Landscape Features, Human Disturbance or Prey Availability? What Shapes the Distribution of Large Carnivores in Europe?

Knowledge concerning the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors associated with long-term settlement large carnivores in human-dominated landscapes is important for effective species conservation. However, identifying major drivers carnivore occurrences at a continental scale challenging as several can act concert to affect distributions. Thus, we investigated relationship between permanent sporadic (brown bear, Eurasian lynx, grey wolf wolverine) three groups predictor variables (i.e., landscape attributes, human disturbance prey availability) on Europe. Specifically, used generalized linear models (GLMs) variation partitioning estimate independent cumulative effects occurrences. The explained variance vs. occurrence was highest wolverine (42.8% 29.7%), followed by brown bear (20.5% 16.4%), lynx (15.2% 11.6%) (15.8% 6.1%). Landscape such forest cover, shrub-land altitude slope, were positively related wolf, whereas (human population density, distance roads settlements) negatively occurrence. For all species, shared attributes accounted considerable portion both occurrence, generally more explaining than except wolverine. Prey availability marginally but found no statistical effect other carnivores. In conclusion, Europe stochastic less predictable their joint are most recolonization dynamics carnivores, although distributions appear strongly limited itself. Domestic seems play subordinate role driving recent distribution scale. our results relevant also light ongoing which, many rural areas, caused concerns among locals, especially relation conflicts activities. these reasons, stress need continue improve monitoring across