1.
Kopatz, A. et al. Connectivity and population subdivision at the fringe of a large brown bear (Ursus arctos) population in North Western Europe. Conserv. Genet. 13, 681–692 (2012).
Article Google Scholar
2.
Mohammadi, A. & Kaboli, M. Evaluating wildlife–vehicle collision hotspots using kernel-based estimation: a focus on the endangered Asiatic cheetah in central Iran. Hum. Wildl. Interact. 10, 13 (2016).
Google Scholar
3.
Murphy, S. M. et al. Consequences of severe habitat fragmentation on density, genetics, and spatial capture–recapture analysis of a small bear population. PLoS ONE 12, e0181849 (2017).
PubMed PubMed Central Article CAS Google Scholar
4.
Hosseini-Zavarei, F., Farhadinia, M. S., Beheshti-Zavareh, M. & Abdoli, A. Predation by grey wolf on wild ungulates and livestock in central Iran. J. Zool. 290, 1–8 (2013).
Article Google Scholar
5.
Tumendemberel, O. et al. Phylogeography, genetic diversity, and connectivity of brown bear populations in Central Asia. PLoS ONE 14, e0220746 (2019).
CAS PubMed PubMed Central Article Google Scholar
6.
Hilty, J. A., Lidicker, W. Z. Jr. & Merenlender, A. M. Corridor Ecology: The Science and Practice of Linking Landscapes for Biodiversity Conservation (Island Press, Washington, 2012).
Google Scholar
7.
Cushman, S. A. et al. Limiting factors and landscape connectivity: the American marten in the Rocky Mountains. Landsc. Ecol. 26, 1137 (2011).
Article Google Scholar
8.
Oriol-Cotterill, A., Valeix, M., Frank, L. G., Riginos, C. & Macdonald, D. W. Landscapes of coexistence for terrestrial carnivores: the ecological consequences of being downgraded from ultimate to penultimate predator by humans. Oikos 124, 1263–1273 (2015).
Article Google Scholar
9.
Cushman, S. A. et al. Prioritizing core areas, corridors and conflict hotspots for lion conservation in southern Africa. PLoS ONE 13, e0196213 (2018).
PubMed PubMed Central Article CAS Google Scholar
10.
Rio-Maior, H., Nakamura, M., Álvares, F. & Beja, P. Designing the landscape of coexistence: integrating risk avoidance, habitat selection and functional connectivity to inform large carnivore conservation. Biol. Conserv. 235, 178–188 (2019).
Article Google Scholar
11.
Macdonald, D. W. et al. Multi-scale habitat modelling identifies spatial conservation priorities for mainland clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa). Divers. Distrib. 25, 1639–1654 (2019).
Article Google Scholar
12.
Johansson, Ö. et al. Land sharing is essential for snow leopard conservation. Biol. Conserv. 203, 1–7 (2016).
Article Google Scholar
13.
López-Bao, J. V., Bruskotter, J. & Chapron, G. Finding space for large carnivores. Nat. Ecol. Evol. 1, 1–2 (2017).
Article Google Scholar
14.
Crespin, S. J. & Simonetti, J. A. Reconciling farming and wild nature: Integrating human–wildlife coexistence into the land-sharing and land-sparing framework. Ambio 48, 131–138 (2019).
PubMed Article PubMed Central Google Scholar
15.
Kaszta, Ż, Cushman, S. A. & Macdonald, D. W. Prioritizing habitat core areas and corridors for a large carnivore across its range. Anim. Conserv. 23, 1–10 (2020).
Article Google Scholar
16.
Kaszta, Ż et al. Simulating the impact of Belt and Road initiative and other major developments in Myanmar on an ambassador felid, the clouded leopard, Neofelis nebulosa. Landsc. Ecol. 35, 727–746 (2020).
Article Google Scholar
17.
Cushman, S. A., Compton, B. W. & McGarigal, K. Habitat fragmentation effects depend on complex interactions between population size and dispersal ability: modeling influences of roads, agriculture and residential development across a range of life-history characteristics. In Spatial Complexity, Informatics, and Wildlife Conservation (eds Cushman, S. A. & Huettmann, F.) 369–385 (Springer, Berlin, 2010).
Google Scholar
18.
Kaszta, Ż et al. Integrating Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi) conservation into development and restoration planning in Sabah (Borneo). Biol. Conserv. 235, 63–76 (2019).
Article Google Scholar
19.
Beier, P., Majka, D. R. & Spencer, W. D. Forks in the road: choices in procedures for designing wildland linkages. Conserv. Biol. 22, 836–851 (2008).
PubMed Article PubMed Central Google Scholar
20.
Romportl, D. et al. Designing migration corridors for large mammals in the Czech Republic. J. Landsc. Ecol. 6, 47–62 (2013).
Article Google Scholar
21.
Ruiz-González, A. et al. Landscape genetics for the empirical assessment of resistance surfaces: the European pine marten (Martes martes) as a target-species of a regional ecological network. PLoS ONE 9, e110552 (2014).
PubMed PubMed Central Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
22.
Cushman, S. A., Elliot, N. B., Macdonald, D. W. & Loveridge, A. J. A multi-scale assessment of population connectivity in African lions (Panthera leo) in response to landscape change. Landsc. Ecol. 31, 1337–1353 (2016).
Article Google Scholar
23.
Linnell, J., Salvatori, V. & Boitani, L. Guidelines for population level management plans for large carnivores in Europe. A Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe (2008).
24.
Reljic, S. et al. Challenges for transboundary management of a European brown bear population. Glob. Ecol. Conserv. 16, e00488 (2018).
Article Google Scholar
25.
Mateo Sanchez, M. C., Cushman, S. A. & Saura, S. Scale dependence in habitat selection: the case of the endangered brown bear (Ursus arctos) in the Cantabrian Range (NW Spain). Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Sci. 28, 1531–1546 (2014).
Article Google Scholar
26.
Vergara, M., Cushman, S. A., Urra, F. & Ruiz-González, A. Shaken but not stirred: multiscale habitat suitability modeling of sympatric marten species (Martes martes and Martes foina) in the northern Iberian Peninsula. Landsc. Ecol. 31, 1241–1260 (2016).
Article Google Scholar
27.
Ziółkowska, E. et al. Assessing differences in connectivity based on habitat versus movement models for brown bears in the Carpathians. Landsc. Ecol. 31, 1863–1882 (2016).
Article Google Scholar
28.
Sarkar, M. S. et al. Multiscale statistical approach to assess habitat suitability and connectivity of common leopard (Panthera pardus) in Kailash Sacred Landscape, India. Spat. Stat. 28, 304–318 (2018).
MathSciNet Article Google Scholar
29.
Ashrafzadeh, M. R. et al. A multi-scale, multi-species approach for assessing effectiveness of habitat and connectivity conservation for endangered felids. Biol. Conserv. 245, 108523 (2020).
Article Google Scholar
30.
McGarigal, K., Wan, H. Y., Zeller, K. A., Timm, B. C. & Cushman, S. A. Multi-scale habitat selection modeling: a review and outlook. Landsc. Ecol. 31, 1161–1175 (2016).
Article Google Scholar
31.
Wasserman, T. N., Cushman, S. A., Shirk, A. S., Landguth, E. L. & Littell, J. S. Simulating the effects of climate change on population connectivity of American marten (Martes americana) in the northern Rocky Mountains, USA. Landsc. Ecol. 27, 211–225 (2012).
Article Google Scholar
32.
Mateo-Sánchez, M. C. et al. A comparative framework to infer landscape effects on population genetic structure: Are habitat suitability models effective in explaining gene flow?. Landsc. Ecol. 30, 1405–1420 (2015).
Article Google Scholar
33.
Zeller, K. A. et al. Are all data types and connectivity models created equal? Validating common connectivity approaches with dispersal data. Divers. Distrib. 24, 868–879 (2018).
Article Google Scholar
34.
Cushman, S. A., Lewis, J. S. & Landguth, E. L. Why did the bear cross the road? Comparing the performance of multiple resistance surfaces and connectivity modeling methods. Diversity 6, 844–854 (2014).
Article Google Scholar
35.
Adriaensen, F. et al. The application of ‘least-cost’modelling as a functional landscape model. Landsc. Urban Plan. 64, 233–247 (2003).
Article Google Scholar
36.
McRae, B. H. Isolation by resistance. Evolution (N. Y.) 60, 1551–1561 (2006).
Google Scholar
37.
Cushman, S. A., McKelvey, K. S. & Schwartz, M. K. Use of empirically derived source–destination models to map regional conservation corridors. Conserv. Biol. 23, 368–376 (2009).
PubMed Article PubMed Central Google Scholar
38.
Compton, B. W., McGarigal, K., Cushman, S. A. & Gamble, L. R. A resistant-kernel model of connectivity for amphibians that breed in vernal pools. Conserv. Biol. 21, 788–799 (2007).
PubMed Article PubMed Central Google Scholar
39.
Panzacchi, M. et al. Predicting the continuum between corridors and barriers to animal movements using step selection functions and randomized shortest paths. J. Anim. Ecol. 85, 32–42 (2016).
PubMed Article PubMed Central Google Scholar
40.
Cushman, S. A., Lewis, J. S. & Landguth, E. L. Evaluating the intersection of a regional wildlife connectivity network with highways. Mov. Ecol. 1, 12 (2013).
PubMed PubMed Central Article Google Scholar
41.
Moqanaki, E. M. & Cushman, S. A. All roads lead to Iran: predicting landscape connectivity of the last stronghold for the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah. Anim. Conserv. 20, 29–41 (2017).
Article Google Scholar
42.
Khosravi, R., Hemami, M. & Cushman, S. A. Multispecies assessment of core areas and connectivity of desert carnivores in central Iran. Divers. Distrib. 24, 193–207 (2018).
Article Google Scholar
43.
Shahnaseri, G. et al. Contrasting use of habitat, landscape elements, and corridors by grey wolf and golden jackal in central Iran. Landsc. Ecol. 34, 1263–1277 (2019).
Article Google Scholar
44.
Cushman, S. A. & Landguth, E. L. Ecological associations, dispersal ability, and landscape connectivity in the northern Rocky Mountains. In Research Paper RMRS-RP-90. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. vol. 90, 21 p (2012).
45.
McGarigal, K. & Cushman, S. A. Comparative evaluation of experimental approaches to the study of habitat fragmentation effects. Ecol. Appl. 12, 335–345 (2002).
Article Google Scholar
46.
Cozzi, G. et al. Anthropogenic food resources foster the coexistence of distinct life history strategies: year-round sedentary and migratory brown bears. J. Zool. 300, 142–150 (2016).
Article Google Scholar
47.
McLellan, B. N., Proctor, M. F., Huber, D. & Michel, S. Ursus arctos (amended version of 2017 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e. T41688A121229971 (2017).
48.
Penteriani, V. & Melletti, M. Bears of the World: Ecology, Conservation and Management (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2020).
Google Scholar
49.
Wolf, C. & Ripple, W. J. Range contractions of the world’s large carnivores. R. Soc. Open Sci. 4, 170052 (2017).
PubMed PubMed Central Article ADS Google Scholar
50.
Garshelis, D. & McLellan, B. Are bear subspecies a thing of the past?. Int. Bear News 20, 9–10 (2011).
Google Scholar
51.
Hajjar, I. The Syrian bear still lives in Syria. Int. Bear News 20, 7–11 (2011).
Google Scholar
52.
Calvignac, S., Hughes, S. & Hänni, C. Genetic diversity of endangered brown bear (Ursus arctos) populations at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. Divers. Distrib. 15, 742–750 (2009).
Article Google Scholar
53.
Ansari, M. & Ghoddousi, A. Water availability limits brown bear distribution at the southern edge of its global range. Ursus 29, 13–24 (2018).
Article Google Scholar
54.
Ashrafzadeh, M. R., Kaboli, M. & Naghavi, M. R. Mitochondrial DNA analysis of Iranian brown bears (Ursus arctos) reveals new phylogeographic lineage. Mamm. Biol. 81, 1–9 (2016).
Article Google Scholar
55.
Gutleb, B. & Ziaie, H. On the distribution and status of the Brown Bear, Ursus arctos, and the Asiatic Black Bear, U. thibetanus, Iran. Zool. Middle East 18, 5–8 (1999).
Article Google Scholar
56.
Moqanaki, E. M., Jiménez, J., Bensch, S. & López-Bao, J. V. Counting bears in the Iranian Caucasus: remarkable mismatch between scientifically-sound population estimates and perceptions. Biol. Conserv. 220, 182–191 (2018).
Article Google Scholar
57.
Yusefi, G. H., Faizolahi, K., Darvish, J., Safi, K. & Brito, J. C. The species diversity, distribution, and conservation status of the terrestrial mammals of Iran. J. Mammal. 100, 55–71 (2019).
Article Google Scholar
58.
Almasieh, K., Rouhi, H. & Kaboodvandpour, S. Habitat suitability and connectivity for the brown bear (Ursus arctos) along the Iran–Iraq border. Eur. J. Wildl. Res. 65, 57 (2019).
Article Google Scholar
59.
Nezami, B. & Farhadinia, M. S. Litter sizes of brown bears in the Central Alborz Protected Area, Iran. Ursus 22, 167–171 (2011).
Article Google Scholar
60.
Darvishsefat, A. A. Atlas of Protected Areas of Iran. (Ravi, 2006).
61.
Atzeni, L. et al. Meta-replication, sampling bias, and multi-scale model selection: a case study on snow leopard (Panthera uncia) in western China. Ecol. Evol. 10, 7686–7712 (2020).
PubMed PubMed Central Article Google Scholar
62.
Ambarli, H., Erturk, A. & Soyumert, A. Current status, distribution, and conservation of brown bear (Ursidae) and wild canids (gray wolf, golden jackal, and red fox; Canidae) in Turkey (2016).
63.
Brown, J. L. SDM toolbox: a python-based GIS toolkit for landscape genetic, biogeographic and species distribution model analyses. Methods Ecol. Evol. 5, 694–700 (2014).
Article Google Scholar
64.
Evans, J. S. & Oakleaf, J. Geomorphometry and gradient metrics toolbox (ArcGIS 10.0) (2012).
65.
Ghorbanian, A. et al. Improved land cover map of Iran using Sentinel imagery within Google Earth Engine and a novel automatic workflow for land cover classification using migrated training samples. ISPRS J. Photogram. Remote Sens. 167, 276–288 (2020).
Article ADS Google Scholar
66.
Sanderson, E. W. et al. The human footprint and the last of the wild: the human footprint is a global map of human influence on the land surface, which suggests that human beings are stewards of nature, whether we like it or not. Bioscience 52, 891–904 (2002).
Article Google Scholar
67.
Fick, S. E. & Hijmans, R. J. WorldClim 2: new 1-km spatial resolution climate surfaces for global land areas. Int. J. Climatol. 37, 4302–4315 (2017).
Article Google Scholar
68.
Jueterbock, A. ‘MaxentVariableSelection’vignette. (2015).
69.
R Development Core, team. A Language ans Environment for Statistical Computing. R Found Stat. Comput. Vienna Austria 2, (2018).
70.
Naimi, B., Hamm, N. A. S., Groen, T. A., Skidmore, A. K. & Toxopeus, A. G. Where is positional uncertainty a problem for species distribution modelling?. Ecography (Cop.) 37, 191–203 (2014).
Article Google Scholar
71.
Zuur, A. F., Ieno, E. N. & Elphick, C. S. A protocol for data exploration to avoid common statistical problems. Methods Ecol. Evol. 1, 3–14 (2010).
Article Google Scholar
72.
Liaw, A. & Wiener, M. Classification and regression by randomForest. R News 2, 18–22 (2002).
Google Scholar
73.
Evans, J. S. & Cushman, S. A. Gradient modeling of conifer species using random forests. Landsc. Ecol. 24, 673–683 (2009).
Article Google Scholar
74.
Wasserman, T. N., Cushman, S. A., Schwartz, M. K. & Wallin, D. O. Spatial scaling and multi-model inference in landscape genetics: Martes Americana in Northern Idaho. Landsc. Ecol. 25, 1601–1612 (2010).
Article Google Scholar
75.
Cushman, S. A. & Lewis, J. S. Movement behavior explains genetic differentiation in American black bears. Landsc. Ecol. 25, 1613–1625 (2010).
Article Google Scholar
76.
Cushman, S. A., Macdonald, E. A., Landguth, E. L., Malhi, Y. & Macdonald, D. W. Multiple-scale prediction of forest loss risk across Borneo. Landsc. Ecol. 32, 1581–1598 (2017).
Article Google Scholar
77.
Zeller, K. A., McGarigal, K. & Whiteley, A. R. Estimating landscape resistance to movement: a review. Landsc. Ecol. 27, 777–797 (2012).
Article Google Scholar
78.
Wan, H. Y., Cushman, S. A. & Ganey, J. L. Improving habitat and connectivity model predictions with multi-scale resource selection functions from two geographic areas. Landsc. Ecol. 34, 503–519 (2019).
Article Google Scholar
79.
Landguth, E. L., Hand, B. K., Glassy, J., Cushman, S. A. & Sawaya, M. A. UNICOR: a species connectivity and corridor network simulator. Ecography (Cop.) 35, 9–14 (2012).
Article Google Scholar
80.
Cushman, S. A., Landguth, E. L. & Flather, C. H. Evaluating population connectivity for species of conservation concern in the American Great Plains. Biodivers. Conserv. 22, 2583–2605 (2013).
Article Google Scholar
81.
Kaszta, Ż, Cushman, S. A., Sillero-Zubiri, C., Wolff, E. & Marino, J. Where buffalo and cattle meet: modelling interspecific contact risk using cumulative resistant kernels. Ecography (Cop.) 41, 1616–1626 (2018).
Article Google Scholar
82.
Støen, O.-G. Natal Dispersal and Social Organization in Brown Bears. (Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Department of Ecology and Natural, 2006).
83.
Saura, S. & Pascual-Hortal, L. A new habitat availability index to integrate connectivity in landscape conservation planning: comparison with existing indices and application to a case study. Landsc. Urban Plan. 83, 91–103 (2007).
Article Google Scholar
84.
Saura, S. & Torné, J. Conefor Sensinode 2.2: a software package for quantifying the importance of habitat patches for landscape connectivity. Environ. Model. Softw. 24, 135–139 (2009).
Article Google Scholar
85.
Avon, C. & Bergès, L. Prioritization of habitat patches for landscape connectivity conservation differs between least-cost and resistance distances. Landsc. Ecol. 31, 1551–1565 (2016).
Article Google Scholar
86.
Ahmadi, M. et al. SPECIES OR SPACE: a combined gap analysis to guide management planning of conservation areas. Landsc. Ecol. 35, 1505–1517 (2020).
Article Google Scholar
87.
Saura, S. & Rubio, L. A common currency for the different ways in which patches and links can contribute to habitat availability and connectivity in the landscape. Ecography (Cop.) 33, 523–537 (2010).
Google Scholar
88.
Elliot, N. B., Cushman, S. A., Macdonald, D. W. & Loveridge, A. J. The devil is in the dispersers: predictions of landscape connectivity change with demography. J. Appl. Ecol. 51, 1169–1178 (2014).
Article Google Scholar
89.
Noroozi, J., Akhani, H. & Breckle, S.-W. Biodiversity and phytogeography of the alpine flora of Iran. Biodivers. Conserv. 17, 493–521 (2008).
Article Google Scholar
90.
Habibzadeh, N. & Ashrafzadeh, M. R. Habitat suitability and connectivity for an endangered brown bear population in the Iranian Caucasus. Wildl. Res. 45, 602–610 (2018).
Article Google Scholar
91.
Ashrafzadeh, M.-R., Khosravi, R., Ahmadi, M. & Kaboli, M. Landscape heterogeneity and ecological niche isolation shape the distribution of spatial genetic variation in Iranian brown bears, Ursus arctos (Carnivora: Ursidae). Mamm. Biol. 93, 64–75 (2018).
Article Google Scholar
92.
Ash, E., Cushman, S. A., Macdonald, D. W., Redford, T. & Kaszta, Ż. How important are resistance, dispersal ability, population density and mortality in temporally dynamic simulations of population connectivity? A case study of tigers in southeast Asia. Land 9, 415 (2020).
Article Google Scholar
93.
Cushman, S. A. et al. Biological corridors and connectivity [Chapter 21]. In Key Topics in Conservation Biology 2 (eds Macdonald, D. W. & Willis, K. J.) 384–404 (Wiley, Hoboken, 2013).
Google Scholar
94.
Ghoddousi, A. Habitat suitability modelling of the Brown bear Ursus arctos in Croatia and Slovenia using telemetry data (2010).
95.
Steyaert, S. M. J. G. et al. Ecological implications from spatial patterns in human-caused brown bear mortality. Wildl. Biol. 22, 144–152 (2016).
Article Google Scholar
96.
Güthlin, D. et al. Estimating habitat suitability and potential population size for brown bears in the Eastern Alps. Biol. Conserv. 144, 1733–1741 (2011).
Article Google Scholar
97.
Penteriani, V. et al. Evolutionary and ecological traps for brown bears Ursus arctos in human-modified landscapes. Mamm. Rev. 48, 180–193 (2018).
Article Google Scholar
98.
Zarzo-Arias, A. et al. Identifying potential areas of expansion for the endangered brown bear (Ursus arctos) population in the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain). PLoS ONE 14, e0209972 (2019).
CAS PubMed PubMed Central Article Google Scholar
99.
Morales-González, A., Ruiz-Villar, H., Ordiz, A. & Penteriani, V. Large carnivores living alongside humans: brown bears in human-modified landscapes. Glob. Ecol. Conserv. 22, e00937 (2020).
Article Google Scholar
100.
Fedorca, A. et al. Inferring fine-scale spatial structure of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) population in the Carpathians prior to infrastructure development. Sci. Rep. 9, 1–12 (2019).
Article CAS Google Scholar
101.
Liu, C., Newell, G., White, M. & Bennett, A. F. Identifying wildlife corridors for the restoration of regional habitat connectivity: a multispecies approach and comparison of resistance surfaces. PLoS ONE 13, e0206071 (2018).
PubMed PubMed Central Article CAS Google Scholar
102.
Macdonald, D. W. et al. Predicting biodiversity richness in rapidly changing landscapes: Climate, low human pressure or protection as salvation?. Biodivers. Conserv. 29, 4035–4057 (2020).
Article Google Scholar
103.
Herrero, S., Smith, T., DeBruyn, T. D., Gunther, K. & Matt, C. A. From the field: brown bear habituation to people—safety, risks, and benefits. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 33, 362–373 (2005).
Article Google Scholar
104.
Skuban, M. et al. Effects of roads on brown bear movements and mortality in Slovakia. Eur. J. Wildl. Res. 63, 82 (2017).
Article Google Scholar
105.
Findo, S., Skuban, M., Kajba, M., Chalmers, J. & Kalaš, M. Identifying attributes associated with brown bear (Ursus arctos) road-crossing and roadkill sites. Can. J. Zool. 97, 156–164 (2019).
Article Google Scholar
106.
Watson, J. E. M. et al. Persistent disparities between recent rates of habitat conversion and protection and implications for future global conservation targets. Conserv. Lett. 9, 413–421 (2016).
Article Google Scholar
107.
Boitani, L., Ciucci, P., Corsi, F. & Dupre, E. Potential range and corridors for brown bears in the Eastern Alps. Italy. Ursus 11, 123–130 (1999).
Google Scholar
108.
Cushman, S. A., McKelvey, K. S., Hayden, J. & Schwartz, M. K. Gene flow in complex landscapes: testing multiple hypotheses with causal modeling. Am. Nat. 168, 486–499 (2006).
PubMed Article PubMed Central Google Scholar
109.
Mohammadi, A. et al. Road expansion: a challenge to conservation of mammals, with particular emphasis on the endangered Asiatic cheetah in Iran. J. Nat. Conserv. 43, 8–18 (2018).
Article Google Scholar More