High-altitude grasslands are key to conserving Andean bears

To conserve Andean bears in Peru, the best strategy may be to conserve high-altitude grasslands bordering cloud forests. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists Andean bears (Tremarctos ornatus) as vulnerable due to habitat loss, climate change and human conflict. Scientists knew that the bears eat flowering plants called bromeliads, but they didn’t know much about the bears’ foraging behavior and plant preferences. In a study published in PLOS ONE, researchers used trail cameras to answer some of these questions. They found that Andean bears foraged in only 16.7% of available bromeliad patches where they felt safe from human disturbance. The areas they chose were also places where livestock had grazed only a few decades prior. The researchers determined that conservation managers should focus on conserving high-altitude grasslands bordering cloud forests and should consider how livestock have used the area.

Read the study in PLOS ONE.