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...
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ftzenodo:oai:zenodo.org:7632741 2024-09-15T18:41:45+00:00 Data for: Long-term changes in habitat selection and prey spectrum in a reintroduced Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population in Switzerland Vogt, Kristina Nagl, Daniela Hackländer, Klaus Ryser, Andreas Zimmermann, Fridolin Signer, Sven Haller, Heinrich Breitenmoser-Würsten, Christine Breitenmoser, Urs 2023-02-11 https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sf7m0cg7v unknown Zenodo https://zenodo.org/communities/dryad https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sf7m0cg7v oai:zenodo.org:7632741 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode info:eu-repo/semantics/other 2023 ftzenodo https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sf7m0cg7v 2024-07-26T01:56:26Z 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. Other/Unknown Material Lynx Lynx lynx lynx Zenodo |
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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. |
format |
Other/Unknown Material |
author |
Vogt, Kristina Nagl, Daniela Hackländer, Klaus Ryser, Andreas Zimmermann, Fridolin Signer, Sven Haller, Heinrich Breitenmoser-Würsten, Christine Breitenmoser, Urs |
spellingShingle |
Vogt, Kristina Nagl, Daniela Hackländer, Klaus Ryser, Andreas Zimmermann, Fridolin Signer, Sven Haller, Heinrich Breitenmoser-Würsten, Christine Breitenmoser, Urs Data for: Long-term changes in habitat selection and prey spectrum in a reintroduced Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population in Switzerland |
author_facet |
Vogt, Kristina Nagl, Daniela Hackländer, Klaus Ryser, Andreas Zimmermann, Fridolin Signer, Sven Haller, Heinrich Breitenmoser-Würsten, Christine Breitenmoser, Urs |
author_sort |
Vogt, Kristina |
title |
Data for: Long-term changes in habitat selection and prey spectrum in a reintroduced Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population in Switzerland |
title_short |
Data for: Long-term changes in habitat selection and prey spectrum in a reintroduced Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population in Switzerland |
title_full |
Data for: Long-term changes in habitat selection and prey spectrum in a reintroduced Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population in Switzerland |
title_fullStr |
Data for: Long-term changes in habitat selection and prey spectrum in a reintroduced Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population in Switzerland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Data for: Long-term changes in habitat selection and prey spectrum in a reintroduced Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population in Switzerland |
title_sort |
data for: long-term changes in habitat selection and prey spectrum in a reintroduced eurasian lynx (lynx lynx) population in switzerland |
publisher |
Zenodo |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sf7m0cg7v |
genre |
Lynx Lynx lynx lynx |
genre_facet |
Lynx Lynx lynx lynx |
op_relation |
https://zenodo.org/communities/dryad https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sf7m0cg7v oai:zenodo.org:7632741 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sf7m0cg7v |
_version_ |
1810486127881093120 |