Demography of lynx Lynx lynx in the Jura Mountains

Breitenmoser‐Würsten, Christine; Vandel, Jean‐Michel; Zimmermann, Fridolin; Breitenmoser, Urs

doi:10.2981/0909-6396(2007)13[381:dollli]2.0.co;2

Cited by 39 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…optimal litter size for Eurasian lynx. The litter size we observed (2Á16) is remarkably similar to previous studies of both wild (2Á0 based on 26 litters in Switzerland, Breitenmoser-W€ ursten et al 2007) and captive (1Á95 based on 150 litters, Henriksen et al 2005) Eurasian lynx, indicating that 2 likely corresponds to a common optimal litter size across a wide range of ecological conditions. Litter size was independent of female mass and reproductive category, two maternal attributes commonly reported to influence reproductive effort in vertebrates (Clutton-Brock 1991).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…The litter size we observed (2·16) is remarkably similar to previous studies of both wild (2·0 based on 26 litters in Switzerland, Breitenmoser‐Würsten et al . ) and captive (1·95 based on 150 litters, Henriksen et al . ) Eurasian lynx, indicating that 2 likely corresponds to a common optimal litter size across a wide range of ecological conditions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

One size fits all: Eurasian lynx females share a common optimal litter size

Gaillard

Nilsen

Oddén

et al. 2013

Journal of Animal Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Lack proposed that the average clutch size of altricial species should be determined by the average maximum number of young the parents can raise such that all females in a given population should share a common optimal clutch size. Support for this model remains equivocal and recent studies have suggested that intra-population variation in clutch size is adaptive because each female has its own optimal clutch size associated with its intrinsic ability to raise offspring. Although Lack litter size and condition-dependent litter size are presented as two competing models, both are based on the concept of individual optimization. We propose a unified optimal litter size model (called 'adaptive litter size') and identify a set of conditions under which a common vs. a state-dependent optimal litter size should be observed. We test whether females of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) have a common optimal litter size, or whether they adjust their litter size according to their state. We used a detailed individual-based data set collected from contrasting populations of Eurasian lynx in Scandinavia. Observed reproductive patterns in female lynx provide strong support for the existence of a common optimal litter size. Litter size did not vary according to female body mass or reproductive category, or among contrasted populations and years. A litter size of 2 was associated with a higher fitness than both smaller and larger litters, and thus corresponded to the 'adaptive litter size' for female lynx. We suggest that the reproductive pattern of female lynx might correspond to a risk avoidance tactic common to all individuals, which has evolved in response to strong environmental constraints generated by a highly unpredictable food supply during lactation.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

One size fits all: Eurasian lynx females share a common optimal litter size

Gaillard

Nilsen

Oddén

et al. 2013

Journal of Animal Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The timing of sexual maturation in males can be variable (Kvam, 1991) so the sensitivity of our model to a delayed sexual maturity of males to three years was also tested. Survival rate is highly variable across the literature and regions of Europe for all three life stages (Andren et al, 1997;Breitenmoser-Würsten et al, 2001;Breitenmoser-Würsten et al, 2007;Jȩdrzejewski et al, 1996), and will likely be influenced by factors independent of habitat. As no data for Scotland yet exist, and considering this variability, survival values considered broadly representative of each life stage were used to reflect the observed general increase in survival probability with age in lynx, and were informed by the pessimistic and intermediate survival rates used by Hetherington (2005) in his minimum viable population analysis of lynx for Scotland (Table 2).…”

Section: Demography and Dispersal Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since 1971, 15 reintroductions across eight European countries have involved over 170 Eurasian lynx individuals, but only five of these attempts are considered to be successful (Linnell et al, 2009). As a result, important lessons have been learnt, and a significant body of knowledge about the species' ecology, demography (Breitenmoser-Würsten et al, 2007;Bagrade et al, 2016;Jȩdrzejewski et al, 1996), dispersal behaviour (Samelius et al, 2012;Schmidt, 1998;Zimmermann et al, 2005), habitat requirements and use (Belotti et al, 2013;Filla et al, 2017;Podgórski et al, 2008;Rozylowicz et al, 2010;Zimmermann et al, 2007b) has been amassed. However, there is a particular need for tools that enable the synthesis of this knowledge and incorporate recent progress in dispersal ecology theory, in order to provide more reliable assessments of landscape suitability and inter-patch connectivity, and to increase the probability of future reintroduction successes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(a)Breitenmoser-Würsten et al (2007), (b)Andren et al (1997), (c) Breitenmoser-Würsten et al (2001), (d) Jȩdrzejewsjki et al (1996) (e) Vandel et al (2006), (f) von Arx et al (2004), (g) Gaillard et al (2014), (h) Schmidt et al (1997), (i) Zimmermann et al (2005), (j) White et al (2015), (k) Hetherington & Gorman (2007), (l) Samelius et al (2012), (m) Vandel et al (2006), (n) Schmidt (1998), Supplementary material: (o) Fig. S1, (p) Fig.…”

unclassified

See 1 more Smart Citation

Improving reintroduction success in large carnivores through individual-based modelling: How to reintroduce Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) to Scotland

Ovenden

Palmer

Travis

et al. 2019

Biological Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Globally, large carnivores have been heavily affected by habitat loss, fragmentation and persecution, sometimes resulting in local extinctions. With increasing recognition of topdown trophic cascades and complex predator-prey dynamics, reintroductions are of growing interest for restoration of ecosystem functioning. Many reintroductions have however failed, in part due to poor planning and inability to model complex eco-evolutionary processes to give reliable predictions. Using the case study of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), a large predator being considered for reintroduction to Scotland, we demonstrate how an individual-based model that integrates demography with three distinct phases of dispersal (emigration, transfer and settlement) can be used to explore the relative suitability of three geographically-distant potential reintroduction sites, multi-site reintroductions and two founding population sizes. For a single-site reintroduction of 10 lynx, our simulation results show a clear hierarchy of suitability across all metrics. Reintroduction in the Kintyre Peninsula (west coast) consistently performed best, with a probability of population persistence at year 100 of 83%, and the Scottish component of Kielder Forest (southern Scotland) worst, with only a 21% chance of population persistence to year 100. Simultaneous two-site reintroduction in the Kintyre Peninsula and in Aberdeenshire (near the east coast) of 32 lynx gave a 96% persistence at 100 years. Our model was highly sensitive to survival, particularly of adults, highlighting this parameter's importance for reintroduction success. The results strongly indicate the potential viability of Eurasian lynx reintroduction to Scotland given the current cover of suitable woodland habitat. More generally, our work demonstrates how emerging modelling approaches incorporating increased realism in representing species' demography, ecology and dispersal can have high value for quick, inexpensive assessment of likely reintroduction success and for selection between alternative strategies.

show abstract

Shining a light on elusive lynx: Density estimation of three Eurasian lynx populations in Ukraine and Belarus

Palmero,

Smith,

Kudrenko

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Eurasian lynx is a large carnivore widely distributed across Eurasia. However, our understanding of population status is heterogeneous across their range, with some populations isolated that are at risk of reduced genetic variation and a complete lack of information about others. In many European countries, Eurasian lynx are monitored through demographic studies crucial for their conservation and management. Even so, there are only rough and fragmented population assessments from Ukraine and Belarus, despite strict protection in both countries and their importance for lynx connectivity across Europe. We monitored lynx from October 2020 to March 2021 and used camera trapping in combination with spatial capture–recapture (SCR) methods in a Bayesian framework to provide the first SCR density estimation of three lynx populations across Ukraine and Belarus, including the Ukrainian Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, southern Belarus and the Ukrainian Carpathians. Our density estimates varied within our study areas ranging from 0.45 to 1.54 individuals/100 km2. This work provides a substantial scientific component to the overall understanding of lynx conservation for a region where only broad information is available and opens the doors for further large‐scale monitoring and trend assessments. The crucial information we provide can greatly enhance the range‐wide assessments of the status of this protected species. We also discuss the implications for Eurasian lynx conservation, despite the geopolitical realities impacting species monitoring in the region. Our work serves as a baseline, not only for future conservation interventions but also to evaluate the effects of disturbance and threats to these protected populations.

show abstract

Demography of lynx Lynx lynx in the Jura Mountains

Abstract: BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Cited by 39 publications

References 13 publications

One size fits all: Eurasian lynx females share a common optimal litter size

One size fits all: Eurasian lynx females share a common optimal litter size

Improving reintroduction success in large carnivores through individual-based modelling: How to reintroduce Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) to Scotland

Shining a light on elusive lynx: Density estimation of three Eurasian lynx populations in Ukraine and Belarus

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About