BROWN BEAR (URSUS-ARCTOS L) HABITAT USE IN THE CANTABRIAN MOUNTAINS, SPAIN

A study of brown bear (Ursus arctos L.) habitat relationships was conducted in the Cantabrian Mountains (northern Spain) in 1985-1988. Location data from one radiomarked bear and sign from other non-marked bears in the same geographic area were analyzed. The relation between utilization and availability of habitat features using six variables were compared by testing the null hypothesis, i.e., bears use habitats in proportion to their availability. We found no significant difference between the habitat use of the radiomarked bear and other bears in the study area. Bears preferred forested habitats and used beech (Fagus sylvatica) and durmast (Quercus petraea)/pyrenean (Q. pyrenaica) oak forests in greater proportion than their availability. All bears utilized slope aspects randomly. Bears selected areas lower in elevation than expected by chance but above the mean village elevation. Bears were located in areas further from villages and roadways than expected and used areas of moderate physiographic relief. Brown bears used the available habitats in a selective manner. The most critical area for bears was a multi-community complex of deciduous forest/shrub/grassland between 1,100-1,400 m, situated above areas of intense agricultural activity but below the subalpine zone. It is recommended that resource managers protect the important bear habitats and cover types, and manage resource exploitation and human activity so as to minimize disturbances and alterations within the bears range.