Applied conservation biology must provide solutions for the conservation of species in modern landscapes, where prime habitats are being continuously fragmented and altered and animals are restricted to small, nonviable populations. We studied habitat selection in a fragmented population of endangered Iberian lynx (  Lynx pardinus) by examining 14 years of radiotracking data obtained from lynx trapped in two different source areas. Habitat selection was studied independently for predispersal lynx in the source areas, for dispersing individuals through the region, and for postdispersing animals, most of which settled far from their point of origin. A multivariate analysis of variance showed that habitat use differed significantly among these phases and between area of origin, but not between sexes. The habitat type most used, and best represented within home ranges, was the mediterranean scrubland. Pine plantations were also important during and after dispersal. The rest of the habitats were either avoided (open habitats) or used according to availability ( pine and eucalyptus plantations) by dispersing lynx. Differences due to lynx origin were detected only during predispersal and dispersal and were observed because animals from each area had different habitat availability. Lynx with established territories did not use areas at random. They occupied patches of mediterranean scrubland more often than would be expected from scrubland availability during predispersal; the rest of the habitats were included within home ranges less than would be expected from their availability in the landscape. Results indicate that dispersing animals may use habitats of lower quality than habitats used by resident individuals, which suggests that conservation strategies applied across regions might be a viable objective.

Most studies on the causes of animal dispersal focus on species of birds or small mammals, but there are few such studies on solitary carnivores. A complete picture of the causes of animal dispersal is not possible without considering cases on a representative set of animals. The Iberian lynx is a medium-size, solitary carnivore that inhabits metapopulations, where dispersal plays a prominent role. Between 1983 and 1998 we studied the proximate and ultimate causes of dispersal in Iberian lynx in the Doñana metapopulation (southwestern Spain), based on radio-tracking of 49 individuals. Saturation of limited breeding areas in this small population leads to high dispersal rates in both sexes. Most lynxes dispersed from their natal area between 12 and 24 months of age. Males younger than 1 year old tended to disperse in a higher proportion than females of the same age. However, high dispersal rates for both sexes by the age of 2 years and the lack of differences in the dispersal distances do not support inbreeding avoidance as an ultimate cause of dispersal. Dispersal mainly started between January and June (24/29 cases), when most social interactions occur, which supports the social subordination hypothesis. Lynxes left the natal range at an earlier age from the local population with higher density, which supports intraspecific competition for resources as a cause for dispersal. However, prey seems not to be the limiting resource because dispersal mostly started during the season of increasing prey density, and individual probability of dispersal increases with prey density in the natal area. Dispersers suffered higher mortality than nondispersing lynxes of the same age, due mostly to anthropogenic causes. About half of the dispersers successfully settled in a territory at distances that differed between areas of origin, but not between sexes. Distances reached, shorter than those reported for other similar-size solitary felids, are limited by anthropogenic barriers that prevent connection with closer metapopulations.

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We compared movement patterns and rhythms of activity of a top predator, the Iberian lynx Lynx pardinus, a mesopredator, the red fox Vulpes vulpes, and their shared principal prey, the rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, in relation to moon phases. Because the three species are mostly nocturnal and crepuscular, we hypothesized that the shared prey would reduce its activity at most risky moon phases (i.e. during the brightest nights), but that fox, an intraguild prey of lynx, would avoid lynx activity peaks at the same time. Rabbits generally moved further from their core areas on darkest nights (i.e. new moon), using direct movements which minimize predation risk. Though rabbits responded to the increased predation risk by reducing their activity during the full moon, this response may require several days, and the moon effect we observed on the rabbits had, therefore, a temporal gap. Lynx activity patterns may be at least partially mirroring rabbit activity: around new moons, when rabbits moved furthest and were more active, lynxes reduced their travelling distances and their movements were concentrated in the core areas of their home ranges, which generally correspond to areas of high density of rabbits. Red foxes were more active during the darkest nights, when both the conditions for rabbit hunting were the best and lynxes moved less. On the one hand, foxes increased their activity when rabbits were further from their core areas and moved with more discrete displacements; on the other hand, fox activity in relation to the moon seemed to reduce dangerous encounters with its intraguild predator.

The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) may be the first charismatic felid to become extinct in a high-income country, despite decades of study and much data that show extinction is highly probable. The International Union for Conservation of Nature categorizes it as critically endangered; about 200 free-ranging individuals remain in two populations in southern Spain. Conservation measures aimed at averting extirpation have been extensively undertaken with 4 of the former 10 Iberian lynx populations recorded 25 years ago. Two of the four populations have been extirpated. The number of individuals in the third population have declined by 83%, and in the fourth the probability of extirpation has increased from 34% to 95%. Major drivers of the pending extinction are the small areas to which conservation measures have been applied; lack of incorporation of evidence-based conservation, scientific monitoring, and adaptive management into conservation efforts; a lack of continuity in recovery efforts, and distrust by conservation agencies of scientific information. In contrast to situations in which conservation and economic objectives conflict, in the case of the Iberian lynx all stakeholders desire the species to be conserved.

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Aichi Target 12 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) aims to ‘prevent extinctions of known threatened species’. To measure its success, we used a Delphi expert elicitation method to estimate the number of bird and mammal species whose extinctions were prevented by conservation action in 1993 - 2020 (the lifetime of the CBD) and 2010 - 2020 (the timing of Aichi Target 12). We found that conservation prevented 21–32 bird and 7–16 mammal extinctions since 1993, and 9–18 bird and 2–7 mammal extinctions since 2010. Many remain highly threatened, and may still become extinct in the near future. Nonetheless, given that ten bird and five mammal species did go extinct (or are strongly suspected to) since 1993, extinction rates would have been 2.9–4.2 times greater without conservation action. While policy commitments have fostered significant conservation achievements, future biodiversity action needs to be scaled up to avert additional extinctions.

The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is the most endangered felid species in the world. Lynx populations have decreased dramatically in size and distribution in the last four decades,