Impact of historical land use change on the brown bear habitat connectivity in the Polish Carpathians

The results of both approaches showed a gradual improvement in habitat connectivity for brown bears over time, driven by the increase in forest cover observed over the whole analysed period. However, the dynamics of these changes were much higher after the forced post-war resettlement in the 1940s. These tragic events resulted in the removal of settlements over large areas, substantially reducing human pressure and allowing brown bears to spread into new territories, expanding their habitats and creating new connectivity opportunities. We found that up to 40% of the current corridor was stable since mid-19th century. Our analysis shows that the current population decline in many rural areas of Europe may have positive implications for the habitats and population connectivity of large carnivores, but careful planning is needed to avoid negative interactions with local communities.