IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Gil-Sanchez, J.M.; Arenas-Rojas, R.; Garcia-Tardio, M.; Rodriquez-Siles, J.; Simon-Mata, M.A. | |
| Habitat assessment to select areas for reintroduction of the endangered Iberian lynx | |
| 2011 Wildlife Biology in Practice (7): 1-19 | |
We conducted habitat assessment for the purpose of selecting areas for the first reintroduction efforts of the critically endangered Iberian lynx (_Lynx pardinus_). Two scale-based approaches were developed. First, we followed a hierarchical process to select the best areas at the large scale landscape based on five key factors in reintroduction success: 1) suitable habitat structure, based on known habitat selection by resident radio-tagged Iberian lynxes applied to a Geographic Information System (GIS) and a regional map, 2) optimal food resources, based on surveys of the staple prey, the European rabbit (_Oryctolagus cuniculus_), 3) area size, 4) existing legal protection and 5) possibilities of contributing to a meta-population system, linking with existing populations through dispersing individuals. The second phase of our evaluation examined the pre-selected areas with more detail to fine-out the reintroduction site selection. We compared fourteen variables related to four key-factors for the lynx: human-induced mortality (poaching and road-kills), micro-habitat structure, carrying capacity and possibilities of natural expansion. Guadalmellato and Guarrizas out of five potential areas selected by the large scale assessment were considered adequate after the detailed assessment. Both areas showed optimal values of most of the variables studied, and offered a good potential scenario for the establishment of a large meta-population, which could include the current population plus a large suitable patch located nearby, but outside Andalusia. The three remaining areas should not be discounted once the priority goal of obtaining a long-term self-sustaining population is reached. |
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