Affordable Access

Understanding the spatial and foraging ecology of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population across Europe using an integrative approach

Authors
  • Almeida De Oliveira, Maria Teresa
Publication Date
Feb 22, 2024
Source
University of Ljubljana
Keywords
Language
English
License
Green
External links

Abstract

Animal movement patterns are intrinsically connected to multiple behavioural states, such as foraging, resting, and mating. However, some of these states can be risky and energetically expensive, thus they can have strong implications for animal fitness and survival. Here, we used GPS telemetry to study Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) spatial and foraging ecology and its connection to various behavioural states at different scales, from local populations to a continental scale (Europe). For this purpose, we developed methodological advancements for identifying kill sites from GPS telemetry data, which can be applied also to other species and studies with similar goals. We found that the variation of foraging parameters across a gradient of anthropogenic disturbances is context-dependent, while the influence of individual factors, such as social status, is consistent across Europe. We obtained less conclusive results regarding the impact of prey availability, but we detected a significant effect of the presence of dominant scavengers. Foraging and movement of females during the denning period were also overall consistent across populations. The choice of daily resting sites did not change significantly while lynx was using a kill site, although this was studied only in a single population in Dinaric Mountains. In the same population we also found that naive and experienced individuals exhibited different movement and feeding patterns in relation to the distribution of artificial feeding sites. Overall, our study provides the first insights into how several lynx behavioural states vary in response to a wide range of environmental factors at a continental scale. This knowledge enables us to quantify and predict populational responses, which is particularly relevant under the light of the increasing anthropogenic pressure.

Report this publication

Statistics

Seen <100 times