Using Multi-criteria analysis and GIS to determine the brown bear denning habitat : a case study in Sånfjället National Park, Sweden

Sammanfattning: Human disturbance as the main factor influencing the habitat of brown bear (Ursus arctos) has occurred frequently with the development of human society. How to reduce and prevent the conflict between human and brown bears is considered as an important question for brown bear conservation, management and public safety. Sånfjället National Park has one of the densest bear populations in Sweden. Many tourists are attracted to visit bears each year. Through this study, the most possibility brown bear denning habitat in Sånfjället National Park was determined by using Multi-Criteria Analysis. A customized habitat distribution map generator was programmed within the Microsoft Visual Basic® for Applications (VBA) in ArcGIS. Three themes were designed in the map generator, i.e., the human impact emphasis weighted, neutral weighted themes and customized weighted theme. Customized weighted theme was produced for user discovering denning habitat results with user-defined weights. Comparing the final maps generated from the human impact emphasis weighted and neutral weighted themes, human influence concentrated in the south area of the National Park. The trails near Sveduterget should be changed to avoid human disturbance in the bear denning period.