IESc Seminar Series: “Brown Bears' Ecology in Türkiye: Insights into Habitats and Conservation” By Dr Morteza Naderi

Institute of Environmental Sciences Seminar Series

“Brown Bears' Ecology in Türkiye: Insights into Habitats and Conservation”

By Dr. Morteza Naderi

Koç University

We cordially invite you to our seminar “Brown Bears' Ecology in Türkiye: Insights into Habitats and Conservation”, to be held by Dr Morteza Naderi, Koç University.

When: 10 July 2024, Wednesday, 11:00-12:30

Where: Institute of Environmental Sciences Seminar Room (Hisar Campus E-Block)

Abstract:

Türkiye plays a critical role as a massive land bridge connecting the eastern to the western Palearctic, making any data about the country’s biodiversity of global importance. A comprehensive country-wide project on brown bear ecology was conducted from June 2020 to June 2023, involving intensive fieldwork and nationwide data collection. Utilizing an ensemble modeling approach and various statistical methods, we developed spatial models of the species' current distribution and provided insights into the species' future status under different climate scenarios. We assessed the relationship between species habitat suitability, elevation ranges, and protected areas and provided recommendations for an improved nationwide conservation plan. Additionally, we investigated human-brown bear conflict events in Türkiye, analyzing their spatial and temporal dynamics and identifying factors contributing to conflict risk. In light of the results, we prepared a conflict risk map for the country and discussed the potential wildlife management actions to mitigate the conflicts. Some part of this research was performed in the Sarıkamış, Kars region regarding space use of brown bears for denning also provides insights into the species' den site selection and welfare states in the fragmented habitats of Sarıkamış. Some of our findings during this research work were unique to the world and reported for the first time. This project provided new ideas for future studies in interdisciplinary research groups.

Short bio:

Dr. Morteza Naderi is a research associate professor at Koç University, and he is known for his ecology and biodiversity conservation work. Over the past two decades, Dr. Naderi has significantly contributed to teaching and research. He has taught various courses, including ecology, wildlife ecology, GIS, and habitat assessment. During his academic journey, he supervised over 10 PhD theses and 80 MSc students. He is currently the leading investigator of a Turkish partner in a multinational project funded by Biodiversa Plus (Horizon Europe). He has also led many other projects on vertebrate ecology and, recently, some projects on mammal welfare, Marmaris Salamander and Euphrates softshell turtle protection, and Black bears community-based conservation. Habitat-carrying capacity analysis and behavioral ecology of desert-dwelling rodents in Iran's central deserts can be mentioned as a few parts of his research projects. He is also the funder and director of "The Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity" and "Scientific Reports in Life Sciences." He is also the author of multiple academic books in Persian on Wildlife Ecology, conservation biology, and Wildlife Management and Ecology. For more than five years, Dr. Naderi has been part of an international team working on large carnivores conservation ecology and genetics in the Sarıkamış region, including live capturing, sampling, collaring, and monitoring of brown bears, gray wolves, and Eurasian lynx to analyze habitat usage, circadian cycles, genetic approaches and interactions with humans. Dr. Morteza Naderi's work in wildlife conservation and ecological research has had a lasting impact, inspiring many to appreciate and protect the natural world.