130925-studie-wildlife-comeback-in-europe

The comeback of large and charismatic wildlife
in Europe is set to increase people’s interactions
with wildlife in the remaining wildernesses of
Europe and bring wildlife into increasingly close
proximity to human-dominated landscapes.
Human perceptions of wildlife are also shifting
amongst the population. Despite an overall
estrangement from the natural world, increased
urbanisation and higher standards of living have
caused a shift towards more favourable views of
the intrinsic value of wildlife. For example, large
mammals were seen as attractive species by
respondents to a questionnaire survey conducted
across sites in eight European countries [2] .
Because of the widespread and substantial
historical declines in European wildlife populations
and ranges, the species comeback we are
currently witnessing is resulting in levels of
wildlife which may seem unprecedented. Wildlife
comeback in the real world therefore creates new
opportunities to interact and benefit from nature,
but may also lead to challenges of reconciling
human and wildlife interests on this densely
populated continent. After all, it is a lack of reconciliation
between human and wildlife interest that
caused the dramatic declines of these recovery
species in the past and continues to affect the
overall status of both global and European biodiversity.
Here, we give an overview of the exciting opportunities
wildlife comeback brings to people, and the
main areas in which we need to reconcile wildlife
comeback with human needs. Ultimately there is a
lot to gain, as Europeans will get increasing opportunities
to enjoy nature, and see and reconnect
with wildlife again, in the near future.
Benefits and opportunities
of wildlife comeback
In order for wildlife comeback to be successful, it
needs to be widely acceptable to a number of stakeholders
whose support will be gained by seeing the
opportunities of such a process. This includes land
managers, local communities, government and
industry, who could all potentially have a vested
interest in species comeback schemes. Recognising
the opportunities in the form of ecological,
economic and cultural benefits is one step towards
that process.
Ecological and landscape benefits
The functioning of ecosystems and the services
they provide relies on the processes and interactions
between species assemblages. Consequently,
changes in species composition can
have knock-on effects on the ecosystems. There is
growing evidence that the removal of predators
from an ecosystem can have profound effects on
species composition at all trophic levels [3] which
suggests that the reintroduction of such species
could reverse these changes and provide benefits
to other taxa and the ecosystem as a whole. The
reintroduction of Grey wolves (Canis lupus) into
Yellowstone National Park after a 70-year absence
has been found to elicit a trophic cascade effect by
increasing predation pressure on the Elk (Wapiti)
(Cervus elaphus) population. The reduction in Elk
allowed for greater browse and fruit availability
for the then threatened Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos)
population for which an increased percentage
consumption of fruit was observed after the wolf
reintroduction. The decrease in herbivory by Elk
could also be beneficial for other mammals, birds
and pollinators [4] .
Similarly, in Europe, control of the Red fox
(Vulpes vulpes) and subsequent reduction in
pressure on the Mountain hare (Lepus timidus) was
observed when Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) populations
recovered due to protection from hunting [5] .
This theory has been examined in other areas of
Europe where conflict is occurring in some forest
systems due to increasing top-down effects of
large numbers of herbivores on the vegetation [6] .
The reintroduction of carnivores is put forward as
one of the key solutions. Although hunting could
be used for herbivore population control, research
suggests that the presence of carnivores has
additional indirect effects on ungulates through
changes to the behaviour (avoiding high risk areas
for predation), habitat selection and spatial distribution
of prey which human management cannot
replicate [6] . This is one of the ecological arguments
for reintroducing Grey wolf and Eurasian lynx to
Scotland, where Red deer (Cervus elaphus) have
reached record levels [7] and are causing habitat
damage [8] . Based on research from wolf reintroductions
in North America, it is suggested that few
wolves would be needed to see noticeable benefits
to the ecosystem [9] .
The reintroduction of species at other trophic
levels can also provide ecological benefits such as
creating suitable habitat for other species. Research
on the effects of reintroduction of Eurasian
beaver (Castor fiber) in Poland observed improvements
in wetland condition – a culmination of
a higher groundwater level, reduced erosion of
stream banks, increased sediment flows and
greater diversity of species suited to slow-moving
waters [10] . The new wetland habitat and improvements
to existing ones benefitted a large number
of plant and animal species. However there was an
increase in damage to human property as a result
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