.91 cm (needle length), 1.35 mm (needle width), 0.85 mm (needle thickness), 25.05 ?m (cuticle + epidermis thickness), 69.90 ?m (height of hypodermal cells), 21.76 ?m (resin duct diameter), 3.4 (number of hypodermis layers), and 3.6 (number of resin ducts). P. heldreichii needles also had 2-5 hypodermis layers and 0-12 resin ducts. The highest variation was in the number of resin ducts (CV=27%). In comparison with previously investigated needles from the Dinaric mountains, P. heldreichii needles from the Scardo-Pindic massif were shorter and had a thicker layer of hypodermis. PCA and CA visualize partial segregation of P. heldreichii populations between the two mountain massifs.

Short-term changes in plant functional traits and understory functional diversity after logging of different intensities: a temperate fir-beech forest experiment

The concept of plant functional traits has been demonstrated to be very effective in unravelling the ecological mechanisms governing plant community response to disturbance, especially when research is focused on short-term post-disturbance vegetation dynamics. In this study, we established an experiment to quantify how logging intensity affects the trait composition and functional diversity of understory communities in fir-beech forests in the Dinaric Mountains in Slovenia. Three different silvicultural treatments were implemented: control (no logging), 50% of the growing stock removed and 100% of the growing stock removed. Vegetation surveys of vascular plants were made before (in 2012) and two years after (in 2014) logging. Changes in species traits, C-S-R plant strategies (sensu Grime) and community-level functional diversity were analysed. The importance of traits such as small and light diaspores, short life span and anemochory increased with logging intensity. Moreover, species with the ability of both sexual and vegetative reproduction, longer flowering duration and overwintering green leaves increased in abundance after logging. C-S-R strategies mainly shifted from stress-tolerators in pre-logging conditions towards a more ruderal component in post-logging stands. Logging in the short term increased functional diversity, mainly due to newly colonized species being functionally dissimilar from persistent residents. Results suggest that logging intensity strongly influences the magnitude of change in both functional composition and diversity, which also has important implications for biodiversity conservation. At the landscape scale, increasing spatial heterogeneity by creating a mosaic of forest stands subjected to different logging intensities will likely contribute to the enhancement of plant functional diversity.

Variations in body shape of mountain habitat specialist Carabus croaticus and its sister species Carabus caelatus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) populations across Dinaric Alps

There are abundant phenotypic variations of Carabus croaticus Dejean 1826, an endemic species of the Dinaric Alps, and its sister species Carabus caelatus Fabricius 1801, resulting in taxonomic inflation at intraspecific level, synonymy and inconsistency between relevant catalogues and checklists. The main aims of this research were to explore population structure based on morphology and geographic patterns of phenotypic variability, and compare the results with taxa described by nonmetric visual comparisons of morphological traits. Our study included 224 specimens of C. croaticus and 192 specimens of C. caelatus, covering most of their distributional range. Shapes of the pronotum and head were analysed using geometric morphometrics (GMM). Principal component and canonical variate analyses were used to characterize the main features of shape variation between populations and mountain ranges. GMM delimitated interspecific morphological variations but at the intraspecific level it showed many overlaps within populations for both species. Conducting the morphological analyses for the first time on most of the described phenotypic variants of studied species, we wanted to provide a new evidence for the possible solution of the taxonomic relations within these two endemic species by measuring body shape variability, and thus to enable a better understanding of the evolutionary processes in the Dinaric Mountains.

Free food for everyone: artificial feeding of brown bears provides food for many non-target species

Artificial feeding of wildlife is a widely used tool for a range of conservation and management goals. While the effects of artificial feeding on target species have been studied rather extensively, little is known about its effects on non-target species. We used automatic video surveillance to monitor the vertebrate species using artificial feeding sites (n = 20) established primarily for brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Dinaric Mountains, Slovenia. We also studied how type of artificial food (only plant-based food vs. mixed food including carrion) affects the species diversity and assemblage at the feeding sites. In total, we analyzed 117,566 recordings and identified 23 vertebrate taxa, including the brown bear, using the feeding sites. Brown bear, European badger (Meles meles), and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) were the most frequently recorded species. Birds represented a substantial part (46%) of vertebrate community using the feeding sites, including species of a high conservation importance. Feeding sites were regularly used also by species for which intentional artificial feeding is forbidden in study area (e.g., roe deer Capreolus capreolus). Species diversity at the feeding sites was highest in spring while species composition varied both seasonally and according to the type of artificial food (with or without carrion). Our study indicates that artificial feeding affects numerous non-target species, which could have several ecological and management-relevant effects, including potentially undesired consequences. Artificial feeding of wildlife should be carefully planned and we provide recommendations on how to mitigate the side effects on non-target species.