The ecology of the lynx (Lynx canadensis) on Cape Breton Island

1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 770-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. R. Parker ◽  
J. W. Maxwell ◽  
L. D. Morton ◽  
G. E. J. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Limited Range ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Snowshoe Hare ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Lynx Lynx ◽  
Lynx Canadensis ◽  
Cape Breton Island ◽  
Cape Breton ◽  
Hunting Success ◽  
Main Component

Recruitment of lynx (Lynx canadensis) on Cape Breton Island declined from 1977–1978 through 1979–1980 concurrent with a decrease in snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) densities. Suppressed recruitment resulted from a decline in pregnancy rates, especially in the yearling cohort, and increased mortality of kits during the first 6 months of life. Snowshoe hare was the main component in the diet of lynx during both winter and summer. Lynx rarely travelled together except for females with kits. Hunting success (percent successful chases) increased wth group size. Overall hunting success increased through the winter. Winter kill rates averaged one hare per lynx per 24 h. Home ranges of adults were larger in summer (25–32 km2) than in winter (12–18 km2). Daily cruising distances (kilometres per 24 h) were greater in summer (~9 km) than in winter (~8 km). Although lynx used all habitats within their home ranges, they selected for the advanced successional habitat (~20 years after cutting) both winter and summer. Mature conifer habitat was used more in summer than in winter. The short-term impact of extensive forest harvesting within the limited range of lynx on the highlands of Cape Breton Island is uncertain; in the long-term it should prove beneficial by increasing the availability of preferred advanced successional habitat. Harvesting of lynx should be closely controlled, especially during periods of reduced densities of snowshoe hares and suppressed recruitment of lynx.

Behavioural responses of lynx to declining snowshoe hare abundance

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (12) ◽  
pp. 2817-2824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. P. Ward ◽  
Charles J. Krebs
Keyword(s):  
Home Range Size ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Snowshoe Hare ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Lynx Lynx ◽  
Lynx Canadensis ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Straight Line ◽  
Daily Travel

The behavioural responses of lynx (Lynx canadensis) to declines in snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) abundance were examined in the southwestern Yukon. Between April 1982 and June 1984, 11 lynx were radio tagged and monitored in and near the Kluane Game Sanctuary. Lynx home range size increased from 13.2 to 39.2 km2 concurrent with a decline in snowshoe hare abundance from 14.7 to 0.2 hares/ha. Below about 0.5 hares/ha, several lynx abandoned their home ranges and became nomadic, although they remained within the general study area. Lynx concentrated their foraging efforts in areas of relatively high snowshoe hare abundance and abandoned these areas after hares declined. Straight-line daily travel distance remained constant at 2.2−2.7 km/day above 1.0 hare/ha. Below 1.0 hares/ha, straight-line daily travel distances increased rapidly, reaching 5.5 km/day at 0.2 hares/ha. Three of seven radio-tagged lynx dispersed 250 km or more from the study area during the 1982 period of rapid hare decline. No similar long-distance emigrations were recorded after hare densities stabilized at less than 1.0 hares/ha. Trapping mortality was responsible for the loss of seven of nine radio-tagged lynx that travelled outside the game sanctuary. One lynx probably starved during the winter or spring of 1984. The high rate of trapping mortality outside the game sanctuary suggests that refugia in wilderness areas are important in maintaining lynx populations during periods of low recruitment.

scholarly journals Selection and drift influence genetic differentiation of insular Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis ) on Newfoundland and Cape Breton Island

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 3281-3294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie B. Prentice ◽  
Jeff Bowman ◽  
Kamal Khidas ◽  
Erin L. Koen ◽  
Jeffrey R. Row ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Lynx Lynx ◽  
Lynx Canadensis ◽  
Cape Breton Island ◽  
Canada Lynx ◽  
Cape Breton

Winter habitat selection by lynx and coyotes in relation to snowshoe hare abundance

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (8) ◽  
pp. 1444-1451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis L. Murray ◽  
Stan Boutin ◽  
Mark O'Donoghue
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Load Ratio ◽  
Snowshoe Hare ◽  
Lynx Lynx ◽  
Lynx Canadensis ◽  
Winter Habitat ◽  
Predator Species ◽  
Hunting Success ◽  
Snow Conditions

We examined the relationship between winter habitat selection among lynx (Lynx canadensis) and coyotes (Canis latrans) and relative snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) abundance by tracking in snow during three winters. Hare numbers were higher in dense spruce (Picea glauca) than in other habitats in 1987–1988, and both predator species selected that habitat in that year. In 1988–1989, hare distribution was similar among habitats, and both predators used spruce habitats relative to their availability. In 1989–1990, hare numbers were also similar among habitats, and lynx used spruce habitats according to availability, whereas coyotes selected dense spruce. Hares were the main prey of both species, and the distribution of hares chased and killed by lynx was similar to that predicted by habitat use. Lynx hunting success was also similar among habitats. In comparison, coyotes chased and killed more hares than expected and had higher hunting success in dense spruce. Snow was shallower and harder in all spruce habitats used by coyotes than in those travelled by lynx. This suggests that coyotes were more selective of snow conditions than lynx, probably as a result of their high foot-load (ratio of body mass to foot area) relative to that of hares. Coyotes scavenged more often than lynx, but neither species seemed to select habitats on the basis of carcass availability. We concluded that high hare densities influenced selection of dense spruce by both species in 1987–1988, and that coyotes may also have chosen habitats on the basis of hunting success and snow conditions.

Vein assemblages and fluid evolution in 18O-depleted Neoproterozoic igneous rocks of the Mira terrane, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia1This article is one of a series of papers published in CJES Special Issue: In honour of Ward Neale on the theme of Appalachian and Grenvillian geology.2Laboratory for Stable Isotope Science (LSIS) Contribution 251.

2012 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 359-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Potter ◽  
Frederick J. Longstaffe ◽  
Sandra M. Barr
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Inclusions ◽  
Meteoric Water ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
Igneous Rocks ◽  
Cape Breton Island ◽  
Carbon Isotopic ◽  
Vein Formation ◽  
Cape Breton ◽  
Calcite Veins ◽  
Stable Isotopic

Fluids responsible for regional 18O-depletion of Neoproterozoic igneous rocks in Avalonia are investigated here through a petrographic, microthermometric, and stable isotopic examination of fluid inclusions and minerals from the abundant vein networks of the Mira terrane, Cape Breton Island. Six categories of vein assemblages — from oldest to youngest — are present: (i) quartz–albite, (ii) quartz–epidote, (iii) quartz, (iv) quartz–chlorite–calcite, (v) quartz–calcite, and (vi) calcite. Vein system temperatures were initially as high as ∼300 °C and gradually decreased to ∼200 °C. Moderate salinities (<8 equivalent wt.% NaCl) characterize entrapped fluids in the early quartz–albite veins but decrease in later quartz–epidote and quartz–calcite veins to <1 equiv. wt.% NaCl. The limited range of fluid δ18O values (–1.9‰ to +1.4‰) calculated for most of the vein assemblages is suggestive of a seawater-dominated system, as are the δDH2O values (–12‰ to –3‰) obtained for epidote. Decreasing fluid salinities, however, suggest that meteoric water became dominant during later stages of vein formation. The carbon isotopic compositions of trace CO2 and CH4 from the fluid inclusions (δ13CCO2 = –22‰ to –4‰; δ13CCH4 = –52‰ to –37‰) are indicative of externally derived (i.e., non-magmatic) fluids of organic origin.

scholarly journals The enigma of the 10-year wildlife population cycle solved? Evidence that the periodicity and regularity of the cycle are driven by a lunar zeitgeber

2015 ◽  
Vol 128 (4) ◽  
pp. 327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herbert L. Archibald
Keyword(s):  
Population Cycles ◽  
Amplitude Distribution ◽  
Ultraviolet B ◽  
Population Cycle ◽  
Snowshoe Hare ◽  
Lynx Lynx ◽  
Half Cycle ◽  
Ruffed Grouse ◽  
Lynx Canadensis ◽  
Wildlife Population

Despite nearly 100 years of research, the periodicity and regularity of the 10-year wildlife population cycle remain an enigma. This paper presents the hypothesis that the 9.3-year nodal half-cycle of the moon is the zeitgeber (“time-giver”) of the 10-year wildlife population cycle. The period of the population cycles of the Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus) and Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) is close to 9.3 years. These wildlife cycles have stayed closely in phase with the 9.3-year nodal half-cycle for 150 years. Population density of the Snowshoe Hare and Ruffed Grouse is inversely related to a 9.3-year cycle of the moon's tidal force. There is also a 9.3-year cycle of “nights without darkness” at the equinoxes, in which the full moon rises before sunset and sets after sunrise the following morning in certain years. Snowshoe Hare and Ruffed Grouse cycles are positively correlated with this phenomenon. The nodal cycle provides explanations for the key features of the 10-year wildlife cycle: regularity, periodicity, amplitude, distribution, and synchrony. Population models based solely on the nodal cycle account for 62% of the variation in the Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) cycle and 37% in the Ruffed Grouse cycle. The mechanism(s) by which herbivore cycles might be entrained by the lunar nodal cycle could involve a cyclic effect on factors including predation, stress, photoperiod, phenology, temperature, cloudiness, ultraviolet B radiation, cosmic rays, and food plant quality.

Habitat selection by lynx in the Northwest Territories

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 845-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim G. Poole ◽  
Leslie A. Wakelyn ◽  
Paul N. Nicklen
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Northwest Territories ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Habitat Modification ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Lynx Lynx ◽  
Lynx Canadensis ◽  
Selection Indices

An understanding of habitat selection by lynx (Lynx canadensis) in the northern boreal forest is needed to evaluate the potential impacts of habitat modification (wildfire and timber harvesting) on lynx populations. We quantified habitat selection by lynx in a 290-km2 study area in the western Northwest Territories from 1989 to 1993 by radio-collaring 27 adult lynx (12 females and 15 males). An 8-class habitat map, produced using Landsat thematic mapper data, was used to assess habitat selection. Lynx used habitats disproportionately to their availability (P < 0.001), both at the landscape level and within home ranges. Dense coniferous and dense deciduous forests had higher selection indices than other habitat classes, and wetland – lake bed complexes and open black spruce (Picea mariana) forests had lower selection indices. Habitat selection did not differ between the sexes or among years (P ≥ 0.4) Habitat alteration by wildfire in the northern boreal forest could significantly affect populations of the lynx and its primary prey, the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), particularly by maintaining or increasing the availability of dense forest and other preferred habitats.

A geographic analysis of snowshoe hare population demography

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (7) ◽  
pp. 1207-1217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis L Murray
Keyword(s):  
Survival Rates ◽  
Latitudinal Gradients ◽  
Snowshoe Hare ◽  
Lynx Lynx ◽  
Lynx Canadensis ◽  
Differential Survival ◽  
Northern Latitudes ◽  
Total Productivity ◽  
Reproductive Rates ◽  
Demographic Attributes

Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) populations across northern Canada and Alaska undergo 8- to 11-year cycles in numbers, but population trends in southern Canada and the contiguous United States are apparently either weakly cyclic, irruptive, or largely stable. Although the demographic attributes (population density, reproductive rates, and survival rates) of northern and southern hare populations should differ considerably to account for such differential trends, to date limited rangewide analyses of hare demography have been undertaken. I reviewed hunter harvest estimates and basic demographic attributes for hare populations across North America, and assessed the effect of latitude, longitude, and latitude × longitude interaction on the magnitude and variation of such attributes. Harvest estimates tended to be synchronous across the Great Lakes area and along the St. Lawrence River, whereas they varied more dramatically along a westward gradient and in hare populations suspected of being cyclic. Hare densities tended to be higher among apparently noncyclic than cyclic populations at numerical lows, as well as among studies where hare numbers were apparently increasing. Populations from northern latitudes tended to breed later than those in the south, and females from western areas produced larger, but fewer litters, than those from eastern populations; total productivity was similar across geographic areas. Survival rates for both adult and juvenile hares were higher in increasing populations than in decreasing populations. Survival of adults also decreased along a northwest gradient, whereas that of juveniles decreased across a western gradient and with longitude, was lower in apparently noncyclic populations, and was also lower in populations in areas of high lynx (Lynx canadensis) densities. I conclude that, although disparity clearly exists in the trends of various hare populations, the absence of strong latitudinal gradients in demographic attributes fails to support the hypothesis that differential survival/predation is responsible for the regional differences in numerical trends.

Spatial organization of a lynx population

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 632-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim G. Poole
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Spatial Organization ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Lynx Lynx ◽  
Lynx Canadensis ◽  
Dynamic Interactions ◽  
Snowshoe Hares ◽  
Land Tenure System ◽  
Range Overlap

I examined the home-range relationships and spatial organization of an untrapped lynx (Lynx canadensis) population in the southern Northwest Territories, Canada. I determined annual home ranges and static and dynamic interactions among 30 radio-collared adult lynx from April 1989 to April 1993. Densities of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), the main prey, declined during winter 1990–1991. There was extensive range overlap between sexes, and between certain pairs of female lynx. Ranges among most males and among other individual or pairs of females were more exclusive. Most intrasexual dynamic interactions indicated neither attraction nor avoidance, suggesting that home-range boundaries were maintained by passive means. Two male–female pairs showed some positive attraction during the early part of the first winter of low hare density. Home ranges of three male and three female lynx monitored for 3 consecutive years were stable. Spatial organization broke down during winter 1991 – 1992, when all resident lynx died or dispersed; this was concomitant with the first full winter of low hare density. Spatial organization observed prior to low hare densities may be described as a land-tenure system, based on prior residency, and may have served to regulate the density of this untrapped population during peak prey levels.

Culinary tourism on Cape Breton Island

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erna MacLeod
Keyword(s):  
Tourism Destination ◽  
Cape Breton Island ◽  
Culinary Tourism ◽  
Economic Significance ◽  
Cape Breton ◽  
Local Stakeholders ◽  
Resilient Communities ◽  
World Class ◽  
Ecological Relations ◽  
Developed World

Cape Breton Island is a well-known North American tourism destination with long-standing attractions such as the Cabot Trail and more recently developed world-class offerings such as the Cabot Links Golf Course. Tourism contributes significantly to Cape Breton’s economy, particularly since the mid-20th century as traditional resource-based industries have declined. In the 21st century, culinary tourism has become increasingly important to expand the island’s tourism offerings and to provide “authentic” tourism experiences. This study examines local-food tourism in Cape Breton to illuminate its cultural and economic significance. I conducted interviews with food producers, restaurateurs, government representatives, and tourism executives. I also consulted websites and policy documents and compared local stakeholders’ experiences and perspectives with official tourism strategies. Promoting culinary tourism raises questions of power, autonomy, inclusion, and accountability. My study accentuates possibilities for aligning economic and ecological goals to create resilient communities, foster equitable social and ecological relations, and establish Cape Breton as a culinary tourism destination.

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