Forest Corridors Crucial for a Metapopulation of Wisents in the Carpathians—a Potential Rescue for Ukrainian Population of the Species

A majority of free ranging wisent (Bison bonasus L.) populations in Ukraine is critically threatened by the acts of warfare. The only, relatively safe populations, dwell in the Carpathians. One of them - the herd inhabiting Skolyvsky Beskyd National Park, lives in a close proximity to larger herds from Bieszczady Mountains in Poland and National Park Poloniny in Slovakia. Creating conditions for a mutual exchange of individuals within those populations, could secure genetic diversity of the Ukrainian herd in a long term. Such migrations are however limited by permeability of forest corridors, linking herds dwelling across Polish and Slovak borders. Additionally, a border fence along the Ukrainian border effectively prevents any transboundary movements of large mammals. In this paper ecological conditions along national borders of those three countries are analysed, and existing obstacles for animal movements are identified. A concept for the creation a functional metapopulation of wisents, within this transboundary region of the Carpathians is proposed.