130925-studie-wildlife-comeback-in-europe

Habitat preferences and general densities
The Northern chamois occurs in a number of
habitats including alpine meadows, open rocky
areas, mixed broadleaf woodland and coniferous
woodland in steep, rocky, mountainous areas [5] .
During winter, it moves from alpine meadows
to lower-lying, forested areas [6] . When alarmed,
chamois retreat to highly inaccessible places,
making leaps of 2 m in height and 6 m in length [3] .
Legal protection and conservation status
In Europe, the subspecies R. r. balcanica and tatrica
are listed on Annexes II and IV of the EU Habitats
Directive, while the whole species is included on
Annex V of the Directive [7] and Appendix III of the
Bern Convention [8] . Conservation actions for all
subspecies include ensuring sustainable harvest,
reducing poaching, reducing human disturbance,
protecting the genetic integrity of populations,
and monitoring, especially of vulnerable populations
[9] . There have also been reintroductions
of R. r. cartusiana [9] and in some areas protected
areas have been set up. The hunting of the species
is widespread and common, and culling is used
to control population numbers, e.g. in France [4] .
Both at a global and European level, the Northern
chamois is classified as Least Concern with an
unknown population trend (Table 2). However,
a number of the subspecies are believed to be
decreasing and are listed as Critically Endangered
or Vulnerable due to various threats (Table 2).
Abundance and distribution:
current status
In terms of population size, an estimate from
2004/5 puts the European population at 485,580
individuals, but as there are no reliable global
estimates available, it is not possible to ascertain
the proportion accounted for by this population
(Table 3). Within Europe, the largest populations
occur in the Alpine arc countries Austria (31%),
Italy (28%), Switzerland (19%) and France (13%),
and mostly as the subspecies R. r. rupicapra. The
majority of extant populations in central Europe
are reintroduced [6] .
R. r. rupicapra represents the most numerous
of the subspecies, occurring throughout the
Austrian, Italian, Swiss and French Alps [6] . In
Austria, the species is increasingly found in
suboptimal habitat [6] , which suggests that it is
doing well here. Measures are in place to manage
sarcoptic mange [6] , and there are abundance-dependent
hunting quotas [6] . The chamois is also
hunted in Italy [6] . While present in almost all
of Switzerland historically [13] , the species now
Subspecies Distribution Population size and trend
balcanica
[9]
Mountain regions of Albania
Bulgaria’s four main massifs
Thousands of individuals
Declining in all subpopulations
6 populations on 11 mountains
in Greece (Mount Rodopi in
the northeast and the Epirus
mountains in the northwest to
Mount Giona in central Greece)
carpatica
[1, 9]
Transylvanian Alps
Carpathians
9,000 individuals in 1990
Increasing in Romania
successful reintroductions
cartusiana
[1]
Chartreuse limestone massif
around Grenoble in France
Western edge of French Alps
300–400 individuals in 1970s
150 individuals in 1986–7
Recent estimate: 2,000 individuals
rupicapra
[1, 10]
Alps (Austria, Germany, eastern
France)
Comprises majority of global population
Widespread and abundant
Culling in Swiss Alps and Jura rose from
4,000 individuals (1950) to 17,000 (2000)
tatrica
[1, 9, 11]
Tatra mountains of Poland and
Slovakia
Introduced into the low Tatras
in Slovakia
only occurs in the Alps and parts of the Jura
mountains [6] , where it was reintroduced between
1950 and 1962 [14] . The first federal hunting law
was established in 1875 and as a result, populations
recovered swiftly [15] .
In France, R. r. rupicapra occurs in the Alpine
region, the Jura and Vosges mountains and the
Massif Central, but the country is also home
to R. r. cartusiana in the Chartreuse limestone
massif [6] . Hunting quotas have been in place since
1990 [4] , with an initial reduction in culling leading
to a recovery, which was followed by a subsequent
higher culling quota [4] . The cartusiana subspecies
recovered from food competition with other
species from 250 individuals in 1972 to over 770 by
1997 [16] . However, food competition is still a major
threat [16] , as is hybridisation with the spreading
Alpine chamois, which was introduced to the
northern end of the massif [16] .
R. r. tatrica is present in two locations: one in
the High Tatra mountains in northern Slovakia
and southern Poland, and a second, reintroduced
population in the Low Tatra in Slovakia [11] .
Declines after the first and second world wars to
300 and 132–230 individuals [11] were followed by
initial recovery and then further declines, which
continued steadily from the 1960s until today [11] .
They are attributed to altered age structure and
sex ratio induced by selective shooting, severe
weather conditions, human disturbance through
tourism and air traffic, predation and parasitism [11] .
Censuses in 1999 counted 220 and 120–130
individuals in the two populations respectively [11] .
Poaching and potential hybridisation with introduced
Alpine chamois have been highlighted as
the most urgent threats to address [11] .
Declining steadily since 1960
220 individuals in 1999