Using prey densities to estimate the potential size of reintroduced populations of Eurasian lynx

Hetherington, David; Gorman, M. L.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2007.01.009

Cited by 29 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…The lynx is an important predator of reindeer calves as shown by this v www.esajournals.org and other studies (Pedersen et al 1999, Nybakk et al 2002, Graham et al 2005). Due to their hunting strategies entailing stalking and ambushing their prey, their preferred habitats are forested areas (Murray et al 1995, Hetherington andGorman 2007). In contrast, predation by golden eagles and wolverines was lower and not found to differ between habitats.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental variation as a driver of predator‐prey interactions

et al. 2014

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Abstract. Animals often face the trade-off of optimizing foraging while limiting predation. In variable and seasonal environments the availability of resources changes spatially and temporally, forcing animals to adapt their spatial foraging patterns over time and, thus, to modify their exposure to predation. Previous research has mostly dealt with the causes and consequences of animal spatial patterns separately, with studies either examining how changes in the environment influence habitat selection, or determining the effects of habitat use on vulnerability to predation. Here we combine these aspects through an examination of how weather conditions affect predation risk by modifying the spatial behavior of the prey. We used reindeer calves (Rangifer tarandus) in Norway to investigate (1) the environmental causes and (2) the survival consequences of habitat use. We further examined how those relationships varied temporally and according to the body mass of calves. We found that deep snow and ice conditions led reindeer to shift from their usually preferred high-elevation pastures to lowland forested areas. This increase in forest use was associated with lower calf survival, mostly due to elevated lynx (Lynx lynx) predation rates. Golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) and wolverines (Gulo gulo) also preyed on calves but their effect was much smaller and not associated with a specific habitat type. The link between climatic conditions, habitat use, and predation changed over the winter season and depended on the body weights of the calves. The effect of harsh weather conditions on reindeer use of forested habitats was stronger towards the end of the winter, which coincides with more deteriorated body conditions and lower food availability on high-elevation pastures, and predation probabilities were higher for smaller individuals. Our study demonstrates that environmental variation importantly affects predator-prey interactions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental variation as a driver of predator‐prey interactions

et al. 2014

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“…The natural ecosystem processes of the area are affected by anthropogenic activities, which ultimately depleted native prey species. Carnivore densities in natural ecosystems generally reflect the abundance of their prey (Bertram 1975;Fuller and Sievert 2001), various researchers have reported a positive relationship between carnivore and natural prey abundance elsewhere (Van Orsdol et al 1985;Laurenson 1995;Hofer and East 1995;Stander et al 1997;Karanth et al 2004;Hetherington and Gorman 2007;Croes et al 2011). However, maintaining viable populations of large carnivores in various ecosystems of the world would require that they coexist in a landscape with people (Linnell et al 2001;Conover 2002;Woodroffe et al 2005).…”

Section: Spotted Hyena Abundancementioning

confidence: 97%

Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) coexisting at high density with people in Wukro district, northern Ethiopia

Yirga¹,

Ersino²,

Iongh³

et al. 2013

Mammalian Biology

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a b s t r a c tWe surveyed density and abundance of spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) in the highly degraded and prey depleted Wukro district, northern Ethiopia, with a human population density of 98 persons per square kilometer. A total of 117 spotted hyenas responded to callups, giving a hyena density of 52 hyenas per 100 km 2 or a total population of 535 hyenas in the district. We quantified the economic impact of spotted hyena predation on livestock using semi structured interviews with randomly selected households. Respondents indicated a total loss of 203 domestic animals to hyena depredation over the past five years. Average annual depredation per household was 0.13 livestock worth US$ 6.1. The diet of spotted hyenas was assessed in three sub-districts by scat analysis and showed 99% prey items of domestic origin, only three of 211 scat contained hair of Ethiopian hare (Lepus fagani) and porcupine (Hystrix cristata). We conclude that hyenas in northern Ethiopia live at high density and eat almost exclusively anthropogenic food and are not dependent on conservation areas.

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“…Europe has always been occupied by Europeans, however the existing conservation paradigm seems to be management for coexistence between people and extant fauna (Linnell et al 2005). The UK seems to be aiming to restore cultural landscapes of the pre-industrial intensiWcation period and suggestions to reintroduce Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx have not been positively met in some quarters 1 C (Hetherington 2006;Hetherington and Gorman 2007). Australia is lagging behind as it is still trying to halt the extinction process, although private organisations are beginning to manage biodiversity to pre-European colonisation targets.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Conservation management for the past, present and future

Hayward

2008

Biodivers Conserv

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Conservation managers are in the unenviable position of trying to conserve and restore biodiversity, without having a deWnitive timeframe to restore it to. Currently, managers around the world focus on various timeframes from recent to historical, but without a deWnitive target, countless conservation problems arise. Managers need to determine what constitutes a native species, which species to reintroduce, whether selective breeding should be implemented to resurrect supposedly extinct organisms, targets on population levels, whether assisted migration should be employed when climate change alters the environmental envelope of a species surrounded by human-altered landscapes, and how to manage for stochasticity and evolutionary processes. Without having deWnitive goals to target, these issues are diYcult/impossible to address. It is only by discussing these important issues that some consensus will be attained that allow us to stop responding to crises and start predicting the future of biodiversity and plan and respond accordingly.

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Using prey densities to estimate the potential size of reintroduced populations of Eurasian lynx

Cited by 29 publications

References 35 publications

Environmental variation as a driver of predator‐prey interactions

Environmental variation as a driver of predator‐prey interactions

Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) coexisting at high density with people in Wukro district, northern Ethiopia

Conservation management for the past, present and future

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