|
Wildlife, Animals, and Plants
|
|
Introductory
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Lynx lynx | Lynx
ABBREVIATION :
LYLY
COMMON NAMES :
lynx
Canada lynx
TAXONOMY :
The scientific name of lynx is Lynx lynx [22,23].
Lynx canadensis and Felis lynx are synonyms encountered in the
literature [3,13].
ORDER :
Carnivora
CLASS :
Mammal
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
Notice of Review, Category 2
OTHER STATUS :
The North American lynx is federally listed as threatened.
The lynx is listed as threatened in the state of Montana [17]. It is
endangered in Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Colorado [21], and Washington
[24]. Lynx populations experience volatile swings, becoming very low
about every 10 years. Therefore they can be rare in any one given area
at these times.
COMPILED BY AND DATE :
S. A. Snyder, April 1991
LAST REVISED BY AND DATE :
NO-ENTRY
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Snyder, S. A. 1991. Lynx lynx. In: Remainder of Citation
WILDLIFE DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Lynx lynx | Lynx
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
The lynx is found in the taiga zone of North America, from British
Columbia east to the Atlantic Coast of Canada. It ranges from Alaska
south, except for the coastal areas, to isolated parts of Washington,
Idaho, and Montana. The lynx is also found in central Utah and in a
fraction of Colorado. Small populations may still exist in northern
Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire [21].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES10 White-red-jack pine
FRES11 Spruce-fir
FRES18 Maple-beech-birch
FRES19 Aspen-birch
FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES22 Western white pine
FRES23 Fir-spruce
FRES24 Hemlock-Sitka spruce
FRES25 Larch
FRES26 Lodgepole pine
STATES :
| AK |
CO |
ID |
ME |
MI |
MN |
MT |
NH |
UT |
VT |
WA |
WI |
| AB |
BC |
MB |
NB |
NF |
NT |
NS |
ON |
PQ |
SK |
YK |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
2 Cascade Mountains
5 Columbia Plateau
8 Northern Rocky Mountains
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
10 Wyoming Basin
12 Colorado Plateau
15 Black Hills Uplift
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K001 Spruce - cedar - hemlock forest
K002 Cedar - hemlock - Douglas-fir forest
K004 Fir - hemlock forest
K005 Mixed conifer forest
K007 Red fir forest
K008 Lodgepole pine - subalpine forest
K010 Ponderosa shrub forest
K011 Western ponderosa forest
K012 Douglas-fir forest
K013 Cedar - hemlock - pine forest
K014 Grand fir - Douglas-fir forest
K015 Western spruce - fir forest
K018 Pine - Douglas-fir forest
K020 Spruce - fir - Douglas-fir forest
K021 Southwestern spruce - fir forest
K093 Great Lakes spruce - fir forest
K094 Conifer bog
K095 Great Lakes pine forest
K096 Northeastern spruce - fir forest
SAF COVER TYPES :
1 Jack pine
5 Balsam fir
12 Black spruce
13 Black spruce - tamarack
15 Red pine
16 Aspen
18 Paper birch
21 Eastern white pine
22 White pine - hemlock
30 Red spruce - yellow birch
31 Red spruce - sugar maple - beech
32 Red spruce
33 Red spruce - balsam fir
34 Red spruce - Fraser fir
35 Paper birch - red spruce - balsam fir
37 Northern white cedar
38 Tamarack
107 White spruce
201 White spruce
202 White spruce - paper birch
203 Balsam poplar
204 Black spruce
205 Mountain hemlock
206 Engelmann spruce - subalpine fir
207 Red fir
208 Whitebark pine
209 Bristlecone pine
210 Interior Douglas-fir
211 White fir
212 Western larch
213 Grand fir
215 Western white pine
218 Lodgepole pine
219 Limber pine
223 Sitka spruce
224 Western hemlock
225 Western hemlock - Sitka spruce
227 Western redcedar - western hemlock
228 Western redcedar
230 Douglas-fir - western hemlock
251 White spruce - aspen
253 Black spruce - white spruce
254 Black spruce - paper birch
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Lynx are associated with dense climax forests at elevations above 4,000
feet (1,200 m). They also use early seral stage communities bordering
dense forests. Because their populations are closely tied to snowshoe
hare (Lepus americanus) numbers, lynx can also be found in second growth
forests when hare are numerous [5,10]. Lynx inhabit hemlock (Tsuga
spp.)-spruce (Picea spp.)-fir (Abies spp.) forests in the West and pine
(Pinus spp.) and birch (Betula spp.)-spruce (Picea spp.)-fir (Abies
spp.) forests in the East. They are also found in the taiga region of
North America.
REFERENCES :
NO-ENTRY
BIOLOGICAL DATA AND HABITAT REQUIREMENTS
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Lynx lynx | Lynx
TIMING OF MAJOR LIFE HISTORY EVENTS :
Breeding age - 1 year
Breeding season - January or February, sometimes into April [2,18]
Gestation period - 60 days
Birthing season - March or April, sometimes May or June
Maximum lifespan - 15 to 18 years in captivity
Lynx populations usually fluctuate in a cycle with snowshoe hare
populations, peaking about every 9 to 10 years [3,7,16,21].
PREFERRED HABITAT :
Lynx occur in both dense climax forests and second-growth stands. In
Alaska and Canada, they prefer boreal forests, and in the Intermountain
West, they prefer spruce (Picea spp.)-subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests. In Washington, Idaho, and
Montana, lynx occur above 4,000 feet (1,200 m) in elevation; in Wyoming,
above 6,500 feet (1,900 m); and in Colorado and Utah, above 8,000 feet
(2,400 m) [13].
COVER REQUIREMENTS :
Lynx require a mix of early and late seral habitats to meet their food
and cover needs. Early seral habitats provide the lynx with a prey
base, while mature forests provide denning space and hiding cover.
Pockets of dense forest must be interspersed with prey habitat. Lynx
den in rotten logs, beneath tree roots, and in rock crevices. Koehler
[12] reported that lynx use forests with a high density of downfall logs
(>40 logs per 40 yards [46 m] lying 1 to 4 feet [0.3-1.3 m] above the
ground).
FOOD HABITS :
Lynx prey primarily on snowshoe hare. Their diet also includes ducks
(Anas spp.), upland game birds, especially grouse (Dendragapus spp.),
and various forest rodents, including squirrels (Scuirids,
Spermophilids). Lynx also feed on deer, moose, and caribou carcasses.
Saunders [19] reported that lynx are able to kill these large mammals.
PREDATORS :
Predators of lynx include man, mountain lion (Felis concolor), bear
(Ursus spp.), and other lynx.
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Lynx can be managed by managing for snowshoe hare, their primary prey.
Hare populations increase dramatically following disturbance,
particularly fire. However, Koehler [13] reported that hare
recolonization may not occur until 6 to 7 years following logging, and
that hare densities may not reach their maximum for another 20 to 25
years. This depends on site conditions and type of treatment. As
stands become older (about 20 to 30 years old), their benefits to
snowshoe hare decrease [13].
Because of the cyclic nature of the population, one management strategy
to ensure kitten recruitment would be to put a moratorium on trapping
for the 3 years following the declining phase of lynx [21].
REFERENCES :
NO-ENTRY
FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Lynx lynx | Lynx
DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS :
There is no apparent and probably no significant direct fire-related
mortality of lynx.
HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS :
Because lynx populations oscillate with snowshoe hare populations, fires
that create snowshoe hare cover and food generally benefit lynx [10,13].
Fire may have negative short-term effects by eliminating cover for
snowshoe hare and lynx. However, as succession progresses and snowshoe
hares become abundant, lynx will benefit. Lynx usually do not cross
openings greater than 300 feet (90 m) and use travel corridors with tree
densities of 180 stems per acre (450/ha). Therefore, fires that create
large openings without leaving travel corridors between pockets of dense
forest may be detrimental to lynx [4,5,9,19].
FIRE USE :
Grange [9] reported that snowshoes are associated with plant species
that recover well following fire. He also stated that their population
explosions are limited to very early seral stages. Thus fire can be
used to create early seral habitats that support snowshoe hare, the
primary prey for lynx. Pockets of unburned areas, at least 1 to 5 acres
(0.4-2 ha), should be left for denning sites. These pockets should
border prey habitat. Management units should be designed to provide
travel corridors, especially along ridges and saddles, as lynx are more
likely to use these areas. A variety of fire types and intensities will
create a temporal and spatial pattern of habitat for prey, as well as
maintain unburned areas for denning sites [13].
REFERENCES :
NO-ENTRY
REFERENCES
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Lynx lynx | Lynx
REFERENCES :
1. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals,
reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's
associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO:
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p.
[434]
2. Brainerd, Scott M. 1985. Reproductive ecology of bobcat and lynx in
western Montana. Missoula, MT: University of Montana. 85 p. Thesis.
[13704]
3. Burt, William H.; Grossenheider, Richard P. 1976. A field guide to the
mammals. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. 289 p. [13685]
4. Deems, Eugene F.; Pursley, Duane, eds. 1978. North American furbearers,
their management, research and harvest status in 1976. College Park, MD:
University of Maryland Press. 171 p. [13708]
5. DeVos, Antoon; Matel, S. Eugene. 1952. The status of lynx in Canada,
1920-1952. Journal of Forestry. 50: 742-745. [13709]
6. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and
Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
7. Fox, John F. 1978. Forest fires and the snowshoe hare--Canada lynx
cycle. Oecologia. 31: 349-374. [11099]
8. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others].
1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]
9. Grange, Wallace. 1965. Fire and tree growth relationships to snowshoe
rabbits. In: Proceedings, 4th Tall Timbers fire ecology conference; 1965
March 18-19; Tallahassee, FL. Tallahasee, FL: Tall Timbers Research
Station: 111-123. [13530]
10. Heinselman, Miron L. 1973. Fire in the virgin forests of the Boundary
Waters Canoe Area, Minnesota. Quaternary Research. 3: 329-382. [282]
11. Ingles, L. G. 1965. Mammals of the Pacific States: California,
Washington, Oregon. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 506 p.
[13686]
12. Koehler, Gary M. 1990. Population and habitat characteristics of lynx
and snowshoe hares in north central Washington. Canadian Journal of
Zoology. 68: 845-851. [18030]
13. Koehler, Gary M.; Brittell, J. David. 1990. Managing spruce-fir habitat
for lynx and snowshoe hares. Journal of Forestry. 88(10): 10-14.
[13599]
14. Koehler, Gary M.; Hornocker, Maurice G.; Hash, Howard S. 1979. Lynx
movements and habitat use in Montana. Canadian Field-Naturalist. 93(4):
441-442. [13706]
15. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation
of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
16. Mech, David L. 1980. Age, sex, reproductional and spatial organization
of lynxes colonizing northeastern Minnesota. Journal of Mammalogy.
61(2): 261-267. [13705]
17. Montana Natural Heritage Program. 1990. Animal species of special
concern. Helena, MT: Montana Natural Heritage Program. 5 p. [13751]
18. Nellis, Carl H.; Wetmore, Stephen P., Keith, Lloyd B. 1972. Lynx-prey
interactions in central Alberta. Journal of Wildlife Management. 36(2):
320-328. [13711]
19. Saunders, Jack K. 1963. Food habits of the lynx in Newfoundland. Journal
of Wildlife Management. 27(3): 384-390. [13710]
20. Warren, Edward Royal. 1942. The mammals of Colorado. Norman, OK:
University of Oklahoma Press. 330 p. [13687]
21. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. 1994.
Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; animal candidate review
for listing as endangered or threatened species; proposed rule. 50 CFR
Part 17. Tuesday, November 15, 1994. Federal Register. 59(219):
58982-59028. [24357]
22. Hall, E. Raymond. 1981. The mammals of North America. 2nd ed. Vol. 2.
New York: John Wiley and Sons. 1271 p. [14765]
23. Jones, J. Knox, Jr.; Hoffmann, Robert S.; Rice, Dale W.; [and others].
1992. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 1991.
Occasional Papers No. 146. Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech University, The
Museum. 6 p. [22160]
24. Washington Department of Wildlife. 1994. Species of special concern in
Washington - state and federal status. Olympia, WA: Washington
Department of Wildlife. 41 p. [25414]
Index
FEIS Home Page
Related categories for Wildlife Species: Lynx lynx
| Lynx
|
 |
