LIFE Connect Carpathians
Enhancing landscape connectivity for bear and wolf
through a regional network of NATURA 2000 sites in
Romania
Dr Iain TrewbyProject Manager
Fauna & Flora International
Focusing on bear and wolf as species for
the implementation of landscape scale
conservation
Vision
A sustainable future for the planet, where biodiversity
is effectively conserved by the people who live
closest to it, supported by the global community.
Mission
To conserve threatened species and ecosystems
worldwide, choosing solutions that are sustainable,
based on sound science and take into account human
needs.
Eurasia Programme
• 3 core regions
• 41 projects in 9 countries
• 21 employees (5 Cambridge / 16 Regional)
1. Fragmentation of landscape
2. Human-wildlife conflicts
3. Lack strategy, plans and polices
4. Lack management capacity
5. Illegal killing/poaching carnivores
6. Socio-economic decline
7. Lack of awareness of landscape and values
Main problems identifiedThreats to biodiversity
The first step in developing a functional
regional ecological network was the
designation of new Natura 2000 sites
(yellow) in 2012 , using large carnivores
as keystone species.
The goal is to:
• Protect the core-areas
• Safeguard natural re-
colonization areas
• Secure habitat and migration
corridors
(ROSCI0355)
Viaduct
Viaduct
Bored tunnel –Viaduct – Bored tunnel
Overpass Overpass
(ROSCI0355)
Urșii întârzie construcția autostrăzii Lugoj-Deva
in Actualitate | de Hunedoara Libera.Ro | 3 februarie 2015
Compania de Drumuri trebuie să revizuiască proiectul autostrăzii Lugoj-Deva.
Problema o reprezintă faptul că urșii bruni care trăiesc în pădurile din apropiere
nu au tunele prin care să circule liber, iar autostrada i-ar izola.
Zarand InitiativeBiodiversity conservation and community development in a
culturally rich landscape
• Funded by EC LIFE+
• 2013 – 2019
• €3.3million
• Custodianship of Natura 2000
• Zarand Association
• Sustainable livelihoods
• Zarand Association
1. Enhancing functional connectivity
Building linkages - Secure and restore critical habitat and
landscape features as corridors
• Build capacity of responsible agencies and Natura 2000
custodians to address landscape connectivity issues
• Engage local stakeholders in managing landscape
connectivity
• Purchase land to develop linkage corridors
• Manage corridors to create carnivore permeable landscape
2. Reducing human-wildlife-conflict and building
tolerance for coexistence with carnivores
• Addressing human wildlife conflicts and developing
methods, tools and approaches to mitigate conflicts
• Demonstrating effective anti-poaching enforcement
3. Promoting long-term planning and action for
bear and wolf conservation
• Developing Regional Species Action Plans for
bear and wolf
• Harmonising forestry and hunting and Natura
2000 management plans
4. Engaging stakeholders on the
long-term conservation of bear and wolf
• Engage local stakeholders in meetings and in
collaborative actions
• Encourage supportive behaviour change of key
stakeholders for the conservation of target species and
Natura 2000 sites
Project Area
• 17 Natura 2000 sites
• 150 km
• 434,935 ha
• 8 Counties
• Rural population ~ 80,000
Themes:
1. Human Wildlife Conflict
2. Ecological Monitoring
3. Stakeholder Engagement
4. Sociological Assessments
5. Habitat restoration
6. Ecosystems Services
7. Enforcement
8. Harmonisation of Management Plans
9. Regional Species Action Plans
10. Communications
Reducing HWC
• Background data
collated 2014
• Semi-structured
Interviews 2015
• Mitigation measure
implemented 2015
WOLF ATTACKS 2013
Incident response team
Location of
snares
Location of
snares
Ecological
monitoring
• Official data collated
2014
• Baseline surveys
2014/15
• Permeability Mures
river 2014Wolf tracks 2015
3. Stakeholder Engagement
• National & Regional
Consultative Groups
• N2k Group
• ~100 Regional
Stakeholders engaged
• Agreements in place
• Social assessments
• Landscape scale
conservation seminar
5. Land Purchase
6. Ecosystem Services
• Agricultural services
assessed
• NTFP services
assessed
• 100 questionnaires
completed
• Carbon valuation
model0,00
10,00
20,00
30,00
40,00
50,00
60,00
70,00
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Carb
on
em
issio
ns (
tCO
2-e
)
Year of harvest plan
Baseline emissions
Project emissions
7. Anti-poaching
• GIRG
• Anti-poaching
strategy
• Training received
• 100+ Patrols
• 150+ snares removed
• Apprehended 2
poachers
8. & 9. Management
Plans
• Assessment of
forestry & hunting
plans
• N2k Sites identified
• RSAP Working
Groups
10. Communications
• Communications
strategy
• Leaflets
produced
• Schools visited
• Website
• Conferences
• Stakeholder
engagement
Multumesc
www.connectcarpathians.ro