ABSTRACT: Understanding the habitat use and selection patterns of endangered species is essential in developing management measures that will protect critical habitat and mitigate human-wildlife conflicts. This understanding is particularly important in areas with high anthropogenic pressures. To understand the ecological role of various habitat types in the conservation of an endangered large carnivore in southern Europe, with its distinct environmental conditions and predominantly anthropogenic landscapes, we studied 18 GPS-collared brown bears Ursus arctos in Greece. We examined the use and selection of habitats according to age and sex categories and behavioral status during 5 ecologically defined seasons. Areas with rough terrain were identified as important refuge areas and were used by all bears in late hyperphagia and emergence. All bears used areas closer to human-related habitat features during the night. Habitat selection was positive for areas with rough terrain and naturalized (i.e. abandoned or not intensive) crops and areas close to water courses, while high-altitude areas and roads were avoided. The selection or avoidance of other habitats varied across bear categories and between stationary and moving behavior. We recommend that the results of the study be used to develop guidelines for species conservation and allow for prioritizing management actions that will promote the conservation of bears in Greece. In particular, the habitat use patterns provide information on how to limit interactions between humans and bears in space and/or time, while the habitat selection patterns indicate suitable habitats that should be protected/improved based on their importance and ecological role for the species.

中文翻译：

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栖息地的使用和选择方式告知了南欧濒临灭绝的大型食肉动物的栖息地保护重点

摘要：了解濒危物种的栖息地使用和选择方式对于制定保护关键栖息地并减轻人与野生动物冲突的管理措施至关重要。这种理解在人为压力高的地区尤其重要。为了了解各种栖息地类型在南部欧洲濒临灭绝的大型食肉动物的保护中所起的生态作用，其环境条件独特且主要是人为景观，我们研究了18只GPS领棕熊Ursus arctos在希腊。我们在5个生态限定的季节内根据年龄和性别类别以及行为状态检查了栖息地的使用和选择。地形崎rough的地区被认为是重要的避难所，所有熊在食欲旺盛和出现时都使用了它们。所有熊在夜间使用的区域都更接近与人类相关的栖息地特征。对于地形崎and，自然化（即废弃或不集约）农作物的地区和靠近水道的地区而言，生境选择是积极的，而避免了高海拔地区和道路。其他生境的选择或回避因熊类而不同，在静止和活动行为之间也不同。我们建议将研究结果用于制定物种保护准则，并优先考虑可促进希腊熊类保护的管理措施。特别是，栖息地使用模式提供了有关如何限制人与熊之间在空间和/或时间上的相互作用的信息，而栖息地选择模式则指出了应根据其重要性和对生态系统的生态作用应予以保护/改善的合适栖息地。