IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Weder, N. | |
| Kill rates and predation patterns of Eurasian lynx (_Lynx lynx_) in the Bohemian Forest Ecosystem | |
| 2013 Full Book | |
Lynx (_Lynx lynx_) kill rates and predation patterns were studied in the Bohemian Forest Ecosystem. By using an accelerated failure time model, clear differences in the kill rates between lynx social categories and seasons were found. 79% of found prey were roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), 17 % were red deer (_Cevus elaphus_), and 4% were wild boars (_Sus scrofa_), hares (Lepus europaeus), and foxes (_Vulpes vulpes_). Family groups had the highest kill rate. They killed a roe deer every 4.73 days, compared to an average of 5.8-6.73 days for single lynx. A red deer was killed every 7.47 days from family groups (9.17-10.63 days for single lynx). On average, lynx spent 3.4 days feeding on a roe deer carcass (from 2.76 days for a female with two cubs to 3.92 days for a single adult female), and 5.3 days feeding on a red deer carcass (from 4.26 days for family groups to 6.05 days for a single adult female). Searching time (the time between the lynx leaves a kill and makes a new one) for roe deer was from 1.3 days for family groups to 3 days for sub-adult females. Searching time for red deer ranges between 2.4 days in females with two cubs and 5.8 days in sub-adult females. Lynx killed a roe deer on average, every 6.3 days, and a red deer every 10.5 days in summer and every 5 days a roe deer, and every 8.6 days a red deer in winter. Thus, the average annual kill rates by lynx were 46-65 roe deer, and 29-42 red deer. However, these rates would be only valid, if lynx either preyed only on roe deer or only on red deer. Additionally, the real annual predation rates in the Bohemian Forest were estimated using the percentage shares of ungulates in the kill series. 45-75 roe deer, and 1.6-11 red deer were actually killed by lynx in the Bohemian Forest Ecosystem annually. Based on the observed real kill rates and the estimated lynx home range sizes, lynx killed on average 0.1-0.6 roe deer and 0.013-0.026 red deer annually over a 100 ha area. Compared to Bavarian hunting quotas, lynx influence on its prey species populations seems obviously not to play a bigger role than hunting harvest does. Since the eastern Bavarian and Bohemian lynx population is hitherto not spreading, concerns about hunters' competition loss are unfounded. As long as there are no wolves in the Bohemian Forest, the lynx is the only competitor to the hunters and its demand on roe deer and red deer is comparatively low. |
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