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E urasian lynx natal den site and maternal home‐range selection in multi‐use landscapes of N orway
Author(s) -
White S.,
Briers R. A.,
Bouyer Y.,
Odden J.,
Linnell J. D. C.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/jzo.12260
Subject(s) - home range , predation , biology , selection (genetic algorithm) , roe deer , habitat , ecology , terrain , reproductive success , range (aeronautics) , capreolus , geography , demography , population , materials science , artificial intelligence , sociology , computer science , composite material
In carnivores, securing suitable den sites with associated early maternal home ranges is important for successful reproduction, and understanding natal den site selection is essential to ensure that these habitats are protected from human disturbance. This study investigated E urasian lynx L ynx lynx natal den site selection across multiple use landscapes in N orway and explores whether the selection of early maternal home ranges across southern N orway involved a trade‐off of security for access to their preferred prey species, roe deer C apreolus capreolus . The characteristics of natal dens and home ranges from 33 reproductive events were quantified across south‐eastern and northern N orway. Natal dens were located in terrain further from the most accessible and disturbed areas (public roads) and in terrain more rugged than generally available. Early maternal home ranges were characterized by low human and low road density in rugged terrain and a selection for areas associated with higher or lower roe deer densities was not important in our analysis. Humans are the dominant cause of lynx mortality throughout N orway and our findings suggest that female lynx primarily chose areas that limited their interaction with people during the denning period.