Patterns of variation in reproductive parameters in Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx)

Nilsen, Erlend B.; Linnell, John D. C.; Oddén, John; Samelius, Gustaf; Andrén, Henrik

doi:10.1007/s13364-011-0066-5

Cited by 26 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…) are potentially highly unpredictable, and the proportion of breeding females varied among study areas (Nilsen et al . ). This unpredictability is enhanced in systems where kleptoparasitism occurs (Krofel, Kos & Jerina ) and may be enhanced by the fact that lactating lynx become central place foragers and must use reduced hunting ranges during the first 6–8 weeks postpartum (Schmidt ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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

Gaillard

Nilsen

Oddén

et al. 2013

Journal of Animal Ecology

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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.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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

Gaillard

Nilsen

Oddén

et al. 2013

Journal of Animal Ecology

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“…In addition, kitten survival the subsequent winter also tended to be lower when reindeer were scarce. In contrast, northern lynx with access to reindeer had similar reproduction rates to lynx in areas of high roe deer density in southern Norway (Nilsen et al ). However, lynx without access to reindeer had much lower reproductive rates than lynx in areas of low roe deer density (Nilsen et al ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, northern lynx with access to reindeer had similar reproduction rates to lynx in areas of high roe deer density in southern Norway (Nilsen et al ). However, lynx without access to reindeer had much lower reproductive rates than lynx in areas of low roe deer density (Nilsen et al ). Thus, for lynx without access to winter reindeer, resource availability is likely too low for females to maintain fitness for subsequent reproduction and to provide for their young over winter (Jedrzejewski et al , Schmidt ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The cost of migratory prey: seasonal changes in semi‐domestic reindeer distribution influences breeding success of Eurasian lynx in northern Norway

Walton¹,

Mattisson

Linnell

et al. 2016

Oikos

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Migratory prey is a widespread phenomenon that has implications for predator-prey interactions. By creating large temporal variation in resource availability between seasons it becomes challenging for carnivores to secure a regular year-round supply of food. Some predators may respond by following their migratory prey, however, most predators are sedentary and experience strong seasonal variation in resource availability. Increased predation on alternative prey may dampen such seasonal resource fluctuations, but reduced reproduction rates in predators is a predicted consequence of migratory primary prey behavior that has received little empirical attention. We used data from 23 GPS collared Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx monitored during 2007-2013 in northern Norway, to examine how spatio-temporal variation in the migratory behavior of semi-domestic reindeer Rangifer tarandus influences lynx spatial organization and reproductive success using estimates of seasonal home range overlap and breeding success. We found that lynx of both sexes maintained seasonally stable home ranges and exhibited site fidelity across years, independent of whether they had access to reindeer throughout the year or experienced a scarcity of reindeer in winter due to migration. However, lynx without access to reindeer in winter showed a decreased probability of reproducing and a tendency for lowered kitten survival into their first winter, when compared to female lynx with reindeer available year around. This supports the hypothesis that sedentary predators experience demographic costs in systems with migratory primary prey. Changes in the migratory behavior of ungulates, including disrupted migrations, is therefore likely to have bottom-up effects on the population dynamics of sedentary predators as well as the previously documented consequences for ungulate population dynamics.

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“…Reproductive rates in lynx are similar in both areas (Nilsen et al. , Walton et al. , see also posterior distribution for recruitment ( r ); Appendix : Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…, , Nilsen et al. ) to extract informative prior distributions for the parameters survival without harvest mortality ( ϕ ), recruitment ( r ), mean and standard deviation of number of family groups per total female lynx population ( F and σ F ), and initial age composition (ψ) in the state and observation equations (Eqs. and ; Table ).…”

Section: Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harvest models of small populations of a large carnivore using Bayesian forecasting

Andrén

Hobbs

Aronsson

et al. 2020

Ecological Applications

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Harvesting large carnivores can be a management tool for meeting politically set goals for their desired abundance. However, harvesting carnivores creates its own set of conflicts in both society and among conservation professionals, where one consequence is a need to demonstrate that management is sustainable, evidence‐based, and guided by science. Furthermore, because large carnivores often also have high degrees of legal protection, harvest quotas have to be carefully justified and constantly adjusted to avoid damaging their conservation status. We developed a Bayesian state‐space model to support adaptive management of Eurasian lynx harvesting in Scandinavia. The model uses data from the annual monitoring of lynx abundance and results from long‐term field research on lynx biology, which has provided detailed estimates of key demographic parameters. We used the model to predict the probability that the forecasted population size will be below or above the management objectives when subjected to different harvest quotas. The model presented here informs decision makers about the policy risks of alternative harvest levels. Earlier versions of the model have been available for wildlife managers in both Sweden and Norway to guide lynx harvest quotas and the model predictions showed good agreement with observations. We combined monitoring data with data on vital rates and were able to estimate unobserved additional mortality rates, which are most probably due to poaching. In both countries, the past quota setting strategy suggests that there has been a de facto threshold strategy with increasing proportion, which means that there is no harvest below a certain population size, but above this threshold there is an increasing proportion of the population harvested as the population size increases. The annual assessment of the monitoring results, the use of forecasting models, and a threshold harvest approach to quota setting will all reduce the risk of lynx population sizes moving outside the desired goals. The approach we illustrate could be adapted to other populations of mammals worldwide.

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Patterns of variation in reproductive parameters in Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx)

Cited by 26 publications

References 42 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

The cost of migratory prey: seasonal changes in semi‐domestic reindeer distribution influences breeding success of Eurasian lynx in northern Norway

Harvest models of small populations of a large carnivore using Bayesian forecasting

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