Friends of the Earth Czech Republic – Olomouc local group

www.olomouc.hnutiduha.cz

Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic
National park administration Bohemian Switzerland
Krkonoše Mountains National park administration Vrchlabí
University of Ostrava
Charles University, Faculty of Science

The main objective of the project is to obtain reliable information about the current distribution and numbers of significant European species of carnivores: wolf, brown bear, lynx and wild cat.

The main activities of the project will take place within a structured monitoring:
• Intensive (deterministic) photo-monitoring of lynx in selected areas of the Natura 2000 system (N2000), whose goal is to determine the exact size of the population
• Opportunistic photo-monitoring at selected sites of N2000 system, whose goal is to credibly demonstrate the presence of large carnivores and wild cat, and possibly determine the minimum population size and its relation to other sites. In the case of wolves the photo-monitoring will be aimed at demonstrating reproduction (presence of the pack).
• Monitoring of the residential characters of large carnivores, especially in the winter in order to obtain samples for DNA analysis (droppings, fur), suitable marking places for photo-monitoring and to determine the index of the relative abundance of large carnivores
• Random collection of information from the public, foresters or gamekeepers in the sites of Natura N2000 system and their subsequent validation.

The following analyzes will then be performed at individual workplaces and laboratories:
• Detailed identification photographs obtained within the deterministic monitoring, identification and following Capture-Mark-Recapture (CMR) analysis allowing to determine the accuracy of the estimation of the population size.
• Genetic analysis of non-invasively collected DNA samples (droppings, hair, urine), which will allow the confirmation of the species identity in debatable findings, to determine the sex of the individuals, it will bring more information about genealogical structure of the population, about spatial behavior, about the role of anthropogenic changes in landscape, about mortality and potential hybridization with domesticated form (in the case of gray wolf and wild cat).
• Morphometric analysis of images on which wild cat could be captured
• Habitat analysis of suitable areas of the presence of carnivores in N2000 sites (lynx, wolf, wild cat)
• Validation of all the data received from the public, partner organizations, foresters and gamekeepers
• Integration of outputs of individual parts of the project, integration with data obtained in the territory of neighboring states, analysis of connectivity of N2000 sites potentially suitable for the presence of carnivores, proposal of a model of permeability in order to increase the coherence of N2000 system.

Except for the applicant two research institutions will also participate in solving the project - the University of Ostrava and Faculty of Science of Charles University – and Management of Krkonoše National park. Non-financial partners are Agency for Nature and Landscape Protection and Management of the Czech Switzerland National Park which will cooperate in monitoring of species in the areas of interest.

The project will bring, in accordance with proclaimed call new information about the occurrence of species in N2000 areas of interest and will strengthen effective management and monitoring in them. State Nature Protection will thus obtain quality data which are necessary when deciding about protection of these conflicting species and for their possible management. Apart from the monitoring of the species of interest the project has the ambition to positively influence thinking of the public concerned about large carnivores.

Approximately 261 701 EUR