New research reveals drivers of golden jackal expansion across Europe and predicts future colonization
International research lead by researchers from the University of Ljubljana and INRAE institute has revealed that grey wolves are the main factor limiting the expansion of golden jackals in Europe. However, human activity is importantly reducing the suppressive effect of top predators. The study published this week in journal Nature Ecology & Evolution predicts that jackals could colonize up to 75% of the continent, almost six times their currently occupied area.
Experts from 13 European countries lead by researchers from Biotechnical faculty (University of Ljubljana) and INRAE institute studied the spreading of medium-sized carnivore, the golden jackal, across Europe. This is one of the most dramatic expansions of native mammal worldwide, but the reasons behind it have remained elusive.
Results show that shorter snow-cover duration, intermediate forest cover and proximity to water bodies are all associated with jackal presence. But wolf presence has the strongest impact: jackals are most likely to be present where wolves are absent and least likely in the core areas of stable wolf packs. This lends support to the mesopredator-release hypothesis indicating that the historic extermination of wolves in Europe was the main trigger for jackal spreading on this continent.
New study also showed that human presence can modulate jackal-wolf interactions through a process known as ‘human shield’. Researchers observed that jackals generally avoid human settlements in regions where wolves are absent. But where wolves are present, jackal behaviour changes as they start selecting areas near people.
Based on these insights, researchers also developed a model that predicts the extent of future jackal expansion. They found that 75% of the total area of continental Europe is environmentally suitable for this species. This is 6-times larger than the area jackals currently occupy.
“Our study provides evidence that the recovery of apex predators can act as a nature-based solution to regulate expanding mesocarnivore populations. However, results also suggest that to retain such ecological effects, apex predators must reach ecologically-effective densities and sufficient social stability,” commented Dr. Miha Krofel from the University of Ljubljana, the senior author of the study published these days in the scientific journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.
Study was co-funded by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (grants ExtremePredator and P4-0059).
Sustainable development goal: 15 – Life on land
Original article:
Human shielding from wolves facilitates jackal expansion across Europe. Nature Ecology & Evolution.
Contact for further information: Miha Krofel, University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, miha.krofel@bf.uni-lj.si
Figures:
FIGURE 1: After being confined to the fringes of Southeastern Europe for millennia, jackals have recently expanded across large part of the continent, reaching as far west as Spain and as far north as the Arctic. New research suggests that their spread is far from complete. Photo: Martin Steenhaut.
FIGURE 2: International team of researchers from 13 countries used playback recordings of howling jackals and recorded their responses at nearly 9000 locations to uncover the drivers that influence their distribution in the Continental Europe. Photo: Miha Krofel.