“Results support the need for a hierarchical, spatially nested approach in the conservation of lynx and their community that recognizes the importance of localized productive habitat areas to the stability of the regional population.” (Abstract)

“Despite stable populations across much of their range in Canada, lynx distribution may have reduced in southern British Columbia given range reductions in the northwestern United States.” (1)

“To address the knowledge gaps of lynx ecology and conservation requirements in the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains, a cooperative research effort among federal and provincial land management agencies was conducted from 1996 – 2001. The heightened conservation concern for lynx in the region was an important consideration in the initiation of the study. However, this wide-ranging carnivore was also highlighted as an important focal species in managing biodiversity within montane and subalpine
ecosystems... especially given that lynx are expected to respond to habitat and human conditions across multiple scales at which ecological processes and biodiversity elements occur.” (2)


“...our results support the need for a hierarchical, spatially nested approach in the conservation of lynx and their associated community across the southern Canadian Rockies.” (2)

“Space use and movements by lynx near their southwestern range may differ from that of many northern populations due to higher levels of natural habitat fragmentation, and markedly lower densities of snowshoe hares.” (4)

“Space use and movements by lynx were notably greater than
reported for northern populations and were more characteristic of results reported shortly after hare crashes. Overall, findings are consistent with a habitat distribution and lynx population structure that is spatially patchy.” (5)

“...kitten recruitment to mid-winter was 0 among adult females during both the first 3 years (n = 4) and last 2 years (n = 5).” (5)

“Adult survival was high (0.90) during the first 3 years, but low (0.30) during the last 2 years. Survival among 5 juveniles (4 dispersing) monitored during the first 3 years was low (£ 0.20). Among cohorts and years, mortalities were due to apparent starvation (69%), predation (15%), trapping harvest (8%) and disease (8%).” (5-6)

“... despite the fact that the study period largely coincided with an increase to high phase of a snowshoe hare cycle, lynx ecology resembled that of a northern, boreal population during hare lows.” (6)

“Patchy population distribution predicted at the regional level further supports a classic metapopulation structure of lynx in the southern Canadian Rockies, and would indicate that source-sink population dynamics are almost certainly at play.” (6)

“Hence, regional lynx population resilience depends on the distribution of ‘source’ landscapes that can consistently support reproductive resident adults.” (6)

“Under current regulations, such nodes may easily be extirpated
through focused population harvest, even within a single year and by a single individual. Their effectiveness as local population sources therefore depends on the control of human-induced mortality through a combination of winter access management and spatial allocation of any regional population harvest. The relatively low densities of snowshoe hares within our study area, even during apparent peak years, suggests that lynx population management should be highly conservative through all phases of the expected hare cycle.” (7)

“These are also important considerations for fire and vegetation management within protected areas.” (7)

“Access management must protect core populations and minimize snow-compacted networks and areas that may promote the persistence of competing species that would otherwise be excluded by winter snow-packs. Despite the exclusion of motorized off-road travel, extensive snow compaction is a concern in some national park landscapes due to the sheer volume, pattern, and newly popularized forms (e.g., snowshoeing) of winter recreation.” (7)