Title
Habitat loss, not fragmentation, drives occurrence patterns of Canada lynx at the southern range periphery
Author(s)
Hornseth, M.L., A. Walpole, J. Bowman, L. Walton, J. C. Ray, M.J. Fortin, and D. Murray
Published
2014
Publisher
PLOS One
Abstract
Peripheral populations often experience more extreme environmental conditions than those in the centre of a species’ range, including habitat loss and fragmentation. The ‘threshold hypothesis’ predicts that organisms will be disproportionately more affected by habitat fragmentation when habitat is scarce. Alternatively, the ‘flexibility hypothesis’ predicts that individuals may respond to disturbance by altering their habitat selection patterns, thereby reducing their vulnerability. While the range of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) has contracted during recent decades, the relative importance of habitat loss and habitat fragmentation on this phenomenon is poorly understood. This study contrasts lynx occupancy patterns across landscapes in Ontario to test the ‘threshold hypothesis’ and ‘flexibility hypothesis’.
Full Citation
Hornseth, M.L., A. Walpole, J. Bowman, L. Walton, J. C. Ray, M.J. Fortin, and D. Murray. 2014. Habitat loss, not fragmentation, drives occurrence patterns of Canada lynx at the southern range periphery. PLOS One.
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