Millions of wild animals are killed annually on roads worldwide. During spring 2020, the volume of road traffic was reduced globally as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. We gathered data on wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) from Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and for Scotland and England within the United Kingdom. In all studied countries WVC statistics tend to be dominated by large mammals (various deer species and wild boar), while information on smaller mammals as well as birds are less well recorded. The expected number of WVC for 2020 was predicted on the basis of 2015–2019 WVC time series representing expected WVC numbers under normal traffic conditions. Then, the forecasted and reported WVC data were compared. The results indicate varying levels of WVC decrease between countries during the COVID-19 related traffic flow reduction (CRTR). While no significant change was determined in Sweden, where the state-wide response to COVID-19 was the least intensive, a decrease as marked as 37.4% was identified in Estonia. The greatest WVC decrease, more than 40%, was determined during the first weeks of CRTR for Estonia, Spain, Israel, and Czechia. Measures taken during spring 2020 allowed the survival of large numbers of wild animals which would have been killed under normal traffic conditions. The significant effects of even just a few weeks of reduced traffic, help to highlight the negative impacts of roads on wildlife mortality and the need to boost global efforts of wildlife conservation, including systematic gathering of roadkill data.
COBISS.SI-ID: 58008835
Many species of wildlife, including game species, have been spreading into urban areas which has resulted in new interactions (including conflicts) with residents. For urban environment in Slovenia, there is a lack of knowledge about the biological characteristics of species, the causes of conflicts, and possible measures to resolve them; therefore, we reviewed foreign scientific findings and recommendations ()200 references). We focused on the following mammalian game species that are of specific interest of Slovenia due to their presence in urban and suburban environments: wild boar, red deer, European roe deer, red fox, European badger, stone marten, edible dormouse, and coypu. For all species, we also presented the most important findings on damages on non-hunting areas in the period 2008–2018. A comprehensive review enables the beginning of a systematic resolution of conflicts with wildlife in the urban environment in Slovenia. Moreover, it is a contribution to the coexistence between humans and wildlife, as attitudes and experiences towards game species in the urban environment have an important impact on the general perception of wildlife, but also on understanding the importance of conservation and management of populations.
COBISS.SI-ID: 57505795
We determined the genetic variability, population structure, and influence of genetic factors on two parameters of fitness (body mass and reproductive ability) in roe deer females in the contact zone between the Alps and the Dinaric Mountains by utilising microsatellite variations in 214 individuals collected throughout Slovenia, Central Europe. Spatial differences in the genetic diversity of the species can be explained by population history, different approaches to population management and/or different connectivity among subpopulations. The population genetic structure confirms the high side fidelity of roe deer, but also shows the existence of admixtures of genes among different areas. Levels of genetic differentiation vary among populations, which can be explained by the effect of natural geographical barriers or the presence of anthropogenic barriers such as urban areas and highways. We found evidence that genetic factors, including individual heterozygosity, influence body mass, confirming that heterozygosity positively affects fitness in wild populations. However, as the effect of genetic factors is usually masked or overruled by the influence of environmental factors, i.e., availability of resources, data on the joint influence of external and intrinsic factors on fitness and other life-history traits are needed to better predict the population dynamics of targeted species, which would enable sustainable, science-based population management.
COBISS.SI-ID: 40688899
Genetic characterisation of wild ungulates can be a useful tool in wildlife management and in obtaining a greater understanding of their biological and ecological roles in a wider spatiotemporal context. Different ways of optimising methodologies and reducing the costs of genetic analyses using widely available bone tissues collected within regular hunting allocations were examined. Successful isolation and analysis of DNA from widely available bones can be cheap, fast and easy. In particular, this study explored the possibility of using bones for extracting high quality nuclear DNA for microsatellite analysis. The utility of applying a modified demineralisation process using two commercially available DNA isolation kits, which differ significantly in price, was evaluated. The sample sets included bones and, for comparison, muscle tissues from four wild ungulate species: chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), and Alpine ibex (Capra ibex). For the recent bones, these results confirmed that the DNA concentrations and microsatellite amplification were sufficiently high, even when using low-cost kits, after prior demineralisation. For old bones, prior demineralisation and use of a specially designed isolation kit led to a more successful extraction of DNA. Besides reducing kit-related costs, low-cost kits are much faster and therefore make genetic analysis more efficient.
COBISS.SI-ID: 27293955
The monography, which was published in 21,000 copies at the end of 2019, is the first book work on the Eurasian (golden) jackal in Europe. In this pioneer book, the authors presented in detail the systematic and historical development of the golden jackal and its spread in Europe and Slovenia; biological characteristics of the species, interspecific relations and impacts on other species; the social aspects of the spread of this newcomer; species protection and management in Slovenia; and results of the two-year monitoring of the Eurasian jackal in Slovenia, which was implemented through previous CRP project (V1–1626), to which a very this project was also strongly related. The latter applies in particular to the chapters dealing with the spread of the species into the cultural landscape and semi-urban areas, the ecosystem role of the species and the risks posed by the spread of Eurasian jackal (e.g. disease transmission, predatory impact).
COBISS.SI-ID: 302880768