Testing the effectiveness of pruning apple trees to boost fruit productivity and its association with Apennine brown bears (Ursus arctos marsicanus) in areas of potential expansion

The Critically Endangered Apennine brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus) has a small range in central Italy. Among the conservation actions trialed is the pruning of apple trees in wild/abandoned fields to increase tree productivity as a potential measure to increase the occurrence of bears in these areas. We tested the potential effectiveness of this management action by collecting bear’s signs of presence along transects and relating this variable against a suite of predictors, including tree pruning. Fruit production is increased by pruning, and the probability of presence of bears’ signs resulted positively and significantly associated with tree pruning. Areas with pruned trees could therefore be more frequented by bears.