Tibor Hartel
@thartel.bsky.social
Conservation biology, social-ecological systems, wood-pastures, large carnivores, urban green spaces.
Wilderness beyond fence. Imagine you wake up, go back to your yard for an innocent walk and a curious and relaxed bear is saying hello from the other side of the yard.
November 6, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Wilderness beyond fence. Imagine you wake up, go back to your yard for an innocent walk and a curious and relaxed bear is saying hello from the other side of the yard.
Beaver, the engineer; a keystone species helping landscapes navigate drought.
Bear and fox tracks nearby, cows and sheep grazing around. Near Sfântu Gheorghe.
Bear and fox tracks nearby, cows and sheep grazing around. Near Sfântu Gheorghe.
October 18, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Beaver, the engineer; a keystone species helping landscapes navigate drought.
Bear and fox tracks nearby, cows and sheep grazing around. Near Sfântu Gheorghe.
Bear and fox tracks nearby, cows and sheep grazing around. Near Sfântu Gheorghe.
Regularly pollarded willows near Sfântu Gheorghe keep an old tradition alive. Every 4–6 years, they provide firewood and stakes—while sustaining biodiversity, cultural memory, and even habitats for protected insects.
October 18, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Regularly pollarded willows near Sfântu Gheorghe keep an old tradition alive. Every 4–6 years, they provide firewood and stakes—while sustaining biodiversity, cultural memory, and even habitats for protected insects.
One of the many wood-pastures we assessed to understand them under the lens of the Cultural Values Model by Janet Stephenson. See link of our paper published in People and Nature below.
October 16, 2025 at 5:23 PM
One of the many wood-pastures we assessed to understand them under the lens of the Cultural Values Model by Janet Stephenson. See link of our paper published in People and Nature below.
Technically: (Urban) Ecosystem disservices.
In a more inclusive formulation: "negative contributions of (urban) nature to people"
In a more popular formulation: bird shit
Funnily: Birds took one look at our pipe and said “nice toilet”
Technically: (Urban) Ecosystem disservices.
In a more inclusive formulation: "negative contributions of (urban) nature to people"
In a more popular formulation: bird shit
Funnily: Birds took one look at our pipe and said “nice toilet”
Technically: (Urban) Ecosystem disservices.
August 7, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Technically: (Urban) Ecosystem disservices.
In a more inclusive formulation: "negative contributions of (urban) nature to people"
In a more popular formulation: bird shit
Funnily: Birds took one look at our pipe and said “nice toilet”
Technically: (Urban) Ecosystem disservices.
In a more inclusive formulation: "negative contributions of (urban) nature to people"
In a more popular formulation: bird shit
Funnily: Birds took one look at our pipe and said “nice toilet”
Technically: (Urban) Ecosystem disservices.
Good morning!
Breite ancient oak wood-pasture, Sighișoara - Schäßburg - Segesvár.
Breite ancient oak wood-pasture, Sighișoara - Schäßburg - Segesvár.
August 4, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Good morning!
Breite ancient oak wood-pasture, Sighișoara - Schäßburg - Segesvár.
Breite ancient oak wood-pasture, Sighișoara - Schäßburg - Segesvár.
Open, unfenced wood-pasture with traditional biocultural physiognomy, surrounded by wilderness. As the herder family told: this is a/the genuine herder life.
August 2, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Open, unfenced wood-pasture with traditional biocultural physiognomy, surrounded by wilderness. As the herder family told: this is a/the genuine herder life.
Large old trees, no fences, scattered shrubs, mushrooms, bears. These were once normal features of Transylvanian wood-pastures. Since 2022, rapid change is on-going on them. By 2030, most will lose their traditional shape and role. And people may forget they ever looked different.
August 1, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Large old trees, no fences, scattered shrubs, mushrooms, bears. These were once normal features of Transylvanian wood-pastures. Since 2022, rapid change is on-going on them. By 2030, most will lose their traditional shape and role. And people may forget they ever looked different.
I wish you a wonderful day with this traditional wood-pasture and pastoral life. The dogs are guarding the herd. It is one of the highest bear density areas of Romania, where in the past 25 years 2 bear attacks happened: one on a sheep and one on a young cow. Both ca 10 years ago. No electric fence.
July 31, 2025 at 4:40 PM
I wish you a wonderful day with this traditional wood-pasture and pastoral life. The dogs are guarding the herd. It is one of the highest bear density areas of Romania, where in the past 25 years 2 bear attacks happened: one on a sheep and one on a young cow. Both ca 10 years ago. No electric fence.
Livestock guardian dogs resting in the shade, essential allies in protecting herds from large carnivores. The wooden yokes around their necks are traditional devices that prevent them from chasing wildlife such as deer or hares, maintaining a balance between protection and coexistence.
July 26, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Livestock guardian dogs resting in the shade, essential allies in protecting herds from large carnivores. The wooden yokes around their necks are traditional devices that prevent them from chasing wildlife such as deer or hares, maintaining a balance between protection and coexistence.
Based on the field assessment of 110 Transylvanian wood-pastures and semi-structured interviews with over 50 locals knowing these systems, we identified five distinct biocultural profiles. These reflect diverse management regimes, historical trajectories, and socio-institutional dynamics.
July 25, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Based on the field assessment of 110 Transylvanian wood-pastures and semi-structured interviews with over 50 locals knowing these systems, we identified five distinct biocultural profiles. These reflect diverse management regimes, historical trajectories, and socio-institutional dynamics.
Recent rains refilled the temporary ponds. Wild animals line up for a splash: it’s the boars’ turn now, the bear is waiting. Footage from my friend László Csákány.
July 14, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Recent rains refilled the temporary ponds. Wild animals line up for a splash: it’s the boars’ turn now, the bear is waiting. Footage from my friend László Csákány.
Hey mom is it safe or should we climb the tree? Nothing can be more hesrth warming like two playing bear cubs in the wild.
July 1, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Hey mom is it safe or should we climb the tree? Nothing can be more hesrth warming like two playing bear cubs in the wild.
Will these wonderful animals be around us in the future? It is entirely depending on us. Bears are smart, they can negociate if we create and respect the premisses. They dont want troubles for us. It is all on us, people.
June 29, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Will these wonderful animals be around us in the future? It is entirely depending on us. Bears are smart, they can negociate if we create and respect the premisses. They dont want troubles for us. It is all on us, people.
Endangered toad thrives in human-made ponds! Over 3 yrs, the yellow bellied toad showed persistence in a Romanian forest pondscape shaped by off-road vehicles. Connectivity mattered most early on, but drought shifted use to stable ponds. A conservation paradox. Link in first comment.
June 28, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Endangered toad thrives in human-made ponds! Over 3 yrs, the yellow bellied toad showed persistence in a Romanian forest pondscape shaped by off-road vehicles. Connectivity mattered most early on, but drought shifted use to stable ponds. A conservation paradox. Link in first comment.
Local farmers in Transylvania built small earth dams along an intermittent stream to retain water for cattle during drought. These nature-based solutions also create temporary wetlands, supporting biodiversity. Like beavers or ancient aurochs, humans can shape resilient landscapes.
June 1, 2025 at 5:36 AM
Local farmers in Transylvania built small earth dams along an intermittent stream to retain water for cattle during drought. These nature-based solutions also create temporary wetlands, supporting biodiversity. Like beavers or ancient aurochs, humans can shape resilient landscapes.
Out with my bear for a little bit of grazing. Greetings, Tibi
May 15, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Out with my bear for a little bit of grazing. Greetings, Tibi
The brown bear in Transylvania uses human-dominated landscapes, from crops and roads to wilderness. It is an adaptable, opportunistic species capable of avoiding conflict and coexisting with humans. It is our turn to make this happen. Pictures from László Csákány.
May 10, 2025 at 6:31 PM
The brown bear in Transylvania uses human-dominated landscapes, from crops and roads to wilderness. It is an adaptable, opportunistic species capable of avoiding conflict and coexisting with humans. It is our turn to make this happen. Pictures from László Csákány.
An ancient wood-pasture, once open and alive with people, is now swallowed by forest. Bears still roam, but they’re seen as oddities. This is shifting baseline syndrome (see link to my YouTube movie, in English, in first comment to this post).
May 4, 2025 at 10:44 AM
An ancient wood-pasture, once open and alive with people, is now swallowed by forest. Bears still roam, but they’re seen as oddities. This is shifting baseline syndrome (see link to my YouTube movie, in English, in first comment to this post).
In this cultural landscape, the probability of at least one bear being present is higher than the probability of no bears being present in the area captured by the photo. Transylvania, a lansdcape I know well.
May 3, 2025 at 1:51 PM
In this cultural landscape, the probability of at least one bear being present is higher than the probability of no bears being present in the area captured by the photo. Transylvania, a lansdcape I know well.
These oak 'saplings' aren’t young, they’re ancient. What looks like fresh regeneration is actually root suckering: genetically old trees sending up new shoots. A special form of biologically fundamented woodland resilience.
May 3, 2025 at 3:57 AM
These oak 'saplings' aren’t young, they’re ancient. What looks like fresh regeneration is actually root suckering: genetically old trees sending up new shoots. A special form of biologically fundamented woodland resilience.
Ancient oak wood-pasture.
May 2, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Ancient oak wood-pasture.
Kids counting egg masses of Agile Frog, Rana dalmatina. 120-150:)
April 5, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Kids counting egg masses of Agile Frog, Rana dalmatina. 120-150:)
The Traditional Ecological Knowledge conundrum? Indeed, sometimes things are not romantic. Rich TEK can be sustained by poverty determined reliance on nature. If and when this is the case - needs understanding and serious consideration.
January 31, 2025 at 6:40 PM
The Traditional Ecological Knowledge conundrum? Indeed, sometimes things are not romantic. Rich TEK can be sustained by poverty determined reliance on nature. If and when this is the case - needs understanding and serious consideration.
Buffalos in Transylvanian ancient wood-pasture. Pics made today.
January 31, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Buffalos in Transylvanian ancient wood-pasture. Pics made today.