Quantifying spatiotemporal occupancy dynamics and multi-year core-use areas at a species range boundary

Aim

Many species face large-scale range contractions and predicted distributional shifts in response to climate change, shifting forest characteristics, and anthropogenic disturbances. Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and were recently recommended for delisting. Predicted climate-driven losses in habitat quality and quantity may negatively affect the northeastern Minnesota lynx population, one of six remaining resident populations in the contiguous United States. We develop a large-scale monitoring protocol and dynamic occupancy modeling framework to identify multi-year core use areas and track spatiotemporal occurrence at the southern periphery of the species range.

 

Location

Northeastern Minnesota lynx geographic unit, Superior National Forest, and designated critical habitat, Minnesota, USA.

 

Methods

Spatially and temporally replicated snow track surveys were used to collect lynx detection/non-detectio...