Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Functional connectivity of lynx at their southern range periphery in Ontario, Canada

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Landscape Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Peripheral populations are often small and isolated compared to those in the range core, in part due to the patchy distribution of suitable habitats at range margins. It follows that peripheral populations typically occur at lower densities and are more susceptible to extinction, but their persistence may be facilitated through connectivity with core areas. Relationships between connectivity and the distribution of animal populations have not yet been fully evaluated, especially for large carnivores having extensive spatial needs and specialized habitat requirements. Using observations of snow tracks, we modeled occurrence of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) in relation to landscape characteristics along their southern range periphery in Ontario, Canada; we sought to assess functional connectivity of lynx habitat along the southern margins of the range. As observed in other studies, young coniferous forests had the highest probability of lynx occurrence, likely due to their association with snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus). We used the occurrence model to parameterize a resistance surface and then circuit theory to predict functional connectivity along the southern periphery of lynx distribution. Lynx typically travelled through landscapes with higher connectivity than random paths, implying that lynx habitat requirements in their southern range likely extend beyond habitat composition, and that conservation efforts should seek to preserve metapopulation dynamics through functional connectivity of suitable habitat across larger spatial scales.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adriaensen F, Chardon JP, De Blust G, Swinnen E, Villalba S, Gulinck H, Matthysen E (2003) The application of ‘least-cost’ modelling as a functional landscape model. Landsc Urban Plan 64:233–247. doi:10.1016/S0169-2046(02)00242-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin DJB, Desloges JR, Band LE (2000) Physical Geography of Ontario. In: Perera A, Euler D, Thompson I (eds) Ecology of a managed terrestrial landscape: patterns and processes of forest landscapes in Ontario. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver, pp 12–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Bayne EM, Boutin S, Moses RA (2008) Ecological factors influencing the spatial pattern of Canada lynx relative to its southern range edge in Alberta, Canada. Can J Zool 86:1189–1197. doi:10.1139/Z08-099

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beier P, Majka DR, Spencer WD (2008) Forks in the road: choices and procedures for designing wildland linkages. Conserv Biol 22(4):836–851. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.00942.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Binzenhöfer B, Biedermann R, Settele J, Schröder B (2008) Connectivity compensates for low habitat quality and small patch size in the butterfly Cupido minimus. Ecol Res 23:259–269. doi:10.1007/s11284-007-0376-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burdett CL, Moen RA, Niemi GJ, Mech D (2007) Defining space use and movements of Canada lynx with global positioning system telemetry. J Mammal 88(2):457–467. doi:10.1644/06-MAMM-A-181R.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buskirk SW, Ruggiero LF, Aubry KB, Pearson DE, Squires JR, McKelvey KS (2000) Comparative ecology of lynx in North America. In: Ruggiero LF, Aubry KB, Buskirk SW, Koehler GM, Krebs CJ, McKelvey KS, Squires JR (eds) Ecology and conservation of lynx in the United States. University Press of Colorado, Boulder, pp 397–417

    Google Scholar 

  • Carroll C, Noss RF, Paquet PC (2001) Carnivores as focal species for conservation planning in the Rocky Mountain region. Ecol Appl 11:961–980. doi:10.1890/1051-0761(2001)011[0961:CAFSFC]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chetkiewicz CB, Boyce MS (2009) Use of resource selection functions to identify conservation corridors. J Appl Ecol 46:1036–1047. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01686.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cushman SA, McKelvey KS, Schwartz MK (2009) Use of empirically derived source-destination models to map regional conservation corridors. Conserv Biol 23(2):368–376. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.01111.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Doyle PG, Snell JL (1984) Random walks and electric networks. Mathematical Association of America, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer J, Lindenmayer DM (2007) Landscape modification and habitat fragmentation: a synthesis. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 16:265–280. doi:10.1111/j.1466-8238.2007.00287.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuller AK, Harrison DJ, Vashon JH (2007) Winter habitat selection by Canada lynx in Maine: prey abundance or accessibility? J Wildl Manag 71(6):1980–1986. doi:10.2193/2006-288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert-Norton L, Wilson R, Stevens JR, Beard KH (2010) A meta-analytic review of corridor effectiveness. Conserv Biol 24(3):660–668. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01450.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guo Q, Taper M, Schoenberger M, Brandle J (2005) Spatial-temporal population dynamics across species range: from centre to margin. Oikos 108:47–57. doi:10.1111/j.0030-1299.2005.13149.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haddad NM, Tewksbury JT (2005) Low quality habitat corridors as movement conduits for two butterfly species. Ecol Appl 15(1):250–257. doi:10.1890/03-5327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hines JE (2006) PRESENCE2-software to estimate patch occupancy and related parameters. USGS-PWRC. http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/software/presence.html. Accessed Sept 13, 2010

  • Hoegh-Guldberg O (1999) Climate change, coral bleaching and the future of the world’s coral reefs. Mar Freshw Res 50:839–866. doi:10.1071/MF99078

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holloway GL, Naylor BJ, Watt WR (2004) Habitat relationships of wildlife in Ontario. Revised habitat suitability models for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence and Boreal East forests. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Science and Information Branch, Southern Science and Information and Northeast Science and Information Joint Technical Report #1

  • Hosmer DW, Lemeshow S (2000) Applied logistic regression, 2n edn. Wiley, New York, p 307

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Hoving CL, Harrison DJ, Krohn WB, Jakubas WJ, McCollough MA (2004) Canada lynx Lynx canadensis habitat and forest succession in northern Maine, USA. Wildl Biol 10(4):285–294

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoving CL, Harrison DL, Krohn WB, Joseph RA, O’Brien M (2005) Broad-scale predictors of Canada lynx occurrence in eastern North America. J Wildl Manag 69(2):739–751. doi:10.2193/0022-541X(2005)069[0739:BPOCLO]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kendall WL (1999) Robustness of closed capture-recapture methods to violations of the closure assumption. Ecology 80(8):2517–2525. doi:10.1890/0012-9658(1999)080[2517:ROCCRM]2.0.CO;2

    Google Scholar 

  • Koen EL, Garroway CJ, Wilson PJ, Bowman J (2010) The effect of map boundary on estimates of landscape resistance to animal movement. PLoS ONE 5(7):e11785

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Laliberte AS, Ripple WJ (2004) Range contractions of North American carnivores and ungulates. Bioscience 54(2):123–138. doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2004)054[0123:RCONAC]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lesica P, Allendorf FW (1995) When are peripheral populations valuable for conservation? Conserv Biol 9(4):753–760. doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.1995.09040753.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mackenzie DI (2005) What are the issues with presence-absence data for wildlife managers? J Wildl Manag 69(3):849–860. doi:10.2193/0022-541X(2005)069[0849:WATIWP]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mackenzie DI, Nichols JD, Lachman GB, Droege S, Royle A, Langtimm CA (2002) Estimating site occupancy rates when detection probabilities are less than one. Ecology 83(8):2248–2225. doi:10.2307/3072056

    Google Scholar 

  • Maxie AJ, Hussey KF, Lowe SJ, Middel KR, Pond BA, Obbard ME, Patterson BR (2010) A comparison of forest resource inventory, provincial land cover maps and field surveys for wildlife habitat analysis in the Great Lakes—St Lawrence forest. For Chron 86(1):77–86

    Google Scholar 

  • McRae BH, Dickson BG, Keitt TH, Shah VB (2008) Using circuit theory to model connectivity in ecology, evolution and conservation. Ecology 89(10):2717–2724. doi:10.1890/07-1861.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mowat G, Poole KG, O’Donoghue M (2000) Ecology of lynx in northern Canada and Alaska. In: Ruggiero LF, Aubry KB, Buskirk SW, Koehler GM, Krebs CJ, McKelvey KS, Squires JR (eds) Ecology and conservation of lynx in the United States. University Press of Colorado, Denver, pp 265–306

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray DL (2003) Snowshoe hare and other hares. In: Feldhamer GA, Thompson B (eds) Wild mammals of North America, vol II. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, pp 147–175

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray DL, Boutin S (1991) The influence of snow on lynx and coyote movements: does morphology affect behaviour? Oecologia 88:463–469

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray DL, Boutin S, O’Donoghue M (1994) Winter habitat selection by lynx and coyotes in relation to snowshoe hare abundance. Can J Zool 72:1444–1451. doi:10.1139/z94-191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray DL, Steury TD, Roth JD (2008) Assessment of Canada lynx research and conservation needs in the southern range: another kick at the cat. J Wildl Manag 72(7):1463–1472. doi:10.2193/2007-389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Donoghue M, Slough BG, Poole KG, Boutin S, Hofer EJ, Mowat G, Krebs CJ (2010) Cyclical dynamics and behaviour of Canada lynx in northern Canada. In: MacDonald DW, Loveridge AJ (eds) Biology and conservation of wild felids. Oxford University Press, Toronto, pp 521–536

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker GR, Maxwell JW, Morton LD, Smith GEJ (1983) The ecology of the lynx (Lynx canadensis) on Cape Breton Island. Can J Zool 61(4):770–786. doi:10.1139/z83-102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poole K (2003) A review of the Canada lynx, Lynx canadensis, in Canada. Can Field Nat 117(3):360–376

    Google Scholar 

  • Rayfield B, Fortin M-J, Fall A (2010) The sensitivity of least cost habitat graphs to relative cost surface values. Landscape Ecol 25(4):519–532. doi:10.1007/s10980-009-9436-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richards SA (2008) Dealing with overdispersed count data in applied ecology. J Appl Ecol 45:218–227. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01377.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rota CT, Fletcher RJ Jr, Dorazio RM, Betts MG (2009) Occupancy estimation and the closure assumption. J Appl Ecol 46:1173–1181. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01734.x

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz MK, Mills LS, McKelvey KS, Ruggiero LF, Allendorf FW (2002) DNA reveals high dispersal synchronizing the population dynamics of Canada lynx. Nature 415:520–522. doi:10.1038/415520a

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shah VB, McRae B (2008) Circuitscape: a tool for landscape ecology. In: Proceedings of the 7th python in science conference (SciPy 2008), pp 62–66

  • Spear SF, Balkenhol N, Fortin M-J, McRae BH, Scribner K (2010) Use of resistance surfaces for landscape genetic studies: considerations for parameterization and analysis. Mol Ecol 19:3576–3591. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04657.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor PD, Fahrig L, Henein K, Merriam G (1993) Connectivity is a vital element of landscape struture. Oikos 68(3):571–573. doi:10.2307/3544927

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson ID (2000) Forest vegetation of Ontario: factors influencing landscape change. In: Perera A, Euler D, Thompson ID (eds) Ecology of a managed terrestrial landscape: patterns and processes of forest landscapes in Ontario. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver, pp 30–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyre AJ, Possingham HP, Lindenmayer DB (2001) Inferring process from pattern: can territory occupancy provide information about life history parameters? Ecol Appl 11(6):1722–1737. doi:10.1890/1051-0761(2001)011[1722:IPFPCT]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Urban D, Keitt T (2001) Landscape connectivity: a graph-theoretic perspective. Ecology 82(5):1205–1218. doi:10.2307/2679983

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2000) Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; determination of threatened status for the contiguous U.S. distinct population segment of the Canada lynx and related rule; final rule. Fed Reg 65:16052–16086

    Google Scholar 

  • Vashon JH, Meehan AL, Jakubas WH, Organ JF, Vashon AD, McLaughlin CR, Matula GJ Jr, Crowley SM (2008a) Spatial ecology of a Canada lynx population in northern Maine. J Wildl Manag 72(7):1479–1487. doi:10.2193/2007-462

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vashon JH, Meehan AL, Organ JF, Jakubas WH, McLaughlin CR, Vashon AD, Crowley SM (2008b) Diurnal habitat relationships of Canada lynx in an intensively managed private forest landscape in northern Maine. J Wildl Manag 72(7):1488–1496. doi:10.2193/2007-475

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research received financial support from an NSERC Strategic Projects grant to PJW, DLM, and JB and from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. The authors wish to thank Colin Garroway, Erin Koen, Kevin Middel, Megan Hornseth, Bree Walpole, Bruce Pond and two anonymous reviewers for valuable input and feedback. Thanks also to Eric Smith and Adam Wilson and many volunteers for collecting field data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wildlife Research and Development Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada

    Aaron A. Walpole & Jeff Bowman

  2. Department of Biology, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada

    Dennis L. Murray

  3. Natural Resources DNA Profiling and Forensic Centre, Biology Department and Forensic Science Program, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada

    Paul J. Wilson

Authors
  1. Aaron A. Walpole
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jeff Bowman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dennis L. Murray
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Paul J. Wilson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aaron A. Walpole.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Walpole, A.A., Bowman, J., Murray, D.L. et al. Functional connectivity of lynx at their southern range periphery in Ontario, Canada. Landscape Ecol 27, 761–773 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-012-9728-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-012-9728-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation