Seasonal distribution pattern and habitat selection of the Balkan chamois on Olympus mountain: Summer heat, hikers, roads

Abstract

The Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) has a bad conservation status in Greece, and a national action plan will be implemented by the Ministry of Environment. We explored the seasonal distribution pattern and ecological preferences of the species on Mt. Olympus by collecting 1,182 observations of chamois occurrences across four seasonal surveys (2022–2023), and we estimated its population size (2022). The annual range of the species reached 103 km² (Kernel Density Estimator). We recorded the smallest seasonal range during autumn (rutting season), then in summer, and the largest in winter. The species followed the Mediterranean seasonal range use pattern, implying that summer is the stress period due to drought. The population size was c. 430 individuals, showing an increasing trend, but the fecundity rate was low in 2022. The Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) showed that chamois preferred areas near hiking trails throughout the year, likely being habituated with visitors, while avoiding motorized roads, as adopted behaviors of poaching risk minimization. It also favored rocky areas and proximity to escape terrains during spring and winter. This work provides new methodological insights for habitat mapping and escape terrain definition (slope steepness and extent) and supports the suggested measures of the national action plan for implementing a roadless and road control policy, securing water availability in arid mountains, implementing a management plan for tourists, abating poaching and enlarging the hunting banning zone.