Miha Krofel
A5064676299- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Ecology and biodiversity studies
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Animal Diversity and Health Studies
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Spider Taxonomy and Behavior Studies
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Marine and environmental studies
- Marine animal studies overview
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
University of Ljubljana
2016-2025
Universidad de Oviedo
2024
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research
2023-2024
University of Novi Sad
2024
Scientific Services
2017
Tilburg University
2017
Biotechnical Educational Centre Ljubljana
2007-2012
The conservation of large carnivores is a formidable challenge for biodiversity conservation. Using data set on the past and current status brown bears ( Ursus arctos ), Eurasian lynx Lynx gray wolves Canis lupus wolverines Gulo gulo ) in European countries, we show that roughly one-third mainland Europe hosts at least one carnivore species, with stable or increasing abundance most cases 21st-century records. reasons this overall success include protective legislation, supportive public...
Carnivore predation on livestock often leads people to retaliate. Persecution by humans has contributed strongly global endangerment of carnivores. Preventing losses would help achieve three goals common many human societies: preserve nature, protect animal welfare, and safeguard livelihoods. Between 2016 2018, four independent reviews evaluated >40 years research lethal nonlethal interventions for reducing livestock. From 114 studies, we find a striking conclusion: scarce quantitative...
Abstract Aim The recent recovery of large carnivores in Europe has been explained as resulting from a decrease human persecution driven by widespread rural land abandonment, paralleled forest cover increase and the consequent availability shelter prey. We investigated whether population density changes are related to relative probability occurrence three European carnivores: grey wolf ( Canis lupus ), Eurasian lynx Lynx ) brown bear Ursus arctos ). Location Europe, west 64° longitude....
COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020 reduced human mobility, providing an opportunity to disentangle its effects on animals from those of landscape modifications. Using GPS data, we compared movements and road avoidance 2300 terrestrial mammals (43 species) during the same period 2019. Individual responses were variable with no change average or behavior, likely due lockdown conditions. However, under strict 10-day 95th percentile displacements increased by 73%, suggesting permeability. Animals'...
ABSTRACT Inbreeding depression poses a severe threat to small populations, leading the fixation of deleterious mutations and decreased survival probability. While establishment natural gene flow between populations is an ideal long‐term solution, its practical implementation often challenging. Reinforcement by translocating individuals from larger viable strategy for reducing inbreeding, increasing genetic diversity potentially saving extinction. The Dinaric population Eurasian lynx ( Lynx )...
Abstract Survival and cause‐specific mortality rates are vital for evidence‐based population forecasting conservation, particularly large carnivores, whose populations often vulnerable to human‐caused mortalities. It is therefore important know the relationship between anthropogenic natural causes evaluate whether they additive or compensatory. Further, relation survival environmental covariates could reveal specific landscape characteristics influence demographic performance. We used...
Due to global environmental changes, species are appearing more frequently in places where they have not previously occurred, and this trend is expected continue. Such range expansions can create considerable challenges confusion for management policy, especially associated with conflicts whose influenced by international legal frameworks. The golden jackal (Canis aureus) Europe represents a good case study address the questions related of naturally expanding species. We review recent...
Abstract Top predators can suppress mesopredators by killing them, competing for resources and instilling fear, but it is unclear how suppression of varies with the distribution abundance top at large spatial scales among different ecological contexts. We suggest that will be strongest where occur high densities over areas. These conditions are more likely to in core than on margins predator ranges. propose Enemy Constraint Hypothesis, which predicts weakened top-down effects towards edge...
Abstract The increasing trend of large carnivore attacks on humans not only raises human safety concerns but may also undermine conservation efforts. Although rare, by brown bears Ursus arctos are the rise and, although several studies have addressed this issue at local scales, information is lacking a worldwide scale. Here, we investigated bear (n = 664) between 2000 and 2015 across most range inhabited species: North America 183), Europe 291), East 190). When occurred, half people were...
Distribution, quantity and quality of food resources affect the diet several other life‐history traits large mammals. Supplemental feeding wildlife has high potential for influencing behaviour opportunistic omnivores, such as bears. brown bears Ursus arctos is a common practice in European countries, but effects this controversial expensive management measure on bear are poorly understood. We analysed 714 scats collected throughout year three regions Slovenia with different densities...
Abstract Understanding the distribution of biodiversity across Earth is one most challenging questions in biology. Much research has been directed at explaining species latitudinal pattern showing that communities are richer tropical areas; however, despite decades research, a general consensus not yet emerged. In addition, global patterns being rapidly altered by human activities. Here, we aim to describe large‐scale richness and diversity terrestrial vertebrate scavenger...
The recovery of wolves ( Canis lupus ) across Europe is a notable conservation success in region with extensive human alteration landscapes and high population densities. We provide comprehensive update on wolf populations Europe, estimated at over 21,500 individuals by 2022, representing 58% increase the past decade. Despite challenges densities significant land use for agriculture, industry, urbanization, have demonstrated remarkable adaptability increasing trends most European countries....
Collaborative wildlife monitoring programs involving citizen scientists are an efficient approach for surveying large areas. In Europe, hunters play important role in and act as crucial stakeholders carnivore conservation. The Eurasian lynx Lynx , elusive felid, is a species of conservation concern Europe. Slovenia, was exterminated later reintroduced 1973, but the population has declined during past decades. A reinforcement program initiated 2017, translocating from Carpathian to improve...
In the first continent-wide study of golden jackal (Canis aureus), we characterised its population genetic structure and attempted to identify origin European populations. This provided a unique insight into characteristics native carnivore with rapid large-scale expansion. We analysed 15 microsatellite markers 406 base-pair fragment mitochondrial control region. Bayesian-based principal components methods were applied evaluate whether geographical grouping samples corresponded groups. Our...
Supplementary feeding is a common, but controversial, tool in wildlife management, because it can benefit both humans and (e.g., increased densities), has certain downsides disease transmission). For species that are often involved human-wildlife conflicts, two opposing paradigms with respect to supplementary exist, i.e., (i) efficient lure animals away from undesired places (i.e., diversionary feeding; hypothesis 1), (ii) stimulates 'nuisance' behavior tolerance for selection human...