Data for: Long-term changes in habitat selection and prey spectrum in a reintroduced Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population in Switzerland

When wild-caught Euan lynx (Lynx lynx) from the Slovak Carpathian
Mountains were reintroduced to Central Switzerland in the early 1970s and
spread through the north western Swiss Alps (NWA), they faced a largely
unfamiliar landscape with strongly fragmented forests, high elevations and
intense human land use. For more than 30 years, radiocollared lynx have
been monitored during three different project periods (in the 1980s, 1990s
and 2010s). Our study explored, how lynx over generations have learned to
adjust to the alpine environment. We predicted that (1) lynx nowadays
select more strongly for open habitats, higher elevations and steep slopes
compared to the early stages of recolonization and that (2) consequently,
there were significant changes in the Eurasian lynx’ prey spectrum. To
test our predictions, we analysed telemetry data (VHF, GPS) of 13 adult
resident lynx in the NWA over 35 years, using Resource Selection
Functions. Furthermore, we compared kills recorded from different
individuals inhabiting the same region during three project periods. In
general, lynx preferred forested areas, but over the years, they avoided
open habitat less. Compared to the early stage of the recolonization, lynx
in the most recent project period selected for higher elevations and the
proportion of chamois in their prey spectrum surmounted that of roe deer.
Potential driving factors for the observed changes could be increasing
tolerance to human presence, intraspecific competition or fitness benefits
through exploitation of new resources. Long-term studies like ours provide
important insight into how animals can respond to sudden environmental
changes e.g., in the course of translocations into new areas or
anthropogenic alterations of their habitats.