PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The Portuguese wolf sub-population in the south of the Douro river is fragmented and isolated from the rest of the Iberian wolf population due to geographic, ecological and social barriers. The last census in Portugal found nine wolf packs in the area, representing approximately 14% of the wolf population. Unfavourable ecological and socio-economic conditions threaten the stability of these packs, affecting their breeding success and survival, and so act as barriers to connectivity between packs. It is vital therefore to minimise these barriers to guarantee the long-term viability of this sub-population and the species' favourable conservation status, as required under the Habitats Directive (92/43/CEE).
Conflicts with animal husbandry, negative attitudes, poaching, a lack of wild prey and habitat loss are some of the main threats to wolf conservation in Portugal. They have been defined as key areas of action in the Portuguese national action plan for wolf conservation.
OBJECTIVES
LIFE WolFlux's overarching goal is to promote the ecological and socio-economic conditions needed to support a viable wolf population in the south of the Douro river. A series of actions will be taken to help reduce the main threats to this carnivore. By improving genetic flux (connectivity between populations) among wolf packs, it aims to increase the connectivity of Natura 2000 sites.
The project will contribute towards improving the conservation status of the wolf, a priority species in the Habitats Directive. By doing so it will help to deliver on three of the six targets of the EU 2020 biodiversity strategy, namely: implementation of EU nature legislation to protect biodiversity; better protection for ecosystems; and larger EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss.
Specific objectives:
Reduce conflicts with animal husbandry; Diminish poaching and human-caused fires, in particular reduce the impact of fire at rendezvous sites (above-ground areas where pups are taken when old enough to leave the birth den) and breeding sites; Increase knowledge about roe deer in the project area and improve the availability of wild prey for the wolf; Develop a strategy to promote wolf-related value-added products (agri-food production, tourism, etc) and enhance their market penetration; Increase tolerance of and positive attitudes towards wolves. Expected results:
Increased connectivity of wolf packs in the south of the Douro river compared with baseline data (2019), with the recapture of individual genotypes in different packs and the capture of new individuals; 10% expansion in wolf range within the project area, 20% increase in detection of breeding success and a rise in the minimum population size compared with baseline data (2019). Regular use by wolves of rendezvous sites managed by the project; Creation of a management plan for wolf prey species in the south of the Douro River, and reliable data obtained about roe deer abundance in the wolf range (currently unknown); 20% increase in positive or neutral attitudes towards wolves in the project area compared with baseline data (2019); Main socio-ecological barriers preventing wolf connectivity in the south of the Douro river identified and mapped as a baseline for future studies; 50% reduction in wolf-related livestock depredation events in areas defined as hot spots for wolf attacks in 2019; A mobile surveillance team to protect wolf rendezvous sites and areas where roe deer has been restocked or its habitat managed from fire, poisoning and poaching; A network of wildlife ambassadors engaged with wolf conservation to disseminate information about the species in local villages and warn about conflict situations or illegal behaviour; Increased frequency of roe deer in the wolf diet in release areas of the prey species and areas where habitat restoration measures will be deployed, in comparison with baseline data (2019); Agreements signed with land owners and hunting associations to restore roe deer habitat and increase its abundance, and a population boost of at least 100 roe deer in the project area; Accreditation for products that support wolf conservation at local and national scale; Best practice manual, a guidebook for wolf tourism, a mobile application and website for marketing nature-based activities developed to support the local economy;
