# Developing a GIS Model for Identifying Bear Corridors with Open-Source Data: The Romanian Context
## 4 Discussion
For a more efficient analysis at the regional level, several data sets must be added that contain favorable factors and that do not have a barrier effect in the bear's habitat, such as the presence of areas with fruit bushes (raspberry, blueberry, blackberry), areas favorable for finding a bear den. For all the favorable and restrictive elements described previously, it is necessary to collect data from the field and spatialize them so that they can be modelled with the help of GIS software. A major problem identified as a result of the field analysis is the deficient maintenance of the existing green bridges (Figure 14). A relevant example is the green bridge on the A1 in the area of Sacel, the area where three cases of accidents were identified on the A1 highway. The green bridge does not represent interest for the bear population because it is in an inadequate condition with dry vegetation (Figure 14). To avoid accidental killings, it is proposed to build infrastructure elements such as a viaduct or a green bridge, and these should include elements of shrubby vegetation and trees from the deciduous category that would represent an attraction for the bear population, providing food and protection resources. Also, the favorability of ecological factors [49] should be taken into account in the design stage not only for the construction site but also for the entire adjacent area. The topic addressed raises a high degree of interest, and promotes developing studies and spatial analyses both at the national level (zonal studies) and at the European level (regional studies) in order to highlight both the local specifics of the bear population movement and the possibilities of interconnecting neighboring countries through the creation of ecological corridors. Such studies have materialized and are being developed through the involvement of many researchers from inter- and transdisciplinary fields and representatives of the authorities responsible for the management of the species, obtaining results similar to the current study. One of the international projects that had, as its theme, the identification of ecological corridors is Connect Green Restoring and managing ecological corridors in mountains as the green infrastructure in the Danube basin [50]. This project was carried out over 3 years (2018-2021) and includes all the countries of the Carpathian chain (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Romania, and Serbia), the main goal being to preserve and improve long-term ecological connectivity between natural habitats (especially Natura 2000 sites and other transnational protected areas) in the Carpathian ecoregion. The results obtained within the Connect Green project largely corroborate the results of the proposed model, taking into account the fact that only spatial and alphanumeric databases in free and open-source format were used in the proposed model. Some ecological infrastructure corridors were already installed on the A1 motorway. The sites where the identified infrastructure elements and ecological corridors cross or will intersect with the proposed Romanian highway network have been chosen because they will have a strong barrier effect for the bear population when travelling between habitats. The proposal was made on the basis of the case study that takes into account two hunting grounds with high favorability that are the departure and arrival areas of the bear population. The spatial database obtained as a result of running the spatial analysis model proposed in the present study was queried, highlighting the section of the A1 Boita-Lotrioara highway from Valea Oltluui, a sector under construction that intersects with the route for the movement of wild animals between the selected hunting grounds, but also the A3 Sinaia-Comarnic highway sector, which is currently in the planning stage (Figure 15). The study was conducted on the complete distribution area of the brown bear, and it resulted in the identification of crucial areas at the regional level.