D.T1.2.1 Compendium of existing approaches from other sources including threats, joint barriers and driver assessment R. Behnke (Editor) Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Vienna Contents Acknowledgements ......................................................................................1 1 Introduction .........................................................................................2 2 Overview Eurasian Lynx in Europe ...............................................................3 3 Overview of monitoring schemes within different lynx populations of Europe ...........6 4 Main conflict scenarios and threats in Europe .................................................8 Livestock depredation ................................................................................8 Perception of lynx as competitors in ungulate hunting .........................................9 Habitat fragmentation and suitability .............................................................9 Mitigation and Conflict reduction................................................................. 10 Driver and Driver Assessment ..................................................................... 11 5 Population level cooperation ................................................................... 11 6 Lynx populations in Europe ..................................................................... 17 Balkan Population ................................................................................... 17 Baltic Population .................................................................................... 27 Carpathian Population .............................................................................. 35 Dinaric Population (without Slovenia1) .......................................................... 48 Jura Population...................................................................................... 53 Vosges-Palatinate Population ..................................................................... 55 Harz population ..................................................................................... 59 Alpine Population ................................................................................... 61 Karelian Population ................................................................................. 65 Scandinavian Population ........................................................................... 71 7 Conclusion ......................................................................................... 81 8 Appendix ........................................................................................... 88 Bibliography ........................................................................................... 101 Publications ......................................................................................... 101 Internet .............................................................................................. 110 Other sources (Powerpoints etc.)................................................................ 111 List of tables Table 1 Distribution and estimated population size of the Eurasian Lynx .......................4 Table 2 Lynx reintroductions in Western Europe ....................................................5 Table 3 Applied monitoring methods within different populations and countries ........... 88 Table 4 Applied lynx action/management plans within different populations ............... 92 Table 5 Conflicts, threats scenarios and compensation schemes ............................... 96 List of figures Figure 1. Eurasian lynx distribution range in Europe ...............................................3 Figure 2 Geographical distribution of compensation cost for depredation caused by Eurasian lynx in different counties of Sweden ......................................................8 Figure 3. Lynx habitat suitability map ................................................................9 Figure 4. Driver assessment relevant for Eurasian lynx populations within Europe .......... 10 Figure 5. Various levels where factors influencing attitudes towards large carnivores ..... 11 Figure 6. Lynx presence different types of lynx observations in Albania and Macedonia .. 21 Figure 7. Sex and age structure of lynx hunted in Latvia ........................................ 29 Figure 8. Observations of lynx in Lithuania ........................................................ 31 Figure 9. Lynx distribution range in Poland ........................................................ 33 Figure 10. Number of harvested lynx prior to protection schemes ............................. 36 Figure 11. Lynx occurrence in Aggtelek and Slovak Karst. ...................................... 44 Figure 12. Main objectives within the DinaRis Project ........................................... 48 Figure 13. Area of regular and occasional presence of Lynx in France ........................ 56 Figure 14. Map of lynx distribution and local trends in Switzerland ........................... 61 Figure 15. Large carnivore compartments in Switzerland with reference areas. ............ 62 Figure 16. Lynx density in Finland .................................................................. 66 Figure 17. Number of family groups in Norway .................................................... 71 Figure 18. Total compensation for brown bears, lynxes and wolves .......................... 78 Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge with much appreciation the following experts, who provided invaluable commentary and amended sections regarding their particular countries for the present compendium. These are people who are dedicated to the conservation of Eurasian lynx, to monitoring and management of this species in the respective countries, and who possess extensive knowledge, experience and insight into Eurasian Lynx conservation. Thank you, for taking the time to read the compendium, for critical comment, for your contribution to the present compendium of existing approaches for lynx monitoring and management compiled within the 3Lynx project. My gratitude for proof-reading of the respective country-specific parts, providing information and critical comment goes out to: Ole Anders / Lynx Project Harz, Germany Manuela von Arx / KORA, Switzerland Linas Balčiauskas / Nature Research Centre, Institute of Ecology, Lithuania Estelle Germain / Centre de Recherche et d'Observation sur les Carnivores (CROC), France Inger Hansen / Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Norway Sylvia Idelberger / EU LIFE Lynx Rhineland – Palatinate, Germany Dime Melovski / Macedonian Ecological Society · University of Goettingen Tereza Mináriková / ALKA Wildlife, o.p.s., Czech Republic Jānis Ozoliņš / State Forest Research Institute, Latvia Krzysztof Schmidt / Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Science, Poland Teodora Sin / University of Bucharest, Romania Magda Sindičić / University of Zagreb · Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (VEF), Croatia Aleksandër Trajçe / University of Roehampton | RU · Department of Life Sciences, Albania Published by the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic, Vršovická 65, 100 10 Praha 10, Czech Republic Project CE1001 3Lynx, Interreg Central Europe www.mzp.cz In 2019, first edition © Robert Behnke © Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic ISBN: 978-80-7212-639-2 1 1 Introduction The aim of this deliverable is to present an overview of current lynx management approaches and monitoring methods, about challenges and problems arising with the occurrence of the species and for detecting and capturing Eurasian lynx as well as determining their distribution outside the Bohemian-Bavarian-Austrian (BBA), East-Alpine and Dinaric population and the participating countries of the 3Lynx project. Assessment of these efforts allows for identification of factors that have emerged as barriers and drivers during implementation of active and passive monitoring schemes and informs future choices concerning monitoring, participatory measures for stakeholder involvement and other related topics, which were identified as crucial elements for functional Eurasian lynx management and monitoring schemes. The compendium lists approaches (and outcomes) in countries of the European Union with Eurasian lynx populations and includes management and monitoring programs that are currently in use, are under development or are planned for the future. Additionally, threats and arising conflict scenarios within the respective countries are mentioned and subsequent conflict management and compensation plans are described, where available, with the goal of identifying and pointing potential options and solutions for conflict mitigation and reduction. At last, a conclusion provides a summary about the aspects of lynx management and monitoring, that have emerged as the most urgent and important topics in the respective countries/populations, as well as problems or challenges that have arisen. Additionally, the appendix provides overview tables of applied management and monitoring schemes and compensation schemes, as well as existing/arising threats and conflicts for each country and population accompanied by a list of actual literature references, which cites actual approaches and publications allowing easy access of information to deal with the respective topic in more detail. The review of available management and monitoring schemes within the present compendium will support the 3Lynx project, as well as other prospective projects concerning conservation