Sharing the same slope: Behavioral responses of a threatened mesocarnivore to motorized and nonmotorized winter recreation

Abstract

Winter recreation is a widely popular activity and is expected to increase due to changes in recreation technology and human population growth. Wildlife are frequently negatively impacted by winter recreation, however, through displacement from habitat, alteration of activity patterns, or changes in movement behavior. We studied impacts of dispersed and developed winter recreation on Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) at their southwestern range periphery in Colorado, USA. We used GPS collars to track movements of 18 adult lynx over 4 years, coupled with GPS devices that logged 2,839 unique recreation tracks to provide a detailed spatial estimate of recreation intensity. We assessed changes in lynx spatial and temporal patterns in response to motorized and nonmotorized recreation, as well as differences in movement rate and path tortuosity. We found that lynx decreased their movement rate in areas with high‐intensity back‐country skiing and snowmobiling, and adjusted their temporal patterns so that they were more active at night in areas with high‐intensity recreation. We did not find consistent evidence of spatial avoidance of recreation: lynx exhibited some avoidance of areas with motorized recreation, but selected areas in close proximity to nonmotorized recreation trails. Lynx appeared to avoid high‐intensity developed ski resorts, however, especially when recreation was most intense. We conclude that lynx in our study areas did not exhibit strong negative responses to dispersed recreation, but instead altered their behavior and temporal patterns in a nuanced response to recreation, perhaps to decrease direct interactions with recreationists. However, based on observed avoidance of developed recreation, there may be a threshold of human disturbance above which lynx cannot coexist with winter recreation.

Wolverines in winter: indirect habitat loss and functional responses to backcountry recreation

“…Additional responses to winter recreation include changes in movement rates and temporal patterns, as was found in Canada lynx ( Lynx canadensis ) in response to winter recreation (Olson et al. ).…”

“…In the Teton Mountains of Wyoming, backcountry ski recreation resulted in a 30% loss of high-quality winter habitat to bighorn sheep (Courtemanch 2014), and mountain goats avoided otherwise high-quality habitat associated with a developed ski area near Banff, Alberta (Richard and Cote 2016). Additional responses to winter recreation include changes in movement rates and temporal patterns, as was found in Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) in response to winter recreation (Olson et al 2018).…”

Winter recreation and Canada lynx: reducing conflict through niche partitioning

“…Results from this study, coupled with understandings of behavioral responses of lynx to winter recreation reported by Olson et al. (), provide a basis for assessing impacts of dispersed winter recreation to this federally listed carnivore. In general, with the caveats previously stated, Canada lynx were able to partition landscapes and maintain spatial use of home ranges with current levels of dispersed winter recreation, but recreation intensity thresholds likely exist (e.g., developed ski areas) beyond which lynx become increasingly intolerant of human activity.…”

“…For example, Olson et al. () documented that lynx from this same population tended to avoid high levels of human activity present on developed ski areas, similar to other mammalian (Nellemann et al. , Richard and Côté , Slauson et al.…”

“…Canada lynx on our study areas also exhibited behavioral responses in terms of decreased movement speeds and increased time spent stationary in areas of highest intensity of backcountry skiing and snowmobiling, suggesting that lynx are responsive to human activity with some increased vigilance (Olson et al. ).…”