Understanding and predicting habitat for wildlife conservation: the case of Canada lynx at the range periphery

Abstract

Abstract. Ecologists and managers are motivated to predict the distribution of animals across landscapes as well as understand the mechanisms giving rise to that distribution. Satisfying this motivation requires an integrated framework that characterizes multi-scale habitat use and selection, as well as builds predictive models such as resource selection functions. However, the assumption of constant habitat use or selection is often made in such analyses, which ignores the possibility that individuals experiencing different conditions might respond differently. Assessing functional responses in habitat use evaluates how animal behavior changes with differing environmental conditions, which has basic and applied utility. Here, we combined these ideas into an integrated process that characterizes habitat relationships, predicts habitat, and assesses behavioral differences with changing environmental conditions. Our species of interest was Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) in the Northern Rocky Mountains, which is a rare and federally threatened forest carnivore. Through our process, we developed multi-scale predictions of lynx distribution and learned that across scales and seasons, lynx use more mature, spruce-fir forests than any other structure stage or species. Intermediate snow depths and the distribution of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) were the strongest predictors of where lynx selected their home ranges. Within their home ranges, female and male lynx increasingly used advanced regeneration forest structures as they became more available (up to a maximum availability of 40%). These patterns supported the bottom-up mechanisms regulating Canada lynx in that advanced regeneration generally provides the most abundant snowshoe hares, while mature forest is where lynx appear to hunt efficiently. However, lynx exhibited decreasing use of stand initiation structures (up to a maximum availability of 25%). Land managers have an opportunity to promote lynx habitat in the form of advanced regeneration, but are required to go through the stand initiation phase. Thus, managers can apply the relative proportions of forest structure classes along with our response curves to inform landscape actions (e.g., timber harvest) targeted at facilitating the forest mosaic used and selected by Canada lynx. Collectively, the insights gleaned from our approach advance habitat conservation efforts and consequently are of broad utility to applied ecologists and managers.

Forest structure provides the income for reproductive success in a southern population of Canada lynx

“…, Holbrook et al. ) indicates that broad‐scale selection of mature forest results in higher reproductive success of females. Previous studies have provided compelling evidence that prey resources influenced selection behavior (e.g., Hopcraft et al.…”

“…In addition, lynx exhibit strong selection for mature forest and use this structural stage twice as much as any other during both winter and summer seasons (Holbrook et al. ).…”

Winter recreation and Canada lynx: reducing conflict through niche partitioning

“…, McCann and Moen , Ivan and Shenk , Holbrook et al. ). Therefore, lynx were negatively related to motorized use in part because motorized users are naturally restricted to open areas that lynx tend to avoid.…”

“…, Holbrook et al. ). We hypothesized that Canada lynx would select environmental characteristics more similar to backcountry skiers than motorized recreationists.…”

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

“…This pattern may reflect similarities between the habitat preferences of lynx and skiers, and habitat differences between lynx and motorized recreation. For instance, nonmotorized recreation is frequently located in high elevation areas, with dense canopy cover and steep slopes (Olson et al., ), habitat which is likely favored by forest‐dwelling Canada lynx, which prefer areas with multi‐storied forest and high horizontal cover (Holbrook et al., ; Squires et al., ). Motorized recreation such as snowmobiling, however, usually takes place on groomed trails or forest roads, which are placed in areas of open forest and gentle topography to allow safer fast travel (Olson et al., ), and which is not as hospitable to lynx.…”