Anthropogenic and natural habitat fragmentation inhibit movement of animals through landscapes. An important challenge for connectivity conservation is determining which conditions facilitate or limit movements, so that these areas can be prioritized for protection or restoration. We examine Canada lynx Lynx canadensis habitat connectivity in the fragmented North Cascade Mountains of Washington, as an example of a highly mobile species that is specialized both on prey and in habitat needs. We identify lynx Habitat Concentration Areas based on Core Habitat Models, parameterize resistance surfaces from our Matrix Habitat Model, and develop linkages of habitat lynx use to move between patches of high quality habitat. We identify a number of linkages for lynx comprised of habitat conditions that differed from high quality core patches identified from our habitat modeling. Radio-locations from lynx confirm lower-quality habitats of low resistance to movement were used by traveling lynx. Our results thus suggest traveling lynx do indeed use a much broader range of habitats than do lynx moving within core areas. For lynx in the North Cascades, our results show that maintaining connectivity will require preserving habitats and linkages that would previously have been deemed unsuitable for lynx. Maintaining connectivity for lynx is particularly important given the many recent large wildfires in this region that have reduced the number of mature forest stands that form prime habitat for lynx. Policy implications. Our results strongly suggest that habitat connectivity models should be based on empirical information of animal location data and focused on matrix habitat analysis. Traveling predators use a wide suite of habitats, resulting in more and broader linkage zones that should inform conservation efforts. Failure to identify these areas of functional connectivity could result in the oversight of usable linkage zones, leaving them without protection and vulnerable to degradation.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6262728 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4605 | DOI Listing |
In an environment increasingly dominated by roads, wildlife crossing structures (WCS) have been installed to decrease wildlife mortality and improve habitat linkages. In South Texas, vehicle collisions have been a major mortality source for the endangered ocelot (). To mitigate threats to this species, eight WCS, along with associated fencing, were strategically placed along Farm-to-Market Road 106 (FM106), which passes through ocelot habitat.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe conducted a survey for domestic cat hepadnavirus, an analog of human hepatitis B virus, in the endangered felid species Iberian lynx. Results revealed specific antibodies in 32.3% of serum samples and DNA in 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Behav Immun
December 2024
Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA, USA; Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA, USA; Stanford Healthcare Innovation Lab, Stanford University, CA, USA. Electronic address:
Background: Although depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this disorder-particularly those involving the gut microbiome-are poorly understood.
Method: To investigate, we conducted a community-based observational study to explore complex associations between changes in the gut microbiome, cytokine levels, and depression symptoms in 52 participants (M = 49.56, SD = 13.
Med
December 2024
Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!