Distribution of the Iberian Wolf (Canis lupus signatus) in Galicia (NW Spain): Concordance Between Field Sampling and Questionnaires

The information about wolf presence in Galicia (NW Spain) obtained from questionnaires sent to wildlife rangers (163 with a 59.50% response) and huntig associations (629 with a 28.29% response) is compared to that obtained from field sampling involving the surveying of 305 UTM 10x10 km squares. The data were recorded as presence/non-presence in UTM 10x10 km squares. Wildlife rangers provided information on wolf presence in 58.03% of squares, Hunter’s Associations in 52.13% and field sampling in 63.60%. The three sources of information differed with respect to the number of grids with wolf presence/non-presence. The overall percentage of concordance (presence/non-presence) between sampling and questionnaires was 70.16%. Concordance between field sampling and questionnaires was 85,57% for wolf presence and only 43,24% for wolf non-presence. Although the present results suggest that questionnaires provide reliable information in areas where wolves have usually been present, they may leed to overestimation of wolf presence on humanised land and underestimation in areas near provincial boundaries.