ECOLOGICAL NICHE OF THE BLACK BEAR (Ursus thibetanus Cuvier, 1823) IN PU HU NATURE RESERVE, THANH HOA PROVINCE

Abstract

The investigation of habitats to identify the spatial ecological niche of the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus Cuvier, 1823) in Pu Hu Nature Reserve was carried out from May 2023 to December 2024. Habitat selection indices were calculated, and GIS combined with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to develop a detailed spatial ecological niche model for the species. The results showed that the Asiatic black bear inhabited areas with gentle slopes below 25°, neutral exposure, mountain slopes and peaks, and altitudes above 700 m. The species preferred forests with canopy cover exceeding 50%, tree density ranging from 750 to 1,500 trees/ha, and scattered fallen logs (25 - 125 trees/ha). These habitats also had low shrub density (below 1,500 bushes/ha), were located at least 1,200 m from roads and 2,000 m from residential areas, and were within 1,000 m of water sources. The spatial ecological niche of the Asiatic Black Bear in the study area covered 14,410.41 ha, concentrated in eight subzones: TK42, TK49, TK56, TK83, TK94, TK98, TK102 and TK120. Additionally, the study provided recommendations for conservation planning to protect the Asiatic black bear population in the Pu Hu Nature Reserve.