| dc.description.abstract | Large carnivores serve important ecosystem functions, but have broad ecological requirements that often bring them into conflict with modern human society. Heavy persecution in Europe has led to a dramatic reduction in large carnivore populations, but the recent recovery of the brown bear (Ursus arctos), gray wolf (Canis lupus), Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), and wolverine (Gulo gulo) offers hope for the conservation of these species in human-dominated landscapes. In the mid-19th century, Norwegian legislation sought to eradicate these species entirely, and hunting records indicate that this effort was mostly successful. However, changing attitudes and policies have allowed for the return of these species to Norway largely via immigration from neighboring countries. Rising human-carnivore conflicts have made large carnivore management a contentious issue in Norway with many opposing views. Despite recent expansion, these species are still assessed as endangered or critically endangered in Norway. In this study, a back-calculation method was used to estimate past population sizes of Norway’s large carnivores. The metabolic biomass of each species was calculated across Norway, and spatial and temporal changes were analyzed and mapped over the last two centuries. In addition, the ratio of carnivore to herbivore biomass density in Norway was explored from 1949-2015. Analyses show that carnivore metabolic biomass was highest in the mid-19th century, lowest in the mid-20th century, and is presently partly recovered. This recovery has seen carnivore biomass shift towards Norway’s shared international borders. The ratio of carnivore to herbivore metabolic biomass has increased steadily from the mid-20th century to today, and rewilding is demonstrated in all four carnivore species, most significantly for the wolverine. While trophic interactions between carnivores and herbivores have returned, both groups are still mostly dictated by management. These findings, when nested within an interdisciplinary approach, can offer a broader historical context for large carnivore management in Norway. | |