Habitat suitability and landscape connectivity for an expanding population of bobcats

Cerreta, Ariana L.; McCarthy, Kyle P.; Fowles, Gretchen

doi:10.1007/s10980-023-01639-5

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…A total of five cameras (black points) out of 60 cameras (gray points) in the central grid detected melanistic individuals during the duration of concurrent research projects from January 2015 to December 2019. cat (Leopardus geoffroyi; Schneider et al, 2015). Despite bobcats being one of the widest distributed and most abundant felids in North America (Cerreta et al, 2023;Lavariega et al, 2022;Roberts & Crimmins, 2010), to date the molecular ecology of melanism in bobcats is poorly understood (McAlpine, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research efforts to study the genetic predisposition of melanin content in other neotropical felids have been identified and found the mutations that promote darker pelage patterns across pampas cat ( Leopardus colocola ), kodkod ( Leopardus guigna ), and Geoffroy's cat ( Leopardus geoffroyi ; Schneider et al., 2015). Despite bobcats being one of the widest distributed and most abundant felids in North America (Cerreta et al., 2023; Lavariega et al., 2022; Roberts & Crimmins, 2010), to date the molecular ecology of melanism in bobcats is poorly understood (McAlpine, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Photographic documentation of melanism in bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Greater Everglades

Branney,

Abernathy,

Conner

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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We document the presence of bobcats (Lynx rufus) that demonstrate melanism in the Greater Everglades. The South Florida landscape is driven by a myriad of disturbance regimes particularly that of short fire intervals. We monitored 180 camera traps for 3 years and obtained 9503 photographs of bobcats 25 (<0.5%) of these detections included melanistic individuals. Our observations and historical accounts suggest melanism is a phenotype that persists, albeit it at an exceedingly low frequency, in bobcats in the region. While we do not know if the expression of melanism conferred a fitness benefit in our system, the vegetation structure that was characterized by frequently burned uplands and low‐light and densely vegetated swamps produced conditions that may render a benefit from melanism through enhanced crypsis. The investigation of rare phenomenon in ecology is important yet difficult within a given field study, but reporting novel observations, like melanism in bobcats, allows for science to gain insight across studies that would not be otherwise possible.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photographic documentation of melanism in bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Greater Everglades

Branney,

Abernathy,

Conner

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Impacts of climate change and human activities on three Glires pests of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Wang,

Deng,

Kang

et al. 2024

Pest Management Science

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BACKGROUNDThe range of Glires is influenced by human activities and climate change. However, the extent to which human activities and environmental changes have contributed to this relationship remains unclear. We examined alterations in the distribution changes and driving factors of the Himalayan marmot, plateau pika, and plateau zokor on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) using the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model and a geographical detector (Geodetector).RESULTSThe MaxEnt model showed that the contribution rates of the human footprint index (HFI) to the distribution patterns of the three types of Glires were 46.70%, 58.70%, and 59.50%, respectively. The Geodetector results showed that the distribution pattern of the Himalayan marmot on the QTP was influenced by altitude and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The distribution patterns for plateau pikas and plateau zokors were driven by HFI and NDVI. Climate has played a substantial role in shaping suitable habitats for these three Glires on the QTP. Their suitable area is expected to decrease over the next 30–50 years, along with their niche breadth and overlap. Future suitable habitats for the three Glires tended to shift toward higher latitudes on the QTP.CONCLUSIONThese findings underscore the impacts of environmental and human factors on the distribution of the three Glires on the QTP. They have enhanced our understanding of the intricate relationships between Glires niches and environments. This can aid in identifying necessary interventions for developing effective early warning systems and prevention strategies to mitigate Glires infestations and plague epidemics on the QTP. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

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Big cats persisting in human-dominated landscape: Habitat suitability and connectivity of leopards in central North China

Wang,

Liu,

Xia

et al. 2024

Landsc Ecol

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Context The leopard (Panthera pardus), the only large carnivore species occurring in central North China, has undergone substantial range contraction and population decline due to anthropogenic pressure across the region. Objectives In this study, we aimed to map its current suitable habitats and assess the degree of connectivity between core habitats to inform future conservation planning of this big cat at the landscape scale. Methods We conducted this study in central North China (34°11´ ~ 43°49´N, 103°11´ ~ 123°54´E, about 936,000 km2). We collected occurrence locations (N = 196) of leopards from 2014–2020, and modeled its habitat suitability using an “ensemble” species distribution model by incorporating environmental and anthropogenic variables. We then identified the potential dispersal corridors between core habitat patches (≥ 100 km2) through connectivity analysis. Results The leopards preferred humid forests at higher elevations with less human disturbance. Their suitable habitats were highly fragmented, with main core habitats located in Shanxi, Shaanxi, and the border between Gansu and Ningxia provinces. Among all the 8,679 km2 suitable habitats, we identified 14 core habitats (139–1,084 km2, mean = 495.21 km2) with a total area of 6,933 km2, among which only 25.26% (1,751 km2) are covered by nature reserves and only 11 core habitats were confirmed with leopard occurrence. We also identified 8 least-cost pathways among these core habitats with an average length of 57.22 km. Conclusions Our results revealed that, leopards are persisting in highly fragmented habitats with fragile connectivity among core habitats. The leopards remaining in North China should be considered and managed as a regional meta-population for their long-term persistence in the human-dominated landscape.

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Habitat suitability and landscape connectivity for an expanding population of bobcats

Cited by 4 publications

References 39 publications

Photographic documentation of melanism in bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Greater Everglades

Photographic documentation of melanism in bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Greater Everglades

Impacts of climate change and human activities on three Glires pests of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Big cats persisting in human-dominated landscape: Habitat suitability and connectivity of leopards in central North China

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