Movement ecology, survival, and territorial dynamics in Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) over a cyclic population decline

• Main Author: Arnold, Derek
• Other Authors: Kielland, Knut, Breed, Greg, Crimmins, Shawn, Laufenberg, Jared
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Lynx; Ecology; Habitat; Territoriality; Snowshoe rabbit; Predation; Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences; Alaska
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11122/14942

Dissertation (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2023 As the quintessential predator-prey cycle, research into Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) have led to many discoveries in population biology; however, much remains unknown about the nuances of their populations. In this dissertation, I examined the ways in which population cycles influence survival, reproduction, territoriality, and connectivity. First, I examined ways in which climate change induced shifts in fire regimes have affected lynx persistence in their current refugia. Lynx mainly sought out areas of higher hare density and lower cover, such as intermediately aged coniferous and deciduous forests. This type of forest was predicted to persist in the near future, so long as fire intervals remained higher than current levels. Secondly, I investigated how landscape connectivity varied as a function of dispersal status and survival. We found that although the landscape was physically well connected based on resident lynx, it was even more so given dispersing lynx tolerance of poor habitat. This was dampened by survival declines in dispersing lynx over the course of a population crash to a near complete loss of connectivity. Thirdly, I assessed the degree to which dispersal, reproduction, and survival patterns were consistent with those displayed by populations exhibiting a traveling wave. My results supported the hypothesized westward moving population wave, but one mediated by differential survival and spatially varying reproduction rather than directionally-biased dispersal. Additionally, these characteristics were consistent with lynx as driving a similar population wave in snowshoe hare. Finally, I applied a novel mathematical approach to parameterizing advection-diffusion equations to examine how territorial formation occurs at population highs. I found evidence for hierarchical formation of territories in available space, with boundaries defined by preferred habitat. This methodology was a considerable ...