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Assessing unverified observation data used for estimating Iberian lynx distribution

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Abstract

Anecdotal occurrence data are often used to assess the current and historical ranges of elusive species. However, the use of such data can lead to misidentifications that may result in the overestimation of the species’ range and thus have potentially negative consequences for species conservation and management. Despite being a widely criticized practice, anecdotal sighting data have been used to establish the range of the Iberian lynx. We assessed the accuracy of anecdotal sighting data by drawing comparisons with non-invasive standard sampling methods that depend on verifiable physical evidence of the presence of the Iberian lynx to establish its range. The study was carried out in the central and northern part of the Iberian lynx populations that were believed to exist in the 1980s. The study area was divided into 10 × 10 km Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) squares, in which interviews regarding sightings and scat and camera trapping surveys were conducted. A total of 82 lynx sightings were obtained in 44 different squares, but only one scat was located and no photographs were obtained. Our results show that the use of sighting data overestimates the range of the species when compared to the range obtained using physically verifiable data. Anecdotal data are considered to be notoriously unreliable by most scientists, yet, in the case of the Iberian lynx, this type of data continues to be used. Iberian lynx conservation and management decisions must be taken based solely on verified existing records to avoid wasting the limited resources available for conservation and to prevent inappropriate management decisions from being taken.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by DGCONA-MIMAM project “Censo- Diagnóstico de las Poblaciones de Lince Ibérico en España”. We wish to express our gratitude to Nicolas Guzmán, Paco García and Concha Iglesias that carried out with us the fieldwork. We want to thank all rangers who helped us with the fieldwork in Extremadura, Castilla la Mancha, Castilla-León y Madrid. We thank Guillermo López and the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments.

Compliance with ethical standards

This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agencia de Medioambiente y Agua de Andalucía, C/Johan G. Gutenberg, 1, 41092, Seville, Spain

    Germán Garrote

  2. WWF/España, Gran Vía de San Francisco 8-D, 28005, Madrid, Spain

    Ramón Pérez de Ayala

Authors
  1. Germán Garrote
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  2. Ramón Pérez de Ayala
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Correspondence to Germán Garrote.

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Communicated by P. Acevedo

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Garrote, G., Pérez de Ayala, R. Assessing unverified observation data used for estimating Iberian lynx distribution. Eur J Wildl Res 61, 801–806 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-015-0941-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-015-0941-5

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