
Guna BagradeLatvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava"
Guna Bagrade
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36
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Introduction
Publications
Publications (36)
Survival and cause‐specific mortality rates are vital for evidence‐based population forecasting and conservation, particularly for large carnivores, whose populations are often vulnerable to human‐caused mortalities. It is therefore important to know the relationship between anthropogenic and natural mortality causes to evaluate whether they are ad...
The report Large carnivore distribution maps and population updates 2017 – 2022/23 is based on the latest information and provides the best available overview of brown bear (Ursus arctos), Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), wolf (Canis lupus), golden jackal (Canis aureus), and wolverine (Gulo gulo) distributions and population sizes at a European continent...
The cestode Echinococcus multilocularis is the causative agent of alveolar echinococcosis, a fatal zoonotic parasitic disease of the northern hemisphere. Red foxes are the main reservoir hosts and, likely, the main drivers of the geographic spread of the disease in Europe. Knowledge of genetic relationships among E. multilocularis isolates at a Eur...
Aim: The increasing availability of animal tracking datasets collected across many
sites provides new opportunities to move beyond local assessments to enable detailed and consistent habitat mapping at biogeographical scales. However, integrating wildlife datasets across large areas and study sites is challenging, as species' varying responses to d...
In Latvia, livestock depredation by wolves has increased during the last two decades. Most of the attacks occur in summer and autumn during wolf hunting season. Use of effective preventive measures in Latvia is low, and farmers primarily rely on wolf hunting as a depredation reduction measure. The total numbers of wolf attacks and number of affecte...
In Latvia, livestock depredation by wolves has increased during the last two decades. Most attacks had occurred in summer and autumn within wolf hunting season. Cumulative numbers of wolf attacks and number of affected sheep per year at regional forest management units were analyzed in relation to estimated wolf density, extent of culling and propo...
Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato is a group of tapeworm species known to cause cystic echinococcosis. Within this group, the Echinococcus canadensis cluster includes genotypes G8 and G10 that have a predominantly sylvatic life cycle – transmission occurs between wild cervids and wolves. Relatively few studies have explored the genetic variation o...
Context
Adjustments in habitat use by large carnivores can be a key factor facilitating their coexistence with people in shared landscapes. Landscape composition might be a key factor determining how large carnivores can adapt to occurring alongside humans, yet broad-scale analyses investigating adjustments of habitat use across large gradients of...
Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx was never extirpated in the territory of the Baltic states, and
has always been a common game species in Latvia. End of 2021, the supervising forestry
and game management authority placed a complete ban on lynx hunting, and
additional legislative amendments were introduced in 2022, prescribing full lynx protection
in the fut...
ContextBehavioral adjustments by large carnivores can be a key factor facilitating their coexistence with people in shared landscapes. Landscape composition might be a key factor determining how large carnivores can adapt to occurring alongside humans, yet broad-scale analyses investigating adjustments of habitat use across large gradients of human...
We studied the relationship between the variability and contemporary distribution of pelage phenotypes in one of most widely distributed felid species and an array of environmental and demographic conditions. We collected 672 photographic georeferenced records of the Eurasian lynx throughout Eurasia. We assigned each lynx coat to one of five phenot...
Large carnivores are essential components of natural ecosystems. In populated areas, their conservation depends on preserving a favorable status in coexistence with humans, which may require the elimination of excess carnivores to minimize public concerns. As the Baltic region currently hosts a thriving wolf population, locally sustainable manageme...
The cestode Echinococcus multilocularis is the causative agent of alveolar echinococcosis, a severe helminthic zoonotic disease distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. The lifecycle of the parasite is mainly sylvatic, involving canid and rodent hosts. The absence of genetic data from most eastern European countries is a major knowledge gap, affecti...
Diphyllobothriid tapeworms of the genus Spirometra are causative agents of sparganosis, food-borne zoonotic parasitic disease. They have been recorded in broad spectrum of hosts, including humans, in all continents except Antarctica. Spirometra tape-worms have been intensively studied in several Asian countries; however, they have been rather negle...
A survey was carried out to determine the attitudes of the general public and of hunters towards wolves (Canis lupus) in Latvia. Today wildlife conservation depends on effective management practices; however, these are often influenced by public opinions and attitudes. Our aim was to understand the causes behind these attitudes and to compare our r...
The acceptance of large carnivores is one of the key issues for their conservation. We
analyzed the level acceptance of brown bears (Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758) amongst 10–18 year old school students in four European countries using anonymous questionnaires. Our aim was to characterize the drivers of species acceptance, described as a rural–urban...
Trematode Alaria spp. have a complex life cycle that includes canids, mustelids, and felids as definitive hosts. However, several mammal species, besides acting as definitive hosts, may also act as paratenic hosts. Alaria spp. life cycles are well studied. Still, there is a lack of knowledge on one host significance as both—the paratenic and defini...
The trematode Alaria alata has a complex life cycle in which carnivore mammals may become infected by feeding on mesocercariae-infected, second intermediate hosts or paratenic hosts. Afterwards, young flukes migrate through various organs of the definitive host, including the diaphragm and the lungs, before reaching the small intestine. The aim of...
We analyzed differences in brown bear acceptance by teenagers in four countries characterized by differing brown bear population statuses - two no-bear countries: Latvia (no breeding records) and Lithuania (no permanent population, but increasing numbers of registrations in recent years); along with two bear-inhabited countries, both having high be...
We analyzed differences in brown bear acceptance by teenagers in four countries: two less-bear countries with sporadic occurrences: Latvia and Lithuania; along with two bear-inhabited countries: Bulgaria and Turkey. In all countries, the bears are protected, but poaching levels and human-bear conflict frequency differ.
Our aim was to understand th...
Tapeworms of the species complex of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato ( s. l. ) are the cause of a severe zoonotic disease – cystic echinococcosis, which is listed among the most severe parasitic diseases in humans and is prioritized by the World Health Organization. A stable taxonomy of E. granulosus s. l. is essential to the medical and veterina...
Browsing by large herbivores can have significant impacts on various ecosystems, and the industries associated with them. However, little is done to explain animal-plant interactions on the basis of browsing frequency. Our study indicates that assessment of summer browsing at the end of the growing season can give a clearer understanding of these i...
Background
In Europe, the life-cycle of Echinococcus multilocularis is predominantly sylvatic, involving red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) as the main definitive hosts and rodents such as muskrats and arvicolids as intermediate hosts. The parasite is the etiological agent of human alveolar echinococcosis, a malignant zoonotic disease caused by the accident...
The Eurasian lynx is managed as a game species in Latvia. A variety of demographic parameters were used to assess the current status of the Latvian lynx population and recruitment after annual harvest. Population age–gender structure and female prenatal fecundity were determined in 530 legally hunted animals over a 9-year period. Average prenatal f...
In the Baltic countries, the two zoonotic diseases, alveolar echinococcosis (AE) caused by Echinococcus multilocularis, and cystic echinococcosis (CE) caused by Echinococcus granulosus, are of increasing public health concern. Observations from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania indicate that the distribution of both parasites is wider in the Baltics th...
The digenean trematode Alaria alata, an intestinal parasite of wild canids is widely distributed in Europe. The recent finding of the mesocercarial life cycle stage in the paratenic wild boar host suggests that it may potentially infect humans. Overall 291 foxes, 194 raccoon dogs and 1305 wild boars were examined during 3-year period. The prevalenc...
Thirty-four wolves were collected between 2003 and 2008 from throughout Latvia and examined for helminths. A total of 17 helminth species were recorded: the trematode Alaria alata (85.3%); the cestodes Diphyllobothrium latum (2.9%), Echinococcus granulosus (2.9%), Echinococcus multilocularis (5.9%), Mesocestoides lineatus (5.9%), Taenia crassiceps...
45 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from various regions of Latvia were examined by necropsy between 2003 and 2008 for the presence and infection intensity
of Echinococcus multilocularis. The overall prevalence was 35.6 %, with the intensity of infection ranging from 1 to 1438. Although a limited number of
foxes were examined, the prevalence was high and...
The study examines the harvesting manner of lynx population in Latvia. Samples from hunting bags compose the main material used for analysis. From 1998 to 2005 a total of 178 lynxes were in- vestigated for sex, absolute age, female fertility, and fecundity. The sample consisted of 33.7% juve- niles, 12.4% yearlings and 53.9% adults. The sex ratio d...
Winter diets of wolfCanis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 and lynxLynx lynx Linnaeus, 1758 in Latvia and Estonia were investigated in 1997–2000 based on stomach contents of hunted animals and scats.
Ungulates appeared to be the staple food for both predators. Lynx diet to a high extent consisted of cervids (Estonia 52%
frequency of prey, Latvia 88%), roe deer...
In the article, preliminary data on the helminthofauna of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in Latvia are presented. Material for the research on the helminthofauna was collected and investigated from 1999 to 2002. A total of 42 individuals was examined for helminths. Helminth species occur-ring most frequently in the Eurasian lynx and helminths danger...