THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CONFERENCE

[Duccio]

THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CONFERENCE:
WOLF CONSERVATION IN HUMAN DOMINATED LANDSCAPES
25. – 27. September 2013 in Postojna, Slovenia
First circular

We have the pleasure to announce The International Wolf Conference, which will be held between 25th and 27th September 2013 in Postojna, Slovenia. The Conference is organized by the LIFE+ SloWolf project team (Conservation and surveillance of conservation status of wolf (Canis lupus) population in Slovenia LIFE08 NAT/SLO/000244), led by University of Ljubljana.




The presence of wolves in human-dominated landscapes of Europe is a result of complex interactions among many environmental and human factors. With ever increasing human pressure on the environment, the challenge of effective conservation of wolves can only be met through understanding of how interactions of different factors in these landscapes either allow or limit occurrence and persistence of this species.




By sharing knowledge and experiences, we can considerably increase effectiveness of wolf conservation, improve cooperation, and promote transition from country-based management towards management at the level of populations. The target audience of the conference are wolf researchers, experts and managers, as well as students with interests in wildlife management and conservation. The first two days will be devoted to presentations and workshops dealing with major wolf conservation topics, and the last day to a fieldtrip to Slovenian wolf habitat.




Conference program will cover five topics:

· WOLF SOCIOBIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY

· POPULATION MONITORING

· GENETICS AND MOLECULAR ECOLOGY

· CONFLICT MITIGATION AND RESOLUTION

· WOLVES AND HUMAN ATTITUDES




Workshops: Two workshops are planned for the conference. The first will focus on possibilities of including citizen-collected data into population monitoring of charismatic species, with the proposed title


»Using layman-collected data in population monitoring – challenges and opportunities«




The topic of the second workshop is to be determined following suggestions and preferences of the conference participants. Proposed topics include:




· Sustainable hunting - Invasive for a wolf, but beneficial for the population? Pros, cons & solutions.

· Illegal killing of wolves - a conflict that is here to stay?

· Dissolving the conflict - promoting and rewarding damage prevention measures.



The registration will start following the Second Circular on 15th March 2013, when additional information will become available on the SloWolf web page: http://www.volkovi.si. The conference will be free of registration fees. The official language of the conference will be English.