# Developing a GIS Model for Identifying Bear Corridors with Open-Source Data: The Romanian Context
## 2 Materials and Methods
As part of the spatial analysis, the cost raster was finalized with favorability values in the range 1-10, 1 representing favorable areas and 10 representing areas with low favorability. The cost raster was obtained by integrating the favorable and restrictive factors with values between 1 and 10 through the weighted sum of the ArcMap 10.8 GIS software, taking into account how each aspect affects the bear's mobility in its natural surroundings. The slope has an important role in the habitat of the brown bear, favoring finding a den for winter sleep. It is important that the slope is as steep as possible and with large altitudes (Figure 4). (the thickness of the snow cover prevents the penetration of frost into the den) [38,39]. Most of the time, the paths and marked tourist routes overlap with the daily travel routes of brown bears [40]; the explanation for this is that both tourists and bears choose to travel in rugged areas. The routes that overlap the steeper slopes are reduced, and this causes the bear to be removed from gently sloping areas used for movement between favorable habitat areas, with the bears preferring to use steep slopes that are difficult for humans to access (Figure 5). Figure 4: Altitudinal map of the study area. The presence of bears in a habitat is strongly influenced by surface water resources. These, in addition to hydration and thermoregulation [41], can be a source of food since possible prey is also attracted to water. In the current context of human development (water capture), which is directly proportional to the lack of precipitation and the increase in temperature, this makes water resources scarce. Degradation and reduction of water sources can cause imbalances in the habitat (Figure 6), meaning that bears are attracted to inhabited areas [12]. The presence of roads and railways within the brown bear's habitat has a strong barrier effect [42] and represents a deadly threat through collision with vehicles. From the category of roads, for the present study, communal and agricultural roads were eliminated because their width and traffic intensity are not high. Instead, we included future roads from the General Transport Master Plan (MPGT) of Romania [24]. The most dangerous are the highways, expressways, European, national, and county roads (Figures 7 and 8). Land use, as defined in CLC 2018, was grouped into seven-point categories based on the importance of each to the brown bear (Table 2, Figure 9). Figure 5: Slope map of the study area. Figure 6: Water resources in the study area. Figure 7: Transport infrastructure in the study area. The favorability of the habitat, established in the form of a raster database as a cost raster, for the entire studied area was realized considering all the favorable and restrictive factors that make up the habitat of the brown bear. The use of GIS technology, spatial  
Figure 8: Distance to settlements in the study area. Figure 9: Land use scoring in the study area. analysis techniques, and the results obtained from the modelling of each factor could be classified into five favorability classes (Figure 9).