Lynx Conservation Assessment and Strategy
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Canada Lynx Conservation Assessment and Strategy 3rd Edition — August 2013 http://www.fs.fed.us/biology/resources/pubs/wildlife/index.html Acknowledgments We would like to thank the interagency Steering Committee, chaired first by Kathy McAllister and later by Jane Cottrell of the USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, for guidance and support. The Science Team published the foundational scientific assessment, “Ecology and Conservation of Lynx in the Unit- ed States” (Ruggiero et al. 2000a) and provided invaluable assistance and advice to the Lynx Biology Team. Even after the Science Team completed its assignment and was dissolved, several of its members continued to give gen- erously of their time and expertise. We are indebted to John Squires, Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service, for sharing information and insights from his research on lynx. John contributed directly to this revision of the LCAS by administering the contract to update the conservation assessment, providing review and comment on early drafts, and arranging and administering a formal peer review of this document. We would like to acknowledge the important contributions by Ben Maletzke and Jennifer Burghardt-Dowd. Under the contract administered by the Rocky Mountain Research Station, they compiled relevant new scientific literature produced from 2000 to 2010 and proposed new text that would incorporate the new information on the ecology of lynx and snowshoe hare into the lynx assessment. We would like to acknowledge Eric Odell of Colorado Parks and Wildlife for his participation and contributions throughout the revision of this document, particularly the update of information concerning the Southern Rocky Mountains Geographic Area. Ron Moen, Natural Resource Research Institute, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota, provided a key role in updating the information concerning the Great Lakes Geographic Area. Thanks to wildlife agency staff from the states of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Oregon and Idaho for their interest in and review of the document. We also appreciate the helpful review provided by Rich Weir, British Columbia, Canada. We are grateful for the thorough, perceptive and constructive comments by a panel of peer reviewers: Drs. Keith Aubry, Gary Koehler, Angela Fuller, and Ron Moen, led by Dr. John Squires. Their review greatly improved the final document, and any remaining errors are our own. Bob Naney and Nancy Warren coordinated reviews, responded to the peer review comments, and served as prin- cipal editors of the revised LCAS. Kim Foiles, Northern Region, USDA Forest Service, formatted the map (Figure 3.1). Technical editing of the final draft in preparation for web publication was provided by Rachel White, Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service. How to cite this publication: Interagency Lynx Biology Team. 2013. Canada lynx conservation assessment and strategy. 3rd edition. USDA Forest Service, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, USDI Bureau of Land Management, and USDI National Park Service. Forest Service Publication R1-13-19, Missoula, MT. 128 pp. Cover photo credits: Mark Ball (Canada lynx) USDA Forest Service (Canada lynx at night) Robert Naney (landscape) i Lynx Conservation Assessment and Strategy Interagency Lynx Biology Team, current members Name: Representing: Scott Jackson USDA Forest Service (Team Leader) Kurt Broderdorp USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Mountain-Prairie Region Susan Catton USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region Bryon Holt USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Region Lee Jacobson USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region Mark McCollough USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region Peter McDonald USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region Bob Naney USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region Tamara Smith USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Midwest Region Kristi Swisher USDA Forest Service, Northern Region Jim Sparks USDI Bureau of Land Management Anne Vandehey USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Mountain-Prairie Region Nancy Warren USDI Fish and Wildlife Service (contractor) & past representative of USDA Forest Service, Northern Region and Rocky Mountain Region Mike Wrigley USDI National Park Service, Intermountain Region Jim Zelenak USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Mountain-Prairie Region Past members Name: Representing: Tim Bertram USDA Forest Service, Northern Region Danielle Chi USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region Jim Claar USDA Forest Service (Team Leader) Phil Delphey USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Midwest Region Steve Gniadek USDI National Park Service, Glacier National Park Lyle Lewis USDI Bureau of Land Management Steve Mighton USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region Bill Noblitt USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region Cay Ogden USDI National Park Service, Intermountain Region Gary Patton USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Mountain-Prairie Region Tony Rinaldi USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region Bill Ruediger USDA Forest Service (Team Leader) Joel Trick USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Midwest Region Fred Wahl USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region Dick Wenger USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region Joyce Whitney USDI Bureau of Land Management Al Williamson USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region Anthropogenic influences ii Table of contents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................................................................................. i Interagency Lynx Biology Team members .................................................................................................................................... ii Chapter 1– INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and history of the Lynx Conservation Assessment and Strategy .................................................................... 1 Synopsis of major changes from the previous edition........................................................................................................ 1 History of ESA listing actions and relationship to the LCAS ............................................................................................ 2 Why the LCAS is still useful and needed .............................................................................................................................. 3 Guiding principles ........................................................................................................................................................................ 4 How the document is organized ............................................................................................................................................. 4 Chapter 2– OVERVIEW OF LYNX ECOLOGY...................................................................................................................... 6 Description of lynx ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Lynx activity patterns ................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Lynx diet ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Snowshoe hare ecology.................................................................................................................................................. 10 Red squirrel ecology ....................................................................................................................................................... 18 Lynx hunting behavior .............................................................................................................................................................. 21 Lynx distribution ....................................................................................................................................................................... 22 States with verified records of lynx ............................................................................................................................. 22 States with verified records but not thought to support resident populations of lynx .................................. 22 Lynx population density and home range size ................................................................................................................... 23 Description of lynx habitat ..................................................................................................................................................... 24 Lynx population dynamics ....................................................................................................................................................... 30 Genetic variation across the range of lynx ......................................................................................................................... 34 Hybridization with bobcats ..................................................................................................................................................... 35 Interspecific relationships with other carnivores .............................................................................................................. 35 Chapter