Closer to Carrying Capacity: Analysis of the Internal Demographic Structure Associated with the Management and Density Dependence of a Controlled Wolf Population in Latvia

Sustainability

Gundega Done¹  Alda Stepanova¹  Jurģis Šuba¹  Digna Pilāte¹  Jānis Ozoliņš¹  Agrita Žunna¹  Guna Bagrade¹  Mārtiņš Lūkins¹  Aivars Ornicāns¹ 

[1] Latvian State Forest Research Institute Silava, Rigas Street 111, LV–2169 Salaspils, Latvia;

关键词: wolf;    Canis lupus;    Latvia;    demography;    population management;   

DOI  :  10.3390/su13179783

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Large carnivores are essential components of natural ecosystems. In populated areas, their conservation depends on preserving a favorable status in coexistence with humans, which may require the elimination of excess carnivores to minimize public concerns. As the Baltic region currently hosts a thriving wolf population, locally sustainable management of wolves is important for preserving biodiversity at a European scale. In this paper, we provide a dynamic assessment of the Latvian wolf subpopulation from 1998 until 2020. This study is based on age composition and fecundity data from teeth, uteri, and ovaria inspections obtained from samples of legally culled or accidentally killed individuals. The abundance estimates indicated population growth that exceeded the previously predicted carrying capacity. The proportion of juveniles among the culled individuals increased in recent years, but the mean age of culled adults exhibited a stable trend. In presumably nonselective hunting, the juveniles and individuals older than 3 years had greater culling mortality estimates in comparison with other age classes, and the culling rates for adult females of particular age classes were higher than for males of the same age. While creating significant hunting pressure, wolf management in Latvia may have contributed to the population growth by affecting its demographic processes.

【 授权许可】

Unknown