Conflict between carnivores and livestock activities in the Triveneto mountainous areas: north-eastern Italy

Supervisor: Prof. Stefano Bovolenta

Co-supervisor: Prof. Stefano Filacorda

Extensive grazing practices in mountainous areas represent an important part of the cultural heritage and provide important ecosystem services (e.g., food, carbon recycling, habitat and biodiversity conservation). The main advantages offered by pastures-based systems are related to low management costs, while disadvantages are associated with increased energy costs for livestock as a consequence of greater movements, reduced surveillance by livestock farmers and risks associated with wildlife interactions. Human-wildlife conflict is a primary driver of carnivore declines worldwide. From the other side, livestock predations produce a notable impact in terms of substantial costs inflicted on local communities. Conflicts between humans and carnivores arise for different reasons. First, carnivores’ protein-rich diet and large home-ranges lead to frequent competitions with human activities. Moreover, many large-carnivore species are specialized for ungulate predation. Thereby, predation events on domestic ungulates may occur when opportunities arise. Because of human population growth, deforestation and habitat loss carnivores have been eliminated from much of their former range and are frequently restricted to protected areas or in areas with lower human density. However, even in these areas, human populations are still growing with consequent further range loss, reductions in wild prey and increased conflicts with anthropic activities. In response to this threat, people commonly kill carnivores. Nevertheless, killing carnivores does not represent an effective solution in the long-term. Moreover, the depletion of apex predators leads to ecosystems degradation and disruption of ecological processes. Hence, finding novel and effective mitigation/prevention measures assume remarkable importance to promote both the maintenance of traditional husbandry practices and the conservation of large predators at global level.

In the Italian mountainous areas, the two most abundant large carnivores that come into conflict with livestock activities are the Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos) and the grey wolf (Canis lupus). Both species were almost extirpated within the Italian peninsula as a result of conflicts with human activities. The return of bears in the Central Italian Alps was favoured by translocation of ten individuals (three males and seven females) from the Slovenian population, within a European LIFE Project (LIFE Ursus) from 1999 to 2002. Contrariwise, the re-colonization of north-eastern Italy occurred because of natural dispersion of free-roaming individuals (all males) coming from the Central Italian Alps or Dinaric-Pindos population. The natural recolonization of the Italian peninsula by wolves was promoted by different socio-ecological factors: (i) the legal protection of the species in 1971, (ii) the ecological restoration of mountainous territories (i.e., abandonment of rural areas and return of wild preys), and (iii) the remarkable ecological plasticity of the species combined with its dispersion skills. Nevertheless, the recent return of such predators has led to an increased number of attacks towards livestock species leading to less tolerance and fear by local farmers.

The purpose of the current research project is to assess the degree of conflict between carnivores and extensive livestock activities in the Triveneto mountainous areas of north-eastern Italy. Using information collected from semi-structured interviews and kill-site inspections, we aim to assess both spatial and temporal segregation of predation events, as well as to determine the main social and ecological factors that may favour the insurgence of such conflicts.

Biography and Contacts

Marcello Franchini was born in 1988 in Mirandola (MO), Italy. In 2016 he obtained a MSc degree in Ecology and Nature Conservation at the University of Parma. In 2015, during his MSc career, he performed an internship (lasting six months) at Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca (BS), Argentina. During his permanence, he had the opportunity to study the degree of conflict between puma (Puma concolor) and livestock activities within the Espinal Ecoregion. From June 2017 to February 2018 he performed a post-lauream internship at the University of Udine. From March 2018 to October 2019 he worked as a research fellow (at the same University) within an Interreg “Nat2Care” Project (Italy-Slovenia). From November 2019 he has been performing a PhD program in Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology at the University of Udine.

Email: franchini.marcello@spes.uniud.it

Phone: +39 338 211 7729