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Lynx reintroduCtion to scotland
Recommendations for the reintroduction of Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) back into Scotland.
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Introduction
Ecology and Habitat
Distribution
The Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) is a solitary mammal which was hunted to extinction in the UK
for its fur in 500-700 AD. It has a broad distribution in Southeastern and Central Europe and
from Northern and Eastern Europe through to the Boreal forests of Russia, down into
Central Asia and the Tibetan plateau (IUCN redlist, 2016). The status of this species is stable
however it varies within its different ranges. The Eurasian lynx is found in a wide range of
climatic zones from Temperate to Boreal forests from the far Atlantic in Western Europe to
the Pacific coast in the Russian Far East (IUCN redlist, 2016).
Habitat and Range
The lynx has a wide home range of 100km2 to over 1000km2, and male home ranges
encompass 1-2 females’ territories, depending on the terrain and climate conditions
(Hetherington et al., 2008). The minimum viable population of Lynx needed to survive in a
new environment is 50-100 (Hetherington et al., 2008) meaning the minimum dynamic area
(the total area that is required for reproduction, the amount of resources required and the
Figure 1: Map of Scotland showing the typography of the area (Hetherington et al., 2008)
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dispersion of the species) is 5000km2 to 100,000km2 with small habitat patches that are close
in connectivity, up to 1.2km, to ensure gene flow.
Lynx are being considered for reintroduction in Scotland because of Scotland’s unique
typography (fig. 1) large coniferous forests, and lack of infra-structure (Hetherington et al.,
2008). Lynx can survive in all types of woodland, coniferous, broadleaved and mixed leaved.
Increased reforestation in the Scottish highlands has increased the population of woodland
deer which are suitable prey for lynx populations. Their breeding season is confined to
February to March and they feed on small ungulates such as roe deer and small hares
(WWF, 2016).
Threats and Conservation
Lynx are threatened by illegal hunting for fur, habitat loss and fragmentation due to creation
of roads and infrastructure, conflicts with hunters due to mortality of livestock, poor
management and poaching. The Eurasian lynx is listed on the Appendix II of CITES,
prohibiting the international trade in the species without a license (Arkive.org, 2016).
Methods
Lynx reintroduction requires habitat evaluation to assess its viability. Candidate networks
(fig.2) for the reintroduction of Lynx to protected areas have been based on data sets
supplied by Scottish National Heritage, protected areas being the best places for any
reintroduction as they are less likely to have the cause of the original extinction, and a
degraded landscape. Satellite images were looked at to allow a greater understanding of the
habitats in candidate areas.
Data, such as that on main roads to the Scottish boundary, was clipped to give a more
specific view of potential sites as well as showing buffer zones that are needed because of
the presence of roads.
A greater understanding of potential sites was achieved by making sure they are as
connected as possible, merging the small areas together creating a larger protected area
and making sure the correct habitats are within each site.
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By overlapping layers of data on factors that influence successful reintroduction with
candidate network sites for the release, it was possible to assess which sites were the most
suitable for reintroduction.
Discussion
Protected areas
The networks that are big enough to hold at
least one pair of Lynx (fig.2) are near to
protected areas such as SSSIs and National
Parks. Having areas that are already
managed and protected is beneficial
because the current management is already
in place within these specific areas.
Roads and settlements
Roads are a barrier for the movement of
Lynx especially motorways and dual
carriageways because they have a disruptive
effect on the movement of species across
landscapes (Hetherington et al., 2008). It is
therefore important to consider this when
looking at these potential habitat areas. The
main motorways shown in blue (fig. 3) are
clustered in the Central Lowlands between
Glasgow and Edinburgh and dissect the
Southern Uplands. The settlements within
the likely areas need to be considered. Lynx
can be introduced close to smaller
settlements as research from Lynx
introduction in Europe shows that Lynx do
Figure 3: Candidate networks showing the main
motorways in blue. Produced by author, 2016
Figure 2: Candidate networks showing the protected areas
in light blue. Authors own 2016.
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not visit small settlements (Hetherington et al., 2008). Therefore it would be preferable to
have a reintroduction site north of the Central Lowlands.
Sheep densities
Human-wildlife conflict between Lynx and farmers needs to be minimised if Lynx
reintroduction is to be successful. Sheep farming is an important part of the economy in
Scotland. The areas with the highest densities of sheep are in southern Scotland, closer to
the more established settlements (fig 5). These areas have already been shown to be less
suitable for the potential reintroduction of Lynx because they are close to motorways and
dual carriageways. However, the largest candidate area, Inverness, has a small density of
sheep, 0.1- <1 (fig. 4 and fig.5) and therefore a favorable site for reintroduction of Lynx in
this respect.
Figure 5: Sheep densities in Scotland
(Hetherington et al., 2008)
Figure 4: Candidate networks overlaid by
geo-referenced sheep densities. Authors
own 2016.
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Conclusion
After consideration of size of woodland cover, major road networks, sheep densities,
protected areas, urban areas / settlements and finally the expected population of Lynx, a
clearer picture of the best habitat area can be decided (fig. 7). The largest and most efficient
site for the reintroduction is the Inverness site at a size of 5248.317km2. This site has an
expected population of Lynx of 29 and a woodland cover of 2365.632km2.
Name of site Size(km2) Woodland cover
(km2)
Expected lynx
population
Inverness site 5248.317 2365.632 29
Greenock site 2073.97 1012.132 12
Blairmount Park 2115.538 1148.962 14
Burnett Park site 1187.709 442.3057 5
Farragon Hill site 741.2843 311.0967 3
Loch Lomond national park 782.3322 465.2593 5
Clachan site 570.2783 308.7626 3
The Inverness site has a low density of sheep, which will reduce human-wildlife conflicts and
has sparse settlements. Larger motorways are non-existent in this part of the highlands
allowing the free movement of Lynx through the area. This site has the highest estimated
number of Lynx that could be reintroduced at 15-29 pairs.
Figure 6: Candidate sites for the reintroduction of Lynx. Authors own, 2016
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Figure 7: Candidate networks for Lynx reintroduction showing the best habitat areas
and protected areas. Authors own,2016
Clachan site
Loch Lomond National Park
Farragon Hill site
Burnett Park site
Blairmount
park site
Greenock site
Inverness site
References:
Arkive.org (2016) Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx. Available from: http://www.arkive.org/eurasian-
lynx/lynx-lynx/ [Accessed 15 March 2016].
Hetherington, D.A., Miller, D.R., Macleod, C.D. & Gorman, M.L. (2008) A potential habitat
network for the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx in Scotland. Mammal Review. 38 (4), pp. 285–
303.
IUCN redlist (2016) Lynx lynx (Eurasian Lynx). Available from:
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/12519/0 [Accessed 13 March 2016].
WWF (2016) Eurasian lynx | WWF. Available from:
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/species/profiles/mammals/eurasian_lynx/
[Accessed 13 March 2016].