Wildlife in a Politically Divided World: Insularism Inflates Estimates of Brown Bear Abundance

摘要: Political borders dictate how biological diversity is monitored and managed, yet wild animals often move freely between jurisdictions. We quantified bias in brown bear (Ursus arctos) abundance estimates introduced when analytical methods ignore that the same individuals may be accounted for more than one jurisdiction. A spatially explicit population model revealed up to 49% of female bears detected Norway via microsatellite analysis scat hair samples have their center activity neighboring countries (Finland, Russia, Sweden). Not accounting detections “foreign residents” resulted were inflated by as much 119%. Like management conservation, monitoring transboundary wildlife populations should take place at ecologically relevant scales avoid biased a false sense control. When political realities isolate jurisdictions from neighbors, approaches can allow local or national programs glimpse beyond borders.