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