Improving key food resources and preventing winter conflicts for Cantabrian brown bears under climate change scenarios

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

The population of brown bear in the Cantabrian mountains has been steadily growing for the past 25 years, but its conservation status remains unfavorable/inadequate, according to the last State of Nature published in 2020. Climate change, however, is expected to significantly increase temperature and decrease rain and snowfall, with a range of likely impacts on bears and their habitats such as shorter hibernation periods and increased winter activity and energy requirements. These changes in behavior increase the risk of mortality, competition with other species and conflict with humans during winter. Furthermore climate change will adversely affect fruit-bearing plants essential for the brown bear diet, such as blueberries and chestnut trees.

OBJECTIVES

The general objective of the LIFE BEARS WITH FUTURE project is to improve the adaptability of the brown bear to climate change in the Cantabrian mountains, and thus allow it to achieve a favorable conservation status in the mid to long term. It will adopt an ecosystem-based approach and promote best practices that ensure the availability of food resources and the prevention of human-bear conflicts.

Specifically, the project aims to:

Contribute to the improvement of trophic availability in climate change scenarios by planting, treating or enhancing small forests of authoctonous species that produce fruitsfor the bears from summer to winter and have low climate vulnerability, and thus compensate for the foreseen reduction in other food resources;

Inform and raise awareness among the stakeholders of potential conflicts with bears less prone to hibernate, providing advice and guidance for winter activities in bear areas; and

Disseminate information and project best practices that contribute to the adaptation of bear management to climate change and social change, and facilitate the development of integrated adaptation and nature-based strategies by key stakeholders in the concerned territories.

RESULTS

Expected results:

A Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment of the bear critical areas and linked conservation proposals;

two working groups set up with regional administrations managers for discussion of adaptation proposals and results;

Plantation of 150 000 autochthonous trees and shrubs producing fleshy fruits (cherry, apple, alder buckthorn, etc) in 225 small forests (155 ha);

Plantation of 25,000 chestnut trees in 75 small forests (55 ha);

Restoration and treatment of 15 ha of abandoned chestnut forests (2.200 trees) to increase fruit production and climatic resilience;

Purchase of 15 ha of abandoned lands and 15 ha of chestnuts forests;

Stewardship agreements with landowners for plantation of forests on 190 ha and collaboration agreements with at least 10 local administrations or social organisations;

Informative campaign about the increasing risk of conflicts with bears during winter activities (reaching >100 hunters associations, winter sports associations, tourist establishments and others, with >2 500 people informed and sensitised);

Dissemination materials (6 informative panels, 5000 brochures, 2000 posters, 20000 copiesspecial bulletin, website, social networks, 6 videos, 50 news for the media and volunteer and educational activities);

Promotion of best practices: best practices document, four on-site training visits for 120 stakeholders and technical support to replicated initiatives, four networking visits; and

Assessment of socio-economic impact of the project and effects on ecosystem services.

The expected impact of the project on brown bear conservation will be an improvement of bear resilience to climate change through 2 complementary ways: increased trophic availability and reduced risk of conflict with human activities. It concerns both nature conservation and climate change policies. Expected production of food resources: - At the end of the project: about 200 t/year chestnuts - 5 years after the project: 450 t/year fleshy fruit and 425 t/year chestnuts Expected results regarding prevention and/or reduction of human-bear conflicts: - Awareness of 2,500 people with potential risk of conflict, with the corresponding multiplier effect on their stakeholder groups, and adaptation proposals for cantabrian bear critical areas. Reduction by at least 30% of the number of human-bear conflicts.